Rival Foods
- Type
- Food & Ingredient Manufacturer
- Location
- Amersfoort, Netherlands
- Industries
- Alternative proteins, Food ingredients & products, Food reformulation, New food processing techniques, Shortening supply chain, Clean label
- Domains
- Whole cut analogues, Processed food products, Fish, Animal based primary products, Ingredients, Proteins, Meat alternatives, Soy
- Technologies
- Shear-cell technology, Texturising / texturing, Processing
About Rival Foods
Rival Foods is a Dutch food-tech scale-up that develops and commercializes plant-based whole-cut meat alternatives. Founded in 2019 as a spin-off from Wageningen University & Research, the company focuses on recreating the texture, mouthfeel, juiciness, and versatility of animal meat using plant proteins and a proprietary production process.
The company serves B2B customers across foodservice, retail, and food brands in Europe. It positions itself as a next-generation alternative to conventional plant-based products such as burgers and minced meat, emphasizing whole-cut formats, clean-label formulations, and high culinary performance for professional kitchens and retail applications.
Core Values
- Clean label: Rival Foods emphasizes short ingredient lists, with products made from only a few recognizable ingredients and without artificial additives, binders, or soy isolates.
- Taste and texture without compromise: The company’s products are designed to closely mimic the bite, juiciness, and mouthfeel of meat while remaining plant-based.
- Sustainability: Rival Foods frames its mission around offering more sustainable alternatives to meat for people, animals, and the planet.
- Nutrition and quality: Its products are positioned as high-protein, minimally processed options that meet professional culinary standards.
Unique Aspects
- Patented Shear Cell Technology: Rival Foods uses a proprietary, patented process that restructures plant proteins into fiber-rich, layered textures that resemble muscle tissue.
- Whole-cut focus: Unlike many plant-based brands centered on burgers or mince, Rival Foods specializes in whole-cut formats such as filet, chunks, pulled products, and steak-like applications.
- Scaled manufacturing in the Netherlands: The company opened its own production site in Geldrop and received FSSC 22000 food safety certification, supporting commercial-scale output.
- Backed by major investors: In 2025, Rival Foods raised €10 million in Series B funding led by APG on behalf of ABP, with participation from PYMWYMIC, ROM Utrecht Region, and existing investor PeakBridge.
- International retail partnership: Rival Foods co-launched a plant-based steak with THIS™ for UK supermarkets including Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, and Ocado.