Nestlé has expanded its portfolio of plant-based products with the launch of shelf-stable SKUs in Chile under the Maggi Veg brand.

The range contains the company’s first shelf-stable plant-based minced meat.

Nestlé’s new products include SKUs that combine vegan ‘mincemeat’ with seasoning for dishes like tacos, empanadas or spaghetti bolognese, and a soup with lentils.

The faux-meat products are made with soy, and are “certified as vegan”.

“We continue launching plant-based products in many regions of the world to offer people tasty, nutritious alternatives to meat that they can enjoy with family and friends,” Torsten Pohl, Nestlé’s global head of R&D, said.

“Our new shelf-stable range also makes plant-based alternatives more accessible to a wider range of consumers in Chile. This makes them a delicious, excellent source of protein in many favourite recipes, for breakfast, lunch, or dinner."

Nestlé already sells chilled and frozen meat alternatives. However, earlier this year, the company pulled the Garden Gourmet meat-free and Wunda alt-dairy brands from retail in the UK and Ireland to focus on its “core” portfolio.

The brands were launched in 2021, with Garden Gourmet made up of animal-free burgers, mince and sausage, while Wunda is a pea-based milk alternative.

Nestlé has retained Garden Gourmet for the UK foodservice market and for sale in other countries in Europe. It also offers plant-based options in beverages and confectionery

In June this year, Nestlé’s Israel food unit Tivall has teamed up with More Foods, a Tel Aviv-based manufacturer of vegan meat analogues.

The exact nature of the partnership is unclear, although, in a joint statement, Tivall and More Foods said they would “create a portfolio of innovative, pumpkin seed, meaty products for main meals”.

The Swiss enterprise has also recently piloted ready-to-heat, shelf-stable plant-based meal kits in China that feature local recipes like Mala Xiang Guo and Curry Chicken.