MyForest Foods Co. now has its flagship product, MyBacon, on shelves at Whole Foods.
The company announced Monday that the vegan bacon product will be carried in Whole Foods stores in the chain's Northeast region, which includes 57 locations in three states: New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
MyForest has also partnered with another retailer, MOM's Organic Market, which adds availability in Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., Virginia and Maryland.
Now, MyBacon is available in over 350 locations in eight states in the Northeast. In January 2023, MyBacon was for sale at 32 retail and foodservice locations in New York and Massachusetts.
“MyBacon’s increased distribution has been a full team effort," MyForest CEO Greg Shewchuk said in a statement. “From perfecting our farming process to achieving organic certification on our farm-grown mycelium to refining our clean-label recipe, this past year has required hard work, resilience, and dedication. The team is tireless; the results reflect that. We are ready and excited for this critical point in our expansion.”
MyBacon is made with mycelium, the root-like structures of mushrooms, and four other ingredients: salt, organic sugar, organic coconut oil and natural flavors. It was named one of Time's Best Inventions of 2022.
Co-founder Eben Bayer said in a statement that the company's Green Island facility, Swersey Silos, is nearing production capacity, but the company's partner, Whitecrest Innovations in Canada, plans to double MyForest Foods' production this year.
In June, My Forest Foods' parent company, Ecovative, closed a $30 million Series E funding round, half of which was to be reinvested into MyForest Foods Co. to support its effort to expand the availability of MyBacon in stores along the East Coast.
At that time, the company also announced Shewchuk had become chief executive officer. Bayer, the former CEO, remained chairman of the board.
Bayer said at the time that MyForest needed to bring on leadership with experience in marketing and consumer goods as the company moves into more widespread commercial sales.
"Greg was someone where I was like, 'I feel like you can do better than I can and that's what this team deserves, so I'll get out of the way,'" he said.
Shewchuk had most recently served as CEO of the food allergy prevention company SpoonfulONE, which Nestlé acquired in late 2022. He previously held senior leadership positions at Campbell Soup Co., Mead Johnson Nutrition, Mondelēz International, Cadburys Schweppes PLC and Unilever.
