MOSS LANDING, Calif. — Sweet Earth Foods, a Nestle SA business unit, continues to expand its plant-based meat alternative line. The new products will be introduced throughout the spring and summer of this year.

New items include deli slices in oven roasted turkey, Black Forest ham and Italian-style pepperoni flavors; such sausage varieties as green chile Chedd’r (featuring vegan cheese), ginger scallion and Chik’n apple; jerkies in sweet Korean barbecue, zesty pizza and spicy kung pao flavors; and entree bowls that feature such globally-inspired flavors as kung pao Chik’n, Chik’n fajita and pasta Puttanesca.

The products were scheduled to be introduced at this year’s Natural Products Expo West trade show, March 3-7 in Anaheim, Calif., but Nestle opted to pull out of the show due to concerns about travel and the spread of the coronavirus.

“This year is all about providing consumers a wide variety of convenient, flavor-forward and plant-based options from morning to night so they can eat well throughout the day without compromising on taste,” said Ryan Riddle, senior product development specialist - vegetarian meal solutions at Nestle. “Sweet Earth is focused on continuously innovating vegetarian foods that are delicious above everything else — from sausages you can grill, to deli slices you can create a sensationally drool-worthy sandwich with — our end goal is for people to savor the experience of eating plant-based.”

The deli slices will be merchandised in the same retail store locations as conventional slices and the products feature 15 to 17 grams of protein. The sausages are formulated with pea protein and the jerkies feature seitan as a primary ingredient. The entree bowl applications incorporate Sweet Earth’s Awesome Grounds and contain 14 to 15 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber.

Nestle acquired Sweet Earth Foods in 2017. Since the acquisition the business has introduced a variety of plant-based applications, including pizza, Chik’n strips, burritos and previous iterations of the bowls.