Oscar Mayer Debuts Plant-Based Hot Dogs For Grilling Season
America's top hot dog purveyor finally enters the plant-based meat category.
Make some space on the grill, because there's a new plant-based hot dog to satisfy vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores alike. Kraft Heinz, owner of the Oscar Mayer brand, has partnered with AI-powered food developer NotCo to create a line of new NotHotDogs and NotSausages, rolling out in spring 2024.
Oscar Mayer’s first plant-based meat products, explained
The "Not" products are part of the first dedicated plant-based product line from Oscar Mayer, and the company says that the vegan sausages offer a "smoky, savory taste, meaty color, and thick, juicy bite" that people will relish. (Get it??) The new product will be available as hot dogs, bratwursts, and Italian sausages.
"Our goal is to create mouthwatering, plant-based foods that are delicious and accessible for everyone–from the devoted vegan to the plant-based curious," said Lucho Lopez-May, CEO of the jointly created Kraft Heinz Not Company, in the press release.
Like many plant-based meat purveyors, Oscar Mayer isn't necessarily aiming for the vegan crowd—at least not exclusively. Just like Beyond and Impossible before it, the brand is hoping to appeal to those generally curious omnivores who dabble in a little bit of everything, both meat and non-meat. (IKEA is taking the same approach with its own plant-based hot dog.)
Where to buy Oscar Mayer’s new plant-based hot dogs and sausages
The new Oscar Mayer NotHotDogs and NotSausages will debut at the Expo West trade show from March 12-16, and if you weren't planning on attending, the products will roll out to major retailers nationwide later this year. It's not clear when exactly that will be, but with repeated references to "grilling season" in its press release, we have a feeling we'll see them at the grocery store before the Fourth of July.
Kraft Heinz is getting pretty serious about its plant-based options all across its portfolio. Oscar Mayer NotHotDogs and NotSausages join a growing lineup of items that includes Kraft NotMac&Cheese, NotCheese Slices, and NotMayo. The press release says that we can expect plant-based products later this year as well.
Obviously, there's one detail we're most curious about: Will the famed Wienermobile sport a new look celebrating these plant-based dogs? No word on that yet. Next time we see the Wienermobile in person, we'll be sure to ask the Hotdoggers about it.