South Korea’s Armored Fresh launches plant-based cheese range in US
Armored Fresh is the US subsidiary of South Korean food tech company Yangyoo.
It offers a range of plant-based cheeses from cubes, cream cheese and cheddar slices by using a patented fermentation process on almond milk.
Sales manager Daniel Yang told FoodNavigator-Asia that Yangyoo first launched its R&D lab in 2017 in South Korea and had used its big data solution to highlight top food trends on social media, before deciding on its next foray.
Yang added that its plant-based cheese venture had emerged by chance, as it was looking at launching a pizza brand in New York and had noticed the lack of “high-quality and good enough [vegan] meat and cheese toppings for use.”
Slow and steady launch
In October 2022, it soft-launched its first plant-based cheese offerings – almond milk cheese cubes and slices – in trade shows and via food service partnerships with vegan fast-food restaurants in New York.
“We wanted to get direct feedback from consumers. As we were were getting really good feedback, we were fairly confident in our launch. It was the snackable, cubed cheese in 12 pieces that stood out. That drew a lot of attention because the packaging stands out. Owners and managers were quick in making the decision within five to ten minutes of trying our cheese,” Yang added.
Since then, the brand has secured 150 accounts in New York- its suppliers include Kroger supermarket, mom-and-pop stores, and independent retailers. From this month (April), it would also be made available on the US Amazon site and its own website.
It touts future plans to launch in Colorado, Oregon, Seattle, California, and Texas in this June.
On why South Korea was not considered in its market entry, Yang explained that its cheese market is relatively smaller to the US and Europe.
“The vegetarian or plant-based market is heavily influenced by the cuisine. Koreans enjoy their vegetables and eat a lot of plants, but the cheese alternative is not prioritised. However, it is encouraging…
..