Tyson Foods Inc. announced that it has launched its Raised & Rooted plant-based protein brand in Europe. This is the first expansion of the Raised & Rooted brand outside the U.S., in the brand’s pursuit to be the most loved alternative protein brand in the world.

“We’re thrilled to be launching Raised & Rooted in Europe, where there is a growing number of consumers who are adopting flexible diets,” Tyson Foods Europe president Brett Van de Bovenkamp said. “Our unique capabilities in [research and development] and innovation, combined with our international footprint and infrastructure, makes us uniquely positioned to be a European market leader in alternative protein.”

The European Raised & Rooted range, which include five varieties of plant-based products, will be introduced through foodservice customers across Europe. Major foodservice and retail operators have already embraced the alternative protein segment, which is estimated to be a multi-billion-dollar category and continues to grow.

“Our Raised & Rooted brand has seen rapid growth since launching in the U.S. last year,” said Justin Whitmore, executive vice president of alternative protein at Tyson. “Our plant-based nuggets and tenders are now sold in 10,000 stores and online, and we look forward to our continued growth. Our expertise in this category, paired with our European innovation centers, positions us well to serve global markets. We are leveraging Tyson’s deep capabilities to make plant-based protein more accessible and affordable for more people around the world.”

He continued, “Our focus has been on taste and texture, and we’re confident our alternative protein products meet consumer expectations. We’re experts in the protein industry and have innovation centers to help us produce great-tasting plant-based products on the market.”

The plant-based products, which are produced in the Netherlands with locally sourced premium ingredients, use no eggs, genetically modified organisms or palm oil and contain no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. The multilingual packaging for the products contains a total of eight languages, addressing the language and labeling needs of customers. The plant-based products are packaged in a recyclable 60% bio-based plastic material.