(Yicai Global) Dec. 25 -- Yantai Shuangta Food, a major Chinese supplier of protein and starch derived from peas, is to make plant-based protein products for British consumer goods giant Unilever, as China’s appetite for meat alternatives grows.

Unilever will purchase 1,000 tons of plant-based products made to the London-based firm’s specifications by Shuangta Food, the Yantai, northeastern Shandong province-based firm said yesterday. The impact of the deal on Shuanta Food’s performance is not yet measurable, it added.

Unilever’s meatless meat brand The Vegetarian Butcher is supplying meat analogue Whopper hamburgers to 325 Burger King outlets in China, the company said on Dec. 23.

China is expected to have a shortfall in meat supply of more than 38 million tons by the end of 2030, due to the global spread of African swine fever which has decimated hog herds. This presents a good opportunity for the development of meat substitutes, according to a report by Tianfeng Securities.

Editor: Kim Taylor