The following article was published originally in October 2021 We are sharing it now for your perusal, but take into account that the following information may be outdated.
Wonders CEO Ronit Davidovitz and Soglowek CEO Ran Ackerman celebrated it at the offices of SQLink with Tamir Goren, CEO of the group and its employees. Wonders of Nature, the Israeli start-up leading innovation in the field of meat substitutes from Soglowek, celebrated the day by launching the new generation of products.
According to Wanders CEO Ronit Davidovitz: "After intensive R&D work, we are excited to launch version 2.0 of the company's products. SQLink employees will be the first to taste Burger Wonders 2.0 - juicier, meatier and bigger, simulating the experience of eating meat without meat. In developing the series, we also invested resources in reducing the volume of the packaging, so that it would be more environmentally friendly.
These days, when there is a tremendous development momentum in the world of food manufacturers to provide alternatives to animal proteins, Wonders, which is at the forefront of innovation and development of the meat substitutes category in Israel, brings good news to consumers who avoid and reduce the consumption of animal products.The Wonders 2.0 series of products will be launched to the general public in December, and will include a burger, chorizo, ground meat and a spicy sausage. The products are based on plant proteins and are enriched with iron, zinc and B12.
The connection with SQLink is first of all a connection between people, and between companies that want to do better. And what's better than the small choices that everyone can make on the plate, for the benefit of a wonderful world." SQLink Group, the leading private software house in Israel, with 2,700 employees and one of the only IT companies in Israel with organic, health and vegetarian-vegan cuisine. "We are vegan-friendly at heart" , says Or Koral, Marketing Vice President of SQLink. "All the vegetables and fruits are organic and we offer a variety of superfoods, a vegan menu based on salads, vegan dishes and legumes. The connection with Wonders, the successful Israeli start-up, is optimal - in light of the fact that we care about a healthy quality of life for our employees and it is a quality product."
The size of the plant-based food market in Israel is NIS 232 million, with Tivol leading the market with a sales volume of 59%. Tivol is the first brand in Israel that managed to break through the country's borders and is currently sold in 12 European countries under the name GOURMET GARDEN. The launch of Sensational's hamburgers and ground beef created a new world of an experience close to the real thing and in the last months of the year this segment accounts for almost 10% of the share of the plant-based food category. Tivol is also responsible for the development of the corn schnitzel beloved by children and families in Israel, where corn products today make up about 43% of the vegetable food category.
The year 2020 was considered an all-time record year for investments in plant proteins, and Tivol has quite a place in this change. The entire plant-based food category grew in 2020 by nearly 20%, with the meat-like world growing at twice the rate of the food category. This is a category that has become a significant engine of growth in the global food industry.
According to GFI (Good Food Institute) estimates, by 2030 plant-based food and cultured meat sales will reach approximately 140 billion dollars. Other segments in the world similar to meat such as sausages, soy schnitzel, cooking ingredients, etc. also grew at rates of tens of percent (20-40% depending on the segment). According to Adi Kohli, Director of Tivol Israel, "Beyond the health aspects, this is a significant impact on the planet. The meat industry creates more greenhouse gases than global transportation. It accelerates the cutting down of rainforests, and uses a huge amount of water to raise cattle so that a combination of plant protein In nutrition, it has a positive effect not only on the human body, but also on the environment."
The Diplomat company expanded the range of Beyond meat products this year through Diplomat Plant Based - the company's distribution and sales platform that focuses on plant-based products: from the worlds of meat substitutes, fatty cheeses and eggs, including brands such as zero egg (egg substitutes), Blue Band and Mazola and -Violife from Upfield and more. Beyond meat is the brand that paved the way for market education for vegetable substitutes worldwide and created the revolution in the field.
The company's products are based on plant ingredients and do not contain soy, gluten or genetically modified organisms and reproduce the taste, qualities and properties of meat by using only plant ingredients. This is a perfect solution for meat lovers who are interested in the experience of a fine and juicy burger without any compromises. A survey conducted prior to the launch shows that half a million Israelis eat meat substitutes at least twice a week. 21% of the adult population in Israel, with an emphasis on academics and women, eat meat substitutes at least once a month.
Moti Cohen, Vice President of Business Development, Diplomat: "About three years ago, Diplomat began to initiate and establish Diplomat Plant Based. After we recognized the growing trend of health and well-being in the food industry and the breakthrough of the food tech industries, we realized that the world is going in this direction and in the future will consume more and more products from plants at the expense of animals, some of them overwhelmingly (vegans and/or vegetarians) but most of them are reductionists who want to reduce the amount of meat and be flexible. We estimate that within a decade about 15% of the meat and chicken market in Israel will be based on protein substitutes."
The Israeli food tech company SIMPLIIGOOD is launching a new line of unique products (kebabs, hamburgers and schnitzels) consisting of fresh spirulina that makes it possible to obtain the high nutritional values found in animal food - precisely from spirulina algae. The products, which will be sold on the SIMPLIIGOOD website and in the Nitza De Havran, Shufersal Green, Teva Castel and Tiv Taam stores, will be sold at affordable prices and similar to the equivalent meat substitutes on the market, only this time they will include fresh spirulina algae with a nutritional value of 74% protein and 26% nutrients, vitamins and minerals.
The fresh spirulina is a unique Israeli development of its kind in the world, from SIMPLIIGOOD. Unlike the powders and pills that exist on the market and are sold as nutritional supplements, the fresh spirulina does not change the taste and smell of the food and can be added to any dish. By virtue of being completely fresh and unprocessed, the composition and activity of the unique and sensitive nutrients in spirulina, such as vitamins, antioxidants and essential fatty acids, are better preserved than equivalent products that are heat-processed and sold as nutritional supplements.
Lior Shalev, CEO of SIMPLIIGOOD: "We have gotten used to the fact that a healthy product cannot be tasty, but I say that a healthy product can be super tasty. In recent times and especially since the spread of the Corona epidemic, we see that more and more people are looking for healthy food and they are interested in knowing what they are eating. The SIMPLIIGOOD company continues to develop and produce healthy, high-quality and tasty products. These days we are launching a new line of unique and delicious products (kebab, hamburger and schnitzel) containing fresh spirulina."
At Walt they decided to celebrate the holiday with a new carousel that is completely vegan. Hamburger, pizza and sushi are the most ordered dishes at Walt, but in honor of vegan month, the healthy non-animal dishes will be highlighted. Participating restaurants in the category: 416, Cafe Kaymak, Miso, Tali Lama, The Green Cat, Anastasia, Meshek Barzilai, Green Roll, Alegria, Bana, Dosa Bar, Hayloga, Raw Bowl, Sambazon, Tenat, Unniko, and more. Throughout the year there are vegan dishes at Walt, and in honor of Vegan Month, Walt publishes the six most popular dishes: Anastasia - Soba, Dosa Bar - Tali, 416 - Roast Beef in Hala, Alegria - Caesar Salad, Rainbow Ibn Gabirol - Rainburger, Meshek Barzilai - the Thai dish.
It is not only about vegan food, but also about retail, which is gaining volume in Walt in the last year. The vegan supermarket from the vegan stores with only vegan raw materials will be in the carousel this month with protein and milk substitutes, baked goods, sweets and vegan sauces.
In Wolt they say that in the vegan category there will be special offers for the vegan month, including significant discounts on the dishes. "The demand for vegan dishes is only increasing in recent times," says Ran Doron, restaurant business development manager in Tel Aviv, "therefore we are constantly thinking of creative ways to improve the vegan variety in our app and make it accessible to all of our customers, not necessarily just the vegans among them. The cooperation with the restaurants is excellent and we are sure that we will continue to develop vegan products for the benefit of the customers even after the month of veganism is over."
Michal Betzer, director of the marketing division of the milk division in Tnuva: "From a study we conducted in Tnuva in recent years, it appears that the veganism trend in Israel has been in a static state for several years. It is precisely the group of "reducers" and "variers" who choose to reduce animal nutrition but not give it up completely, is on the rise . Those reducers choose to incorporate plant-based nutrition into their daily routine. Whether in the morning coffee or in complete meals. "As the largest food company in Israel, we make great efforts to respond to all consumers, this is part of our concept and our commitment.
Already over 15 years ago, we identified a growing trend of demand for alternative products in the milk refrigerator, both due to the functional needs and due to the changes in the life span. That's why we became an active player in the milk substitutes category and were even the first to launch chilled products sold in the milk refrigerator. It was literally a revolution of freshness; We are the only ones who manufacture the products here in Israel at the Tnuva Alternative factory located in the north. Even in the future, we will continue to expand our range of solutions, with new and diverse launches."
The biggest engine is family drinks both in the world and in Israel. Also, abroad there is a significant growth of cup products, yogurts and delicacies. Within the market we see the change of a wide variety of bases - the raw materials are becoming more diverse whether it is oats, soy or almonds, at the same time there is a deepening in the category of substitutes we are entering For more and more categories that give a picture of all the needs - such as protein-enriched substitutes of GO, so the growing trends in the food market are reflected in the substitutes market, whether the culinary and home cooking trend or the protein-enriched trend for athletes.