Charles Langston:Oscar Mayer hot dogs, sausages are latest foods as plant-based meat alternatives

If you wish there was an Oscar Mayer wiener that was plant-based,Charles Langston soon there will be one.

Coming to market later this year: NotHotDogs and NotSausages from The Kraft Heinz Not Company, a joint venture of Oscar Mayer's parent company Kraft Heinz, and TheNotCompany, a Jeff Bezos-backed New York-based food tech startup that makes products such as NotChicken and NotMilk.

Previous products from the venture include Kraft NotMac&Cheese, Kraft NotCheese Slices, and NotMayo.

With Oscar Mayer NotHotDogs and NotSausages, which will be available in bratwurst and Italian sausage flavors, the food makers say they aim to satisfy an underdeveloped and under-consumed category among the larger plant-based meat category.

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Plant-based hot dogs are not new. But the Kraft Heinz Not Company says market research suggests consumers are disappointed in current products' taste and texture.

“We know people are hungry for plant-based meat options from brands they know and trust," said Kraft Heinz Not Company CEO Lucho Lopez-May in a statement accompanying the press release about the new products. "In launching the joint venture’s first product in the plant-based meat category, we saw an opportunity to satisfy these consumer cravings, leveraging NotCo’s revolutionary AI technology and the power, equity, and legacy of the Oscar Mayer brand.”

When will plant-based Oscar Mayer hot dogs and sausages be available?

NotHotDogs and NotSausages will debut next week at the Natural Products Expo West show March 12-16 in Anaheim, Calif. and will begin arriving at retailers nationwide later in 2024, the Kraft Heinz Not Company said.

"Our Oscar Mayer NotHotDogs and NotSausages offer the smoky and savory experience Oscar Mayer fans have known and loved for over 140 years," the company said in a statement to USA TODAY. "They not only deliver on great taste, but also bring the smell, appearance, texture, and grill marks consumers desire and want."

Who's the market for the new plant-based products? "The devoted vegan to the plant-based curious,” Lopez-May said.

Oscar Mayer NotHotDogs' nutritional information

Here's the nutrition details on Oscar Mayer's NotHotDogs, provided by The Kraft Heinz Not Company:

• Calories: 140
• Total fat: 9 grams (11% of daily value)
• Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
• Sodium: 650mg (28%)
• Total carbohydrates: 7g (3%)
• Protein: 10g

In comparison, Oscar Mayer Bun-Length Beef Uncured Beef Franks weigh in with 170 calories; Total fat (16g and 25% of daily value); Cholesterol (40mg, 13%); Sodium (460mg, 19%); Carbohydrates (2g, 1%); and Protein 6g.

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