Lightlife reinvents plant-based protein line

May 29, 2020, Chicago, Ill. – Lightlife, which is owned by Greenleaf Foods, has announced sweeping changes to its product portfolio to deliver cleaner ingredient labels in the plant-based meat category.

Driven by growing consumer demand for products with ingredients they understand, Lightlife is making it easier for consumers to make healthier food choices by offering plant-based meat products made only with simple, recognizable ingredients, like pea protein, brown rice, dried red bell pepper, and beet and cherry powders.

To define its new brand and business strategy, Lightlife conducted a comprehensive research study, connecting with more than 11,500 consumers to better understand their values and expectations from plant-based protein.

The study uncovered five unique demand spaces that define specific consumer needs for plant-based protein in different occasions. Within these demand spaces, consumers’ needs aren’t always satisfied by existing brands and product offerings. In fact, consumers’ needs went unmet 98 per cent of the time when looking for plant-based protein with simple, recognizable ingredients.

“Our research shows that consumers want to recognize what’s in their plant-based food, but that need is currently unmet,” said Dan Curtin, president of Greenleaf Foods. “Our goal is to combine great taste and the simplest ingredients so that consumers can choose the products that make them feel good, and never guilty.”

In line with the new research, Lightlife also unveiled a full brand redesign. The logo is now more balanced and approachable, with a spark of inspiration. In addition, the packaging stands out with bright colours, appetizing food visuals, and bite-sized nutritional information. This is the first step in Lightlife’s year-long journey to reformulate and revamp the brand’s full product portfolio.

“We modified our design to better appeal to our target consumer and to align with our belief that food should instill confidence and reflect moderation, not extremes,” added Curtin. “Lightlife believes life is complicated and your food shouldn’t be.”

Lightlife’s newly-reformulated products are rolling onto shelves at more than 12,000 retail stores across the U.S. and in coming weeks in Canada.