More Cheese, Please: 2024 Cheese Insights

People eat cheese for all sorts of reasons; this year, however, taste and health were the primary ones as 33% of consumers around the world considered it a necessary staple in their diets.

Innovation Tips for Plant-Based Bakery Treats

Sweet baked goods are a hotspot for indulgence-happy consumers, making convenient, sharable treats like cookies a prime target for plant-based innovation.

Technomic: Expect Drive-Thrus, Breakfast Daypart to ‘Boom’ in 2024

America is overflowing with beverage restaurant concepts of late, especially those targeting the breakfast daypart. Utah-based Swig is growing rapidly. Dutch Bros Coffee, founded in Oregon, saw 27% sales growth in 2022. Kung Fu Tea, …

Plant-Based Trends to Watch in 2024

What key topics will drive plant-based evolution in the year ahead? The Food Institute spoke with several industry analysts and thought leaders to outline major trends to watch in 2024 — and beyond.

Private Label Driving Alt-Dairy Innovation

The alt-dairy category experienced significant economic pressure in 2023, but private label performance was strong. Here are a few featured products from the November Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA) show.

Who’s Buying Alt-Meat? Unpacking Consumer Motivations

When it comes to consumers, the alt-meat category has more than its fair share of challenges — and supporters. Who’s buying meat alternatives today and why? Here’s the latest stats from Brightfield Group’s quarterly shopper survey.

Case Study: Rebellyous Foods & Engineering the Future

What does it take to design a novel system for alternative protein production? Christie Lagally, CEO of alt-chicken company Rebellyous Foods, spoke with FI about poor alt-meat infrastructure and what her company is doing about it.

What Dishes are Winning at Plant-Based QSRs?

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.

Global Plant-Based Products Gain Traction in America

Among the plant-based options highlighted at a recent PLMA event were convenient, handheld snacks such as porkless carnitas and alternative chicken fries.

Has Tofu Gone Mainstream?

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.

Mimicking Meat Not Winning Strategy for Fast-Food

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.

Are Edible Insects the Future of Alternative Protein?

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.

Consumer Pulse: Who’s Drinking Alternative Milk — and Why?

Milk alternatives are a key growth driver for the plant-based industry. What keeps shoppers coming back for more?

Can In-Store Marketing Boost Plant-Based Sales?

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 Plant-Based Entering a New Era of Growth?

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.

A New Blue Wave: Explaining the Blue Zone Diet Craze

The Blue Zone Diet has become part of the national lexicon of late. So, what exactly is this new craze?

Just Egg CRO: College Students ‘Bullseye Target’ for Plant-Based

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.

Alt Meat No Longer Sizzles While Plants & Fungi Grow

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.

How Can Startups Stand Out in Plant-Based?

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.

Top Trends at the Plant Based World Expo 2023

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:

What Do Plant-Based Consumers Want Most?

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 Dairy Indulgences Intriguing Consumers

Plant-based creamer has ascended to become the third largest plant-based category – as new product releases have highlighted.

What’s Next in Precision Fermentation?

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.

Analysis: Is Tattooed Chef a Cautionary Tale for Plant-Based Brands?

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.

Plant-Based Sweetener Innovations to Watch

The plant-based category is humming with natural sweetener innovation as artificial alternatives face mounting scrutiny from both consumers and government regulators.

Global Expansion Tips for Plant-Based Businesses

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 Reveals Future Food Trends

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.

Can Microalgae ‘Ghost Proteins’ Resurrect Alt-Meat?

Food tech startups are developing new techniques to transform microalgae into “ghost protein,” a powerful alternative protein source with an undetectable, completely neutral flavor.

Precision Fermentation Steals the Show at IFT FIRST

Animal-free proteins made through precision fermentation and cell-cultures were seemingly everywhere at the recent IFT FIRST event in Chicago.

How Soon Will Cultured Meat Impact Plant-Based Sales?

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.

FI Exclusive: UPSIDE Foods COO Sees Meat’s Future as Cultivated

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.

Report: Plant-Based Stuck in Neutral While Bowls are Accelerating

A new report by Brandwatch shows the plant-based category is largely idling while QSRs serving bowls are gaining traction.

Hot Dogs, Happiness, and the Health-Conscious Consumer

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?

Fungi in the “New Age” of Functional Energy Drinks

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.

The Better-for-You Blockbuster Snacking Season Has Arrived

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.

Plant-Based Treats Take Center Stage at Summer Shows

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.