Foodservice for All at National Restaurant Association Show

Meat, plant-based meat and plenty more were on display at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, which just ended.

Names big and small were present to show off products new—and somewhat new.

Click through to see some of the foodservice items on display at the event, which was held at McCormick Place…

Plant-based chicken patties from Los Angeles-based Daring boast great taste and texture, healthier and fewer ingredients (just six), and a cook-from-frozen time of about six minutes. The patties can be pan-fried, sauteed, baked or braised. Coming soon are microwaveable bowls in four flavors: spicy fajita, teriyaki, penne primavera and harvest.

The nine-flavor Fuzionate pressurized soft-serve freezer from East Moline, Illinois-based Electro Freeze offers menu flexibility in a small footprint. The machine incorporates the selected flavor into every bite rather than just striping the outside of the ice cream.

The machine includes easy syrup adjustments, one-button flavor selection and no complicated attachments, the company said.

Jimmy Dean Biscuit Roll-Ups are made with whole pieces of eggs, cheese and savory sausage, wrapped in a soft, flaky biscuit. Jimmy Dean is part of Springdale, Arkansas-based Tyson Foods. The rollups are microwaveable and ready in less than one minute from frozen. They have a five-day refrigerated shelf life.

Family-owned V&V Supremo, Chicago, sells Mexican-style pork chorizo, which crumbles when cooked, crafted from premium pork with an optimal lean-to-fat ratio and a balanced spice blend in keeping with traditional chorizo found in Mexico.

The chorizo, which has no fillers nor MSG, works well with eggs, refried beans, potatoes, stews, beef chili, hamburgers, meatloaf, tortas, meatballs, lasagna, quesos fundidos, oven-baked meals and more. The company also sells a variety of Hispanic cheeses.

The Eggo Grab and Go Liege-Style Waffle from Battle Creek, Michigan-based Kellogg’s has a buttery maple flavor. Individually wrapped, it can be eaten at room temperature or heated up. The waffle, inspired by classic Belgian-style street food, is made with sweet brioche dough, real butter, pearl sugar and no artificial flavors and colors.

Kingsmill, a research-and-development-focused Toronto-based company, offers an array of private-label beverage solutions for hot and cold drinks including coffee, fruit drinks, lemonade, iced tea, mojitos and margaritas.

Liquid offerings include sauces, syrups and concentrates for beverages, smoothies, desserts and more. It also sells powders. The company also works with customers who wish to create their own flavors.

Sugardale Foods, Canton, Ohio, sells heat-and-serve all-pork offerings for convenience stores. Offerings include hot dogs, pizza toppings and sliced meats.

NotCo, New York, is a food technology company offering meat alternatives for chicken, burgers and dairy.

There are chicken nuggets, patties and tenders, and 4-ounce burgers. “Every sip, slurp and bite brings us one step closer to a better planet,” said the company, whose products use 78% less water and generate 84% less carbon dioxide emissions versus the traditional animal production process.

For dairy, the company offers milk in white and chocolate.

The new Flex dispenser from Atlanta-based Coca-Cola offers the innovation and variety of the company’s Freestyle machine—but it’s not as big. There are more than 40 drink choices in a smaller footprint for space-starved convenience stores. It takes up the same space as standard six-valve fountain dispensers.

It’s simple to install and maintain, and it features include PurePour technology, which uses carefully crafted recipes with micro-dosing pumps to dispense the proper ingredients. In addition, the new dispenser has a 15-inch high-definition touchscreen display for smoother navigation.