Soylent Takes Meal Replacement Drink to UK

From AgFunder:

Meal replacement drink maker Soylent is hopping across the pond to bring three of its beverage flavors to the UK in a move that requires the drink maker to re-think its sourcing. The vegan and nut-free drink uses plant-based protein to create a drink with all the nutrients necessary in a meal.

In 2016, the brand came out as pro-GMO, citing the rising global demand for food as the leading reason for its decision to embrace the divisive technology. Unlike the US, however, the UK has a strict ban on the cultivation of genetically modified crops within its borders, which will reportedly remain in place following Brexit.

“Before launching in the UK, we worked with the UK Food Standards Agency to ensure UK compliance. We’ve replaced seven GM ingredients from our US formula with the same unique, identity-preserved non-GM ingredients allowed under UK regulations,” says Andrew Thomas VP of marketing who is due to talk about the UK launch at the Future Food-Tech conference in London later this month. 

“There is one ingredient in our UK formulation that is genetically modified — Soy Protein Isolate. It’s on a list of approved strains/”events” for the EU.”

Soylent selected soy protein isolate for the protein component of its recipe due to the ingredient’s bioavailability, which refers to how easy it is for the body to digest something. It also provides a consistent texture and achieves the company’s desired flavor profile, according to Thomas. 

Soy protein isolate is nothing new to product formulations. It is a dry powder ingredient that has been isolated from other components of the soybean, leaving 90% to 95% protein in the resulting powder. A simple investigation of product labels at the supermarket will reveal the ingredients in everything from dairy products to fruit drinks to baked goods and cereals.

Why UK?

The company’s decision to launch in the UK may have something to do with the country’s reportedly overworked and hungry workforce.

The product will be sold in cases of 12 at £39.99, with each drink designed as a complete meal, packed with 20g of protein and 26 vitamins and minerals.

In preparation for the UK launch, the company engaged in extensive consumer research that showed UK consumers on average skip as many as four meals each week. It also revealed that over half of tech sector employees don’t eat breakfast. These results combined with the company’s impression that UK consumers are becoming more and more health conscious made the region the next logical step in its expansion.

“A 2016 study from Harris Interactive shows that nearly 60% of people living in the UK are skipping meals or snacking throughout the day. Soylent is a great solution for people who are always on-the-go, stuck at their desk during lunch, or just looking for an easy way to get the nutrition they need when they don’t have time for a complete, nutritious meal,” said Thomas. Thomas will be speaking on a panel entitled Nutrition & Health: Innovating to Enhance Performance, Flavour, and Texture at Future Food Tech on October 18, 2018 at Future Food-Tech.

Marketing

As part of its overall marketing strategy, the company has reassured consumers that it doesn’t intend to totally replace a diet containing fresh, traditional food. 

“The truth is, we love food! It is connected to the fabric of what defines cultures and makes us human. We just think that nutrition shouldn’t be difficult. We also acknowledge that locally grown, fresh food is not available to everyone at all times, and we want to provide complete, sustainable nutrition to people and places where freshly grown food is not available or affordable,” adds Thomas.

It’s also relied on its early cult following in the tech world and a direct-to-consumer approach to convince consumers that a drinkable meal replacement is worth trying. Maintaining a presence on social communities like Reddit, Facebook, and Twitter have been a priority for Soylent, which allows it to have open communication with its existing and potential consumers....MORE

We've been watching the Soylent drama for a while. Some previous episodes:

She Tried Soylent. It Didn't Go Well
Soylent's New Food Bar Is Giving People Diarrhea
Soylent Ingredient Provisioner Pooh-Poohs Diarrhea Accusation, Cuts Off Gruel Maker's Algae Flour Supply
Disruption: Soylent Says It Knows Why It Is Making Its Customers Poop and Puke

Soylent Has Competition and the Marketing is Gonna Get Weird
Soylent Banned In Canada
Not to put too fine a point on soi-disant Soylent "Food reformatted", but hasn't the Silicon Valley bro-appeal passed its sell-by date on this stuff?

Knowledge@Wharton: Andreessen Horowitz Partner Frank Chen Talks Artificial Intelligence

Mr. Chen sounds smarter than the A16Z partner who said about nutrient infused sludge:

It's not just Soylent, It's the Soylent community

We let that one slide.

And the other A16Z partner who said:

...Bitcoins are like “tulips you can send anywhere in the world in arbitrary quantities”.

Here we had to point out the partner may not have been aware that, since ca. 1637 or so, tulips have not had the best connotation in the world of finance....