Planterra CEO Darcey Macken has been in the food industry for over 15 years. Last year, she joined JBS to lead its plant-based protein start-up, Planterra. Over the summer, they launched Planterra’s first brand, Ozo. The Colorado-based company produces a series of fresh and frozen plant-based meat alternatives including burgers and sausages.
“It’s amazing how many people are bringing this into their diet,” Macken said. “We are speaking to flexitarians, those are people that we don’t want to tell them what they should or shouldn’t eat but as they look to an alternate source of protein, we want to be that choice because it’s delicious and nutritious and it brings that convenience in.”
All Ozo products are vegan, non-GMO, and they do not contain nuts or soy. The base of the products is a pea and rice protein blend.
“We went out and partnered with a company called Miko technology and they provide us with a unique proprietary blend of a pea and rice protein fermented with shitake mushroom,” Macken said. “This fermentation is very popular, and it really brings a lot of health benefits and digestion, but it also helps us with flavor, texture, and a cleaner profile. This is included in all of our products.”
I got to try two of their new frozen products:
Smokehouse Burger
These burgers come frozen in a four-pack. You can either grill them or cook them in a skillet. I don’t have a BBQ, so I went for the stove. After four minutes on each side, my dinner was ready. I didn’t have many toppings, but it is definitely best served on a bun with some veggies and BBQ sauce.
“We have a smokehouse burger,” Macken said. “So again, that same food form that people can accept and understand, but yet a flavor in the smokehouse, and it’s delicious. Right now, that’s my go-to burger.”
Each patty has 19 grams of protein and 30% of the daily recommended intake of iron. It does not have trans fat, cholesterol, or any added sugars. The burgers are also gluten-free.
Breakfast Sausages
Once again, I opted for the stove-top preparation. The sausages were ready in about five minutes. They have a good, strong flavor that comes from the pea, rice, and mushroom blend, and unlike some meat alternatives, the patties are moist and don’t crubble or fall apart on the plate.
Each package comes with six sausage patties, and a serving size is just one patty. It contains 12 grams of protein and has 55% less saturated fat than a traditional pork sausage.
If you’re in need of some breakfast inspo, the product page has some suggested recipes!
Have you tried any of the Ozo products? Let us know @spoon_cc on Instagram.