Oakland tofu maker Hodo brings new competition to fake-egg market

Hodo Inc., an Oakland, California-based tofu maker, is launching its faux-egg scramble later this month, with plans to have the product available in about 1,500 supermarkets by mid-June, the company told Bloomberg News.

“We noticed that outside of Just Egg there is not much innovation in the egg space. We started tinkering with our current recipe to make the texture and flavor more like scrambled egg,” said founder and Chief Executive Officer Minh Tsai. “I think it’s probably going to be our fastest-selling product a year from now.”

There are trends in Hodo’s favor. Consumers are still looking to add more plants to their diet, despite the stagnancy of sales of meat-alternative products, said Dasha Shor, an analyst at Mintel. Now, she said, they are looking for more-natural options. “We are seeing the processing backlash happening,” Shor said, noting that 60% of U.S. plant-based protein consumers say they would eat more meat alternatives if they were less processed.

Tofu seems to fit the bill. But despite being one of the oldest plant-based proteins, it’s still modest in sales compared with meat substitutes. Sales of tofu totaled $285 million in the U.S. in 2021, while meat and seafood substitutes brought in $1.8 billion that year, according to data from Euromonitor. Both look paltry compared with sales of real eggs, which totaled $9.8 billion last year.

Tofu’s relatively low sales are partly attributable to consumers’ hesitation about foods they aren’t used to cooking, something that Hodo has recognized with its long list of flavored, cubed and otherwise ready-to-eat or ready-to-cook products. Its scramble is similar: It has the short list of ingredients expected from tofu, but the convenience of going right into the pan or microwave for cooking.

United States Latest News, United States Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Rolex Air-King: Higher LevelThe new Rolex Oyster Perpetual Air-King brings an all new look to the professional category. Discover more here. luxurywatch
Source: Luxuo - 🏆 571. / 51 Read more »

San Diego resident publishes children's book celebrating family traditions — and patience'Tofu Takes Time' will be released on Tuesday
Source: sdut - 🏆 5. / 95 Read more »

New York Auto Show: Visit for the reveals, stay for the Rad | AutoblogRadwood's booth brings a refreshing breath of 80s and 90s air to New York's electrification party. I keep staring at that display every time I walk past. So many cars I wanted as a teenager. Perfect The blue Venturi…
Source: therealautoblog - 🏆 528. / 51 Read more »

2022 BMW X7 brings new design, engines and tech | AutocarFresh looks and iX-inspired interior updates for the seven-seat luxury SUV Wow. BMW are determined to have the worst looking vehicles aren’t they Nice I don't know how they've done it, they've made it look even worse.
Source: autocar - 🏆 93. / 67 Read more »

Oakland Police Identify Antioch 15-Year-Old Killed In ShootingOakland Police said Wednesday that the child shot and killed last weekend in Oakland was 15-year-old Camyla Brown.
Source: KPIXtv - 🏆 443. / 53 Read more »

Thanks to a matriarchal gene, this bird can trick others into caring for its eggsNew research shows that cuckoo finches pass the ability to mimic eggs through maternal inheritance, but it may be a double-edged sword.
Source: PopSci - 🏆 298. / 63 Read more »