Whoa! Plant-Based Foods Dominate Pepsi’s New Accelerator Because People Want Plant-Based Snacks

As consumer interest in plant-based eating continues to grow at a rapid pace, companies of all types are getting in on the trend. Take, for instance, top conventional meat producers Tyson and Perdue, both of which have been expanding their horizons as of late by exploring and investing in cruelty-free proteins made from plants and lab-cultured meat.

Then, there’s international food and beverage giant PepsiCo. Following in the footsteps of other companies that have hopped on the plant-based bandwagon, the popular snack and soda maker has launched an accelerator designed to help it locate innovators and possible partners in the market, plus reveal valuable information that the company can use for its own research and development. Aptly named “Nutrition Greenhouse,” the program was rolled out in Europe last year and will reportedly be expanding to the U.S. and Canada this fall.

Much like many businesses seeking to enter the plant-based food sphere, Pepsi is looking to partner with startups focused on creating nutritious products, which is a great move considering such items have proven to be extremely popular among wellness-minded young people.

While the global company hasn’t limited its search exclusively to foods made from plants, a significant number of the snack brands on Pepsi’s list of 2018 European partner companies just so happen to be plant-based. For example, there’s Revolicious, a dairy-free smoothie bowl creator, and Nibble Protein, a maker of sweet yet healthy vegan protein bites.

Pepsi’s recent interest in brands that offer products made from healthier ingredients is not all that surprising if you look at the food and beverage supplier’s 2017 sustainability report, which highlights the company’s efforts to reduce the amount of sugar, sodium and saturated fat in its snacks in hopes of promoting consumer health and wellness.

As Pepsi scopes out prospective partners in North America for its Nutrition Greenhouse accelerator, Daniel Grubbs, the program’s project lead, reportedly stated that the corporation will be devoting a great deal of time and energy to learning about the companies it considers in addition to the products themselves.

Over at One Green Planet, we’re absolutely ecstatic to hear that Pepsi has joined the growing list of companies investing in plant-based innovations, also known as the food of the future!

To learn all about how fueling your body with plants can improve your own personal health and do a ton of good for our Earth, check out the #EatForThePlanet book!

Image Source: Revolicious/Facebook