Meat+Poultry - February 2019 - 11

attribute and creates the flavor in raw
and cooked product. Heme reacts with
the proteins, amino acids, sugars and
vitamins in the blend.

MINTEL IDENTIFIES 2019
FOODSERVICE TRENDS

IMPOSSIBLE FOODS RELEASES
IMPOSSIBLE BURGER 2.0
After premiering the Impossible Burger
2.0 at the International Consumer
Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas
in early January, Impossible Foods
decided to push up its rollout of the
product nationwide.
The latest iteration of the burger
will contain no gluten, no animal
hormones and no antibiotics. It will
also be kosher and halal-certified. The
new Impossible Burger also has 0 mg
cholesterol, 14 grams of total fat and
240 calories in a quarter-pound patty.
"Our longtime restaurant partners
are asking to get it as quickly as
possible - and we're thrilled they
can get this exclusive opportunity,"
said David Lee, Impossible Foods'
chief operating officer and chief
financial officer.
Starting Feb. 4, the next-generation
Impossible Burger will be available
to all restaurants in the United States
through major food distributors.
Impossible Foods produces
the plant-based burgers and other
products at the company's 68,000-sq.-ft.
production plant in Oakland, California.
According to Impossible Foods,
the Impossible Burger is the world's
first and only burger that handles,
cooks and tastes like ground beef
from cows - but is made entirely from
plants. The burger's crucial ingredient
is leghemoglobin, or "heme." Heme
gives the Impossible Burger its bleeding

In its new report, "Foodservice Trends
2019," Mintel's analysts explored
four trends that will influence the
restaurant industry in the coming year.
The trends fall under the headings of:
You Are Where You Eat; Serving the
Earth; Restaurants for Good; and Tech
in Balance.
"You Are Where You Eat" addresses
how customers are supporting
restaurants with cultures and values
that align with their lifestyles and
enhancing loyalty.
"In the year ahead, expect
restaurants to take customer
engagement a step further by creating
a sense of community with their
patrons," said Amanda Topper,
associate director of foodservice
research at Mintel. "Knowing that
diners want to align themselves
with brands that fit their lifestyle,
restaurants can meet diners halfway by
taking a stance on social and political
issues and supporting organizations
that are important to them."
Under the heading of "Serving the
Earth," Mintel's report said customers
are expecting more environmental
responsibility from restaurants they
are visiting. From compostable straws
to upcycled food scraps, diners'
appetites are extending beyond the
menu to restaurants' earth-saving
business practices.
The report also addresses
labor issues under the heading of
"Restaurants for Good." In the year
ahead, foodservice operators will be
focusing on retaining talent. Being
active in communities and the quality of
restaurants' labor practices will be seen
as a significant factor for customers
and restaurants.
Finally, restaurants must continue

to find the right mix of operational
efficiency and human interaction to
ensure customer satisfaction. The
report addresses this in the section
titled: "Tech in Balance."
Mintel said, "As restaurant
technology continues to become more
sophisticated, the way consumers
order will dramatically change moving
forward. Restaurants will utilize
technology to heighten customer
experiences and provide value through
more personalized service."

BRF DIVESTS AVEX UNIT
São Paulo-based BRF S.A. sold its
Argentina-based Avex poultry processing
business to Granja Tres Arroyos S.A.
and Fribel S.A. for $50 million. The
transaction includes a poultry processing
plant in Rio Cuarto, which has the
capacity to process 160,000 birds per
day; and food-processing facilities in
Llavallol and Villa Mercedes, which
process more than 10,000 tons of
products per month.
Avex has operated in Argentina
since 1950 and employs 800 workers.
The company makes food products
under the Dánica, Manty, Delicia,
D'Fiesta and Sierra Sur.
The sale of Avex is BRF's second
in Argentina. In December 2018, the
company reached an agreement with
Marfrig Global Foods S.A. in which
Marfrig acquired 91.89 percent of
shares in Quickfood S.A., a beefbased processed food company in a
transaction valued at $60 million.
QuickFood operates three plants
located in San Jorge, Baradero and
Arroyo Seco with a slaughtering
capacity of 620 head per day and a
processing capacity of approximately
6,000 metric tons per month.
BRF said negotiations are ongoing
for its Campo Austral beef and pork
business in Argentina, in addition to its
operations in Europe and Thailand.

For more news,
visit MEATPOULTRY.com
www.meatpoultry.com | 02.19 | MEAT+ POULTRY

11
http://www.MEATPOULTRY.com http://www.meatpoultry.com
Meat+Poultry - February 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Meat+Poultry - February 2019
