With China poised to destroy a third of its pig herd due to African swine fever, a Hong Kong-based entrepreneur ishoping to step into the gap with a plant-based pork product he hopes will replicate the success of Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods.
David Yeung, founder of Hong Kong-based Right Treat, said he developed Omnipork from peas, soy and mushroom proteins to provide Asian chefs with a more environmentally friendly alternative to pork, and now plans to launch it in China.
“When Asian consumers go to the wet market or supermarket to buy meat, they turn it into their own dish — it is not a finished product,” Mr Yeung said, unlike some western ready-to-eat meat alternatives such as burgers or sausages. “For chefs, pork is almost like a foundation ingredient in whatever they cook.”