Wamame Foods, a company recognized for its plant-based product line Waygu, has launched a new protein alternative called Outlier Protein. This product, made using only seven ingredients, boasts a protein content that the company claims is 64% higher than that of cooked ground beef.
“This marks a new era where alternative meats don’t just meet the nutritional components of animal proteins, but exceed”
The launch of Outlier Protein was announced in a recent press conference, with Blair Bullus, president of Wamame Foods, commenting, “This is a complete protein, and it uses only seven ingredients. […] It uses the same protein isolates that you’d find in protein bars and protein shakes, but we’re now able to create them into meat products, which allows us to actually create new products that have a significant nutritional advantage over other animal-based proteins.”
The product is formulated from natural, highly functional proteins and includes all essential amino acids, positioning it as a clean and comprehensive protein source. The development of Outlier Protein was made possible through a collaborative effort with AGT Food and Ingredients, Crush Dynamics, Apex Food Source, and top researchers from the University of British Columbia, supported financially by Protein Industries Canada and the Industrial Research Assistance Program.
Applications and market potential
Bullus further discussed the potential applications for Outlier Protein, including adding it to plant-based products like burritos, soups, stews, chilis, and more to increase their protein content. Wamame is working with athletes, including Super Bowl champion Matt Chapman, to drive the product forward. Chapman was also in attendance at the press conference, speaking on the appeal of Outlier Protein to high-performance athletes who are looking to forgo protein shakes and bars and instead consume protein in “real food.”
Bill Greuel, CEO of Protein Industries Canada, commented on the potential of Canada’s food ingredients and bio-product sector to inject $25 billion of income and revenue into the Canadian economy, noting the importance of continued investment in innovation and infrastructure.
Funding and sector-wide strategy
MP Julie Dzerowicz also spoke on the sector-wide strategy with the aim to achieve $25 billion in annual sales from plant-based food and ingredients by 2035 by enhancing the production of high-quality plant-based protein. The federal government has set aside $323 million in funding for this cluster, with $2.8 million in contributions to this specific project. Wamame Foods has further secured a 2.5-year agreement with Protein Industries Canada as part of a $6.8 million funding boost aimed at enhancing the production of high-quality plant proteins.
Wamame Foods, which originally launched its plant-based Waygu beef across Canada and the US, has experienced global expansion and also secured several food service partnerships in North America, including with All StreEATS Kitchens, Panago Pizza, and 7-Eleven Canada. In an interview with vegconomist, Bullus spoke to the company’s mission to elevate plant-based foods beyond their meat counterparts, stating, “We believe that alternative proteins must be of a higher quality than their animal-based counterparts in order to succeed.”
Blair Bullus comments, “This marks a new era where alternative meats don’t just meet the nutritional components of animal proteins, but exceed them by a wide margin and do so while tasting great. With 65 percent more protein than cooked ground beef, we feel like Wamame has truly changed the plant-based protein space.”