Vegan roastbeef, nuggets to be showcased at Tel Aviv confab
Over 1,000 chefs and food service professionals to learn latest vegetarian and vegan innovations and trends presented by dozens of food makers, conference organizers say
Shoshanna Solomon was The Times of Israel's Startups and Business reporter
The Israeli organization Vegan-Friendly, together with Meatless Monday, a nonprofit that encourages people to consume less meat, will be holding a culinary innovation conference in Tel Aviv later this month to showcase food trends and developments in the field of vegetarian and vegan food.
Over 1,000 chefs and food service professionals will be exposed to the latest vegetarian and vegan products — like a vegan roast-beef chunk that can be cooked in the oven, vegan “chicken” nuggets, a “zero egg” egg, a variety of soy-based meats and puddings — that will be presented by dozens of companies in the industry, the organizers said in a statement.
Some 40 specialty food stalls will be displayed in the exhibition area on February 10 at the Tel Aviv Port, showcasing plant-based products and launching several new product lines to chefs, catering companies, restaurateurs and food service professionals in Israel who will be able to see the supply, quality and variety of plant-based foods they can incorporate in their menus.
Among the firms exhibiting are Zoglos, Osem-Nestle, Tivall, Wyler Farm, MashuMashu, Marina, Teva-Deli, The Nuts Chef, Nice to Meat, Fresh Orange, Hamim VeTaim and more.
Parallel to the exhibition, participants will take part in lectures and panels dealing with the latest culinary innovations, the economic and health benefits of plant-based food and global demand trends.
“The demand for tasty, healthier and more sustainable food is on the rise,” said Or Benjamin, chair of the Board of Meatless Monday Israel, in the statement. “Food service companies and restaurants experience the increasing demand and are expanding and improving the supply of plant-based options. Food manufacturers — both veteran and new — are developing and marketing a growing range of solutions. FoodTech innovation already creates products from plants that simulate the taste and texture of meat, eggs and dairy, and an exciting new field is now Cultivated Meat — which is actual meat without animal. The event will present all this and more, a fascinating merge of FoodTech and culinary innovation.”
Israel has the world’s highest per capita vegan population, with Tel Aviv being dubbed Vegan Nation. The nation is also home to 350 tech companies that operate in the agri-food tech sector, over a third of them founded over the past five years, according to Start-Up Nation Central, which tracks Israel’s tech industry. In the first half of 2019, food tech firms raised $109 million from investors, more than the $103 million raised in full year 2018.
