Applegate Unveils New Well Carved Product Line With Blended Burgers and Meatballs Among New Products Launching Spring 2020

BRIDGEWATER, N.J. –Applegate, makers of the nation’s leading all natural and organic meat products, introduces new product extensions to its portfolio this spring and unveils Applegate® Well Carved™, a new line designed to satisfy conscientious consumers who are being mindful of their meat intake and its nutritional, ethical and environmental impact. The new, chef-crafted Well Carved™ burgers and meatballs combine meat with whole organic vegetables, legumes and grains, and continue the brand’s mission – Changing The Meat We Eat®.

“People love meat and they aren’t going to simply stop eating it, nor should they have to, regardless of how many highly processed soy or pea-based burgers you put on the market,” said John Ghingo, president of Applegate. “Well Carved™ offers an easy way for consumers to enjoy the real, clean meat they crave while also reducing overall consumption. The Well Carved™ line shows that better meat is possible.”

New Applegate® product offerings and extensions were scheduled to be unveiled at Natural Products Expo West this week, but the show was officially postponed for a later date in 2020 out an abundance of caution regarding COVID-19. Items launching this spring include:

  • Applegate® Well Carved™ Products (in stores beginning April 2020)
    Applegate created the Well Carved™ portfolio of organic burgers and meatballs to meet the demands of the evolving freezer aisle. The portfolio features chef-worthy pairings of juicy, organic meat and whole organic vegetables, legumes and grains that offer mindful consumers an environmentally responsible and crave-able option. All products boast a transparent ingredient list, avoiding the many questionable ingredients found in heavily processed plant-based protein alternatives. The Applegate® Well Carved™ line includes four new products:
    • Applegate® Well Carved™ Burgers
      • Grass-Fed Organic Beef Burger (with cauliflower, spinach, lentils and butternut squash)
      • Organic Turkey Burger (with sweet potato, great northern bean, kale and roasted onion)
    • Applegate® Well Carved™ Meatballs (which have already been named a 2020 Natural Products Expo West NEXTY finalist for Best New Frozen Product; the winner will be announced later in the year at the rescheduled event.)
      • Organic Asian Style Pork Meatball (with brown rice, green onion, carrot and parsley
      • Organic Mediterranean Style Turkey Meatball (with lentils, feta cheese and spinach)
  • Applegate Naturals® Slow Cooked Ham (in stores March 2020)
    Applegate has expanded its portfolio of No Sugar products by reformulating its popular Applegate Naturals® Slow Cooked Ham. The new Applegate Naturals® Slow Cooked Ham, now has no sugar and is Whole30 Approved®. As always, it is made with no artificial ingredients and no chemical nitrates or nitrites.
  • Applegate NaturalsTM Chorizo Charcuterie Plate (in stores March 2020)
    Following last year’s launch of two charcuterie plates, Applegate is introducing a third delicious, grab-and-go snack variety that will include, for the first time, smoky chorizo. The variety pack is gluten-free and will include Applegate Naturals® Uncured Chorizo Salami, Applegate Naturals® Medium Cheddar Cheese and Milk Chocolate Covered Grain-Free Pretzels. All the ingredients in the charcuterie plate meet the same Applegate standards, including no GMO ingredients and meat sourced from farms where animals are Applegate humanely raised with no antibiotics ever.

The launch of these new products continues to enliven the brand’s “Go Applegatarian” movement, which kicked off earlier this year and introduced a new type of “tarian” to the lexicon of eating ideologies. The new “Go Applegatarian” movement is founded on the Applegate belief that consumers can enjoy eating meat without compromising their social and ethical values. An Applegatarian is defined as a person who consciously chooses clean, crave-able meat for ethical*, environmentally responsible** and delicious reasons.

About Applegate:

Founded in 1987, Applegate produces high-quality natural and organic hot dogs, bacon, sausages, deli meats, cheese and frozen products. Our products are made without GMO ingredients, and we source from farms where animals are treated with care and respect and are allowed to grow at their natural rate, all part of our mission – Changing The Meat We Eat®. Natural can mean many things, but to Applegate natural means our food is: 

  • From animals that are Applegate humanely raised without antibiotics, added hormones or growth promotants  
  • From animals fed a vegetarian or pasture-centered diet (our beef is 100 percent grass-fed)   
  • Free of added chemical nitrites, nitrates or phosphates  
  • Free of artificial ingredients or preservatives  

Applegate became a stand-alone subsidiary of Hormel Foods in July 2015. For more information about our products, visit www.applegate.com or talk with us on www.facebook.com/applegate or twitter.com/Applegate.

*Ethical:  Animals raised with no antibiotics ever or growth promotants, on vegetarian feed with no animal by products (beef is 100% grass-fed) and with space to engage in natural behaviors and promote natural growth.

**Environmentally responsible:  Applegate requires all animals be raised without antibiotics. Applegate is committed to advancing agriculture and processing systems like organic, non-GMO and regenerative farming