Pigbusiness: Van Loon continues to innovate with hybrid meat: ‘It took Coca-Cola years to develop Diet Coke too’

Last year, Van Loon Group sold over 1 million kilograms of plant-based proteins in hybrid meat products. This accounted for over 11 per cent of the total range and amounted to 11.3 million kilograms of finished product. Van Loon is therefore ahead of its own schedule, says Sander Krijnen, R&D manager at Van Loon Group, during the presentation of the CSR annual report. Is that a lot? Not in total terms yet: it is the equivalent of 2,000 pigs, 1,700 cattle and 40,000 chickens. But according to the food company, which mainly processes pork and beef and, to a lesser extent, poultry, the course towards hybrid meat has been set.