Hampton Creek announces "first-of-its-kind" Just Scramble

6 Dec 2017

Hampton Creek has announced the launch of Just Scramble. Described by the company as a first-of-its-kind product, it is said to taste like egg, and to be free of antibiotics and cholesterol.

Hampton Creek announces first-of-its-kind Just Scramble

Hampton Creek has announced the launch of Just Scramble. Described by the company as a first-of-its-kind product, it will be rolling out first in San Francisco and expanding to additional locations and cities in 2018.

Just Scramble is said to taste like egg, to be free of antibiotics and cholesterol, and its ingredients require less water and emit fewer carbon emissions than conventional eggs. The product, which Hampton Creek notes has already won acclaim from notable chefs and food enthusiasts, is made from a 4,400-year-old legume called a mung bean that scrambles like an egg.

"We were lucky enough to find something that has impacted our food system for thousands of years and turn it into a meal that will impact it for thousands more," said Hampton Creek cofounder and CEO Josh Tetrick. “Launching Just Scramble is the culmination of years of hard work by our talented team."

Even before its launch, Just Scramble took home a top honor at the annual gathering of the international protein industry in September. A month prior, Hampton Creek received confirmation of "GRAS" (generally recognized as safe) status for its mung bean protein isolate from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The debut of Just Scramble is said to be a major milestone for the company. In the last four years, Hampton Creek says it has grown from zero to 100,000 points of distribution, releasing some of the fastest-selling products in several categories. The company notes that the multi-billion-dollar egg industry, with one trillion eggs laid globally last year, represents one of the largest and fastest-growing segments of the global food system.

As part of this landmark launch, and to ensure the product’s rapid expansion, Hampton Creek announced that Radicle Impact and Blue Horizon, two firms that invest in systemic social and environmental impact, will be investing in the company alongside other mission-driven investors.

“We're pleased to have the opportunity to continue our longstanding support of Hampton Creek's mission,” said Dan Skaff, Managing Partner Radicle Impact. “We appreciate the team's work endeavouring to build a healthier food system and environmental resilience through innovative, plant-based protein solutions. Transformation of incumbent systems on a large scale is never easy, and we admire the food justice and sustainability goals Josh Tetrick and the Hampton Creek team are trying to hold fast and accomplish.”

“We’re excited to invest in Hampton Creek, which has proven itself to be an innovative and disruptive food company,” said Blue Horizon CEO Roger Lienhard. “We look forward to supporting the development of new plant-based products and seeing the Just-branded product line grow.”

“Our vision requires global partnerships across disciplines and we’re grateful to have our new investors join Mitsui, Temasek, Founders Fund, Horizons, and other long-term partners in achieving our mission to build a world where everyone has the chance to eat well," said Tetrick.

Hampton Creek also announced sustainability metrics for all of its products - including Just Scramble, the ingredients for which are said to save more fresh water than conventional egg products and emit fewer greenhouse gases.

“Our ingredient metrics and unique methodology can help make existing and future products more sustainable and we’ve begun reviewing additional factors like soil health, overall fossil fuel use and fertilizer run-off among others,” said Udi Lazimy, Global Plant Sourcing Lead at Hampton Creek. “Ultimately, we want our environmental impact work to encourage stronger sustainability analytics across the food industry."