Alternative proteins firm opens new Chinese plant, enters Whole Foods, Ocado

Hong Kong-based alternative proteins firm Green Monday launched operations at a new Chinese processing plant just as its OmniSeafood range has hit the shelves at Whole Foods Market, and online at Ocado.

The firm has termed the launch of its products at the two retailers as “another big step to protect our oceans.” And while it hasn’t offered details on projected output volumes at the new Chinese plant it has put the investment at “in excess of CNY 100 million (USD 15 million, EUR 14 million)."

The launch includes a range of plant-based fish analogs including options like Golden Fillet, Classic Fillet, Ocean Burger, Ocean Fingers, OmniCrab Cakes, and OmniTuna.

Located at Yangxi in Guangdong province, the new plant will produce the Omni meat and seafood ranges, said David Yeung (he also uses the Mandarin name Yang Dawei), co-founder and CEO of the Green Mondays Group, which owns the Omni brand.

Plant protein is essential to the solution of existential challenges like food security and climate change, Yeung said at the opening of the Yangxi factory. He said the factory's “top technology, professional team and management measures” would ensure excellent quality and ensure food safety.

The Hong Kong based company, which already distributes OmniPork in Britain, aims to sell its range of seafood -which includes the Golden Fillet it distributes to catering clients in Hong Kong and Britain, as well as OmniTuna and OmniSalmon - to 20 markets globally.

Bloomberg Intelligence has estimated that the global plant-based foods market will be worth USD 162 billion (EUR 157 billion) in 2030, compared to USD 29.4 billion (EUR 28.5 billion) in 2020.

Photo courtesy of OmniFoods