Plant-based restaurants are experiencing a shakeout as operators recalibrate their menus to address economic challenges. FI checked in with T.K. Pillan, CEO of Veggie Grill, to explore how the vegan QSR is streamlining its offerings to meet evolving consumer demands.
Among the plant-based options highlighted at a recent PLMA event were convenient, handheld snacks such as porkless carnitas and alternative chicken fries.
Tofu is enjoying a new era of popularity thanks to its adaptability and nutritional clout. But despite its position as a plant-based powerhouse, this longtime vegan staple has its own share of hurdles to overcome.
Plant-based fast-food restaurants that try to mimic the McDonalds’ and Burger Kings of the world may be missing the point that true vegetarians and vegans have little interest in meat-like offerings.
Edible insects have all the makings of a smash hit in the alternative protein sector. The big problem? U.S. consumers might not want to eat bugs.
Milk alternatives are a key growth driver for the plant-based industry. What keeps shoppers coming back for more?
As the plant-based industry grapples with plateauing sales at retail, company leaders from alt-meat to tofu are turning a critical eye toward in-store marketing to boost household penetration.
Is all the hype surrounding plant-based meat overblown, or is this just the proverbial eye of the storm? The Food Institute sat down with Elysabeth Alfano, CEO of VegTech Invest to discuss why she believes the industry is on the verge of something big.
The Blue Zone Diet has become part of the national lexicon of late. So, what exactly is this new craze?
A recent confluence of headlines reporting a shift in sales and venture-backed capitalism indicate a change in consumer mindsets surrounding alt meat products and their pseudo-competitors – particularly seafood, fungi, and the versatile mushroom.
A recent confluence of headlines reporting a shift in sales and venture-backed capitalism indicate a change in consumer mindsets surrounding alt meat products and their pseudo-competitors – particularly seafood, fungi, and the versatile mushroom.
What strategies can emerging companies employ to distinguish themselves in the teeming plant-based market? FI unpacked this question with Chelsie Hodge, founder and CEO of frozen functional beverage company, Blender Bites.
The Food Institute was on the scene at the 2023 Plant Based World Expo taking in the sights, sounds, and most importantly—tastes—while chatting with exhibitors about their offerings. Here are the top trends we spotted:
Curiosity is the number one reason consumers try plant-based foods, but what will keep them coming back for more? At the Plant Based World Expo in New York City last week, Steve Markenson, VP of Research & Insights at The Food Industry Association, addressed this essential question.
Plant-based creamer has ascended to become the third largest plant-based category – as new product releases have highlighted.
The global precision fermentation market is predicted to grow at a compound annual rate (CAGR) of 40.5% between 2022 – 2031. The dairy sub-segment is expected to dominate, while increasing consumer preference for plant-based meat is anticipated to fuel growth over the long-term.
The global plant-based meat market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 13.3% through 2030, but recent struggles could complicate the market.
The plant-based category is humming with natural sweetener innovation as artificial alternatives face mounting scrutiny from both consumers and government regulators.
Worldwide demand for animal and dairy protein is slated to reach $1.2 trillion by 2030, reflecting significant opportunities for plant-based brands eyeing global expansion.
The Consumer Curiosity Report was the first inaugural report developed by Curious Plot to not only learn how food-forward consumers think and behave, but to help establish, foster, and share new food trends from home to aisle, retail to restaurant.
Food tech startups are developing new techniques to transform microalgae into “ghost protein,” a powerful alternative protein source with an undetectable, completely neutral flavor.
Animal-free proteins made through precision fermentation and cell-cultures were seemingly everywhere at the recent IFT FIRST event in Chicago.
As the gate to cell-cultured meat sales swings open in the U.S., what’s in store for the alt-meat sector? The Food Institute checked in with Jennifer Bartashus at Bloomberg Intelligence to discuss potential market implications in the months ahead.
Amy Chen, CEO for UPSIDE Foods, feels the company’s process for cultivating meat could have not only a major impact on food production, but also on the environment.
A new report by Brandwatch shows the plant-based category is largely idling while QSRs serving bowls are gaining traction.
In the age of the health-conscious consumer, devotion to the traditional hot dog reflects a growing movement towards “all things in moderation.” What does this mean for plant-based varieties?
While functional fungi are now a well-established ingredient in coffees, powders, and shots, their use in the ready-to-drink (RTD) energy category is just starting to gain momentum.
As families gear up for movie night across the country and CPG companies figure out how to get their snacks off the shelves and into the hands of consumers before the previews even start, what constitutes a typical movie night snack, for many, is going the way of the dinosaurs.
Vegan indulgences are a hot trend this summer. Here are a few featured products and award winners from the Sweets & Snacks Expo and NRA Show.
Vegetarian and FI business writer, Christine Zulkosky, sampled Ohayo Valley’s lab-grown wagyu beef at the Vegan Women Summit in Brooklyn, NY.
Restaurant operators looking to add plant-based options to their menus had no shortage of options at the recent National Restaurant Association Show.
An eye-opening 81% of college students will choose a plant-based food offering when it’s the default option, according to a recent study led by foodservice provider Sodexo. And these Gen Zers are more interested in …
Innovators are shaking up the alt-meat category with plant-forward creations that contain more whole foods and less processed ingredients. Here are five companies to watch.
There are many notable jerky and meat snack companies out there and most are thriving as the snackification of America continues apace. Jerky in any form has been a staple snack since navigators used sextets to sail the seven seas and discover more jerky, as John Smith is purported to have in the early 1600s when he marked a map of Virginia and wrote, “as drie as their jerkin beefe in the West Indies.”
The Food Institute spoke with two dietitians to outline some of the healthiest alt-meat products available today and break down best practices for reading nutrition labels.
Alternative milks remain the darling of plant-based growth. Record high dairy inflation and a deluge of new alternatives, however, are putting the brakes on product movement.
