McCain Partners With Plant-based Chicken Nugget Alternative Start-up
McCain Foods, the global leader in frozen French fries, potato specialties and appetizers, has announced a new strategic partnership and lead investment in NUGGS, a New York-based start-up which has developed an innovative plant-based chicken nugget alternative.
The partnership combines NUGGS pioneering textured pea protein technology and breakthrough research & development process with McCain’s production and commercial expertise to accelerate the brand’s growth and deliver market scale.
NUGGS research and development process is based on a unique iterative methodology, whereby the product is constantly improved based on continuous consumer feedback.
The latest version of NUGGS plant-based chicken nugget alternative accurately simulates traditional chicken nuggets. Compared to an animal-based chicken nugget, the NUGGS product is higher in protein and lower in calories.
“NUGGS is an incredible product in itself and a very tasty chicken nugget simulation. Furthermore, the NUGGS teams approach to fast, iterative innovation, based on constant consumer feedback is a great way to create products people love,” says Mauro Pennella, chief growth officer at McCain Foods.
McCain’s partnership in NUGGS is aligned to its long-term sustainability priorities and strengthens its role as a partner to food and farming technology entrepreneurs. Other recent investments made by McCain in the area of sustainable food and farming technology include the 2018 investments in TruLeaf (pesticide free vertical farming of leafy greens) and Resson (predictive data analytics for agriculture), both based in Canada.
