Plant-based Israeli startup Chunk Foods has launched in the U.S. retail market with its whole cut product.
This week, the company, which first launched in U.S. foodservice in 2023, brought its product to independent retailers in Los Angeles and New York City.
“Our retail strategy is focused on a phased approach,” CEO Amos Golan told Food Dive. “Initially, we’re launching with select independent grocers in Los Angeles and New York City to test the waters and build strong consumer engagement.”
Chunk Foods was founded in 2020, when Golan was experimenting with plant-based fermentation techniques to mimic meat in his Brooklyn apartment. Chunk Foods’ whole cuts are fermented soy flour with food-grade microorganisms in a proprietary solid state fermentation process.
“At the time, fermentation was emerging as one of the most exciting areas in the food industry, with companies using it to tackle a variety of challenges. I realized that this technology could be the key to filling a major gap in the plant-based meat market,” said Golan.
The plant-based category has had declining sales in recent years, with consumers criticizing its taste, texture and high prices.
Chunk Foods has found that U.S. retailers are still open to partnering with new players in the space.
Golan said that Chunk’s solid state proprietary fermentation technology is what sets it apart from other plant-based alternatives.
“Utilizing solid-state fermentation, we can precisely control all product attributes, ranging from the thickness of fibers to their direction and the juiciness of the cut,” he said.
The company’s retail launch includes four offerings: Steaks, a Steakhouse cut, Slabs and Pulled meat.
The Chunk products contain 25 to 37 grams of protein, vitamin B12 and only eight ingredients including cultured soy protein, coconut oil, fermented soy and wheat, beet juice and fortified iron, among others.
When it comes to innovating in a lived-in category, Golan has been through the gamut in terms of overcoming challenges within the food industry.
“Before Chunk, I was part of Ferrero’s open innovation team, where I worked on some of the company’s most pressing strategic challenges in food and agriculture. My time there exposed me to large-scale challenges in the industry,” he said.
Golan’s first priority for Chunk is perfecting taste and texture. On the cost front, Golan said that because Chunk is a vertically integrated business, it has better control of its costs. Right now, prices of the retail products range from $6.99 to $9.99, which is par for the course in terms of competitors’ prices.
The company also has plans of launching into e-commerce come December.
Golan said Chunk is in discussions with several major national retailers for 2025. “We believe this tiered approach will give us the right balance of presence in key markets and ensure that we can meet growing consumer demand.”
