• by Erik Oster , March 11, 2024

 

Oscar Mayer’s latest products define themselves by what they’re not.

The brand is entering the plant-based category with the launch of Oscar Mayer NotHotDogs and NotSausages ,available in both bratwurst and Italian sausage varieties, from The Kraft Heinz Not Company, the joint venture Kraft Heinz launched in 2022 with the goal of combining Kraft Heinz’s brand portfolio with Chilean food tech company NotCo’s AI technology to develop plant-based takes on well-known Kraft Heinz brands.

The new products will make their initial debut at Expo West from March 12–March 16, ahead of a planned rollout across major retailers nationwide later in 2024.

Oscar Mayer NotHotDogs and NotSausages follow the joint venture’s initial releases under the Kraft banner:  Kraft NotMac&Cheese, NotCheeseSlices, and NotMayo.

“We know fans have been waiting for plant-based versions of our Oscar Mayer products since we first announced the joint venture in 2022,” a representative for The Kraft Heinz Not Company told Marketing Daily. The launch helps to “fulfill an unmet consumer need in the category, which was important to us.”

Hot dogs and dinner sausage links are “underdeveloped and under-consumed within the broader plant-based meat category,” noted the rep, attributing the lack to consumers being disappointed with the taste and texture of existing options.

Retail sales estimates for the plant-based meat alternatives (PBMA) category in the U.S. fell by around 3.6% in 2023, as consumers seek less-expensive options and the category “continues to struggle with negative perceptions even among those who follow a reduced meat diet,” according to a report by market research company Mintel. In a statement, Mintel associate director of food and drinks reports Caleb noted “silver linings” in the “relatively resilient” frozen PBMA category and the possibility for new product innovations to expand the market. Bryant noted brands need to address consumer concerns around “product taste, nutrition, and price in order to achieve real market growth.”

The Kraft Heinz Not Company’s debut launch appears to incorporate such consumer sentiment into its focus, and the company said it was “thrilled” with the results of initial consumer testing, and remains optimistic about growth opportunities in the plant-based category overall.

“Our Oscar Mayer NotHotDog and NotSausage products not only deliver on great taste, but also bring the smell, appearance, texture and grill marks consumers desire and want,” the representative said. “

Oscar Mayer NotHotDogs and NotSausages are initially being promoted solely through an earned media campaign for their preliminary debut. The brand plans to further the push through additional marketing later in the year, while The Kraft Heinz Not Company looks to continue expanding internationally and branch out into additional categories in the future, the representative said.