Meati Foods, a producer of meat alternatives from the company’s whole-food ingredient MushroomRoot, has appointed Nicole Johnson-Hoffman to its board of directors.
 
Johnson-Hoffman will bring to the role two decades of experience within the food and agriculture sectors, and most recently served as CEO of cultivated meat company Believer Meats. Her career, which spanned roles with Cargill and OSI, positioned her in leading roles managing the global beef industry’s supply chains and making them more sustainable.
 
“In the realm of animal meat and animal-free alternatives, Nicole stands unmatched in her depth of experience and knowledge of operations, market requirements and emerging opportunities,” said Tyler Huggins, CEO and co-founder of Meati Foods. “Having Nicole on board with team Meati is a testament to the uniqueness of our product and the boundless promise of our MushroomRoot, as well as an endorsement of our vision and overall approach.”
 
Meati Foods is focused on scaling its vertically-integrated manufacturing capabilities to support growth in the coming months in both retail and food service. It recently launched a line called Eat Meati in Whole Foods Market with its classic cutlet, crispy cutlet, classic steak, and carne asada steak varieties.
 
The company also announced its first Northern California restaurant offering in San Francisco’s Causwells after a series of restaurant launches including Birdcall, PLNT Burger, and Next Level Burger.
 
“I’m frustrated when I see brands, interest groups and other organizations put the onus of change on the consumer, asking them to shop our way out of problems caused by the food industry,” said Johnson-Hoffman. “It’s the responsibility of incumbent industry leaders and disruptors like Meati to bring solutions that work for consumers. Meati is nailing it, and I’m thrilled to partner with such a great group of people who are doing great things.”
 
MushroomRoot was developed to be nutrient dense and nearly infinitely scalable, according to the company, and its steaks and cutlets are designed to offer incomparable clean nutrition, flavors, and textures, the company reports. It has won the support of notable figures including David Chang, chef and founder of Momofuku and Majordomo Media, and Sam Kass, former White House senior policy advisor for nutrition and partner at Acre Venture Partners.