NotCo, a Chilean startup that makes milk, mayonnaise and meat based on chickpeas, chia, spinach and beets, among several ingredients that it has in its portfolio, wants to conquer Mexicans and already has a route to achieve it.
As of this year, the foodtech already has its line of products in supermarkets in Mexico, but so that diners have, in some cases, a first contact with its products, it has signed an alliance with Alsea, the Mexican company that operates brands such as Domino’s Pizza, Vips, Chili’s and some Burger King restaurants.
The issue -says the company- is to replicate in Mexico what happened in Chile and Argentina: that diners get to know the products in the operator’s restaurants, such as Starbucks and Burger King, and then buy them in the self-service chains.
Alsea reported that it will be starting this month to integrate NotBurger, NotChicken and NotMilk into its menus, made with some of the products from NotCo’s portfolio.
“The alliance seeks to capitalize on a market that grows and grows. There is recognition from Alsea that there is a mass market consumer who is looking for this type of product, whether in a coffee, a hamburger or a casual dinner ( informal dinner, a concept offered by Vips)”, says Matías Muchnick, co-founder by NotCo.
In Chile, through this alliance, the Burger King hamburger chain has been offering a plant-based option since 2020, the Whopper Vegetal, which not only considers meat, but also mayonnaise. About a month ago, these food options have been extended to other products, such as nuggets and sandwiches.
“With Burger King in Chile and Argentina we brought new people to the stores, people who didn’t buy from the chain (because they couldn’t find vegetarian or vegan options on the menu) and now consume it because this alternative exists. We also add those people who perhaps had health issues (for example, lactose intolerance) and who now consume because they have the option of NotCo”, the manager points out.
The manager assures that they have even managed to add people without food restrictions, but who sometimes like to vary and try new things. “The acceptance of people who do not have food restrictions has been spectacular, it is the consumer base that we have.”
Settle in Mexico
NotCo also started the production of milk and alternative meat in Chihuahua. The co-founder of the company, who did not give details of the investment made, comments that for now the production scale is small, which opens the opportunity to negotiate with suppliers and reach agreements that allow products to be offered at a lower price. .
“Our first step is to position our cheaper products. As we grow, we will seek to keep prices as low as possible or as close as possible to the products we want to replace,” he shares.
For the development of the products in its portfolio, the foodtech designed an Artificial Intelligence algorithm with which it replicates products of animal origin, which they named Giuseppe, who is in charge of developing recipes, which are tested by specialized chefs.
The co-founder of NotCo estimates that by 2035 plant-based foods will represent 22% of the global food market, and he sees great potential in Mexico to attract consumers, who are not exactly vegetarians or vegans.
Globally, food made from plants closed 2021 with a value of 35.6 million dollars and will reach 77.8 billion dollars in 2025, according to projections by Statista.
