Study Suggests Plant-Based Category Losing Luster

The Food Institute spoke with Rob Dongoski, Agribusiness Leader at EY, about the future of alternative proteins and whether consumers have moved on.

Top Trends from Expo West Include Evolving Plant-Based Protein

Natural Products Expo West 2023 put plant-based innovation on display. Here’s a look at the trends that were most apparent.

Q&A: Nestlé Targets Plant-Based at University Dining Halls

The success of plant-based in food service will come down to making foods “attractive and craveable so that they are the choice and not the compromise to a meal experience,” according to one Nestlé executive.

Cell-Cultured Snapshot: How to “Make” Meat

Cell-cultured meat continues to expand on a global scale as start-ups and major meat producers target the category. But how exactly are cuts of cultivated meat created — and how soon can consumers purchase these products?

COLUMN: Answer to Plant-based Segment’s Issues Found in Forests, Biotech

Clean, natural, plant-based proteins could help strengthen the industry segment amid market volatility, according to one CEO.

Impossible Challenge? Are Alt-Meat Company’s Layoffs an Ominous Sign?

Impossible Foods recently laid off 20% of its employees. Is this the beginning of the end for alt-meat?

Taking Stock: The Current State of Plant-Based

This industry review looks back on the major sales figures and trends that shaped the state of plant-based over the past year.

Analysis: Could ‘Hybrid’ Meat be a Plant-Based Breakthrough?

As an expanding number of startups pursue the commercialization of cultivated meat, a select few are targeting the hybrid approach — blending small quantities of lab-grown cells into primarily plant-based products. While affordable, 100% cultivated …

Millennials, Gen Z Key to Plant-Based Advancement

Despite industry-wide challenges, both dairy and meat plant-based alternatives are forecast to grow through 2024, driven almost entirely by Millennials and Gen Zers. According to a recent report by The NPD Group, these plant-based consumers …

Case Study: TiNDLE Trying to Take Alt-Chicken to Next Level

CHICAGO – TiNDLE, plant-based chicken from Next Gen Foods that was started in Singapore in 2020, recently announced its U.S. headquarters in Chicago and hosted an open house for its new R&D and Innovation Center. …

How Inflation’s Impacting Plant-Based Meat Sales

As a variety of factors aggravate the downward trajectory of alternative meat sales at retail, refrigerated varieties continue to fuel the category’s deceleration.

Boost Food Safety While Reducing Waste

This article is written and sponsored by Kerry. Amanda McNeely, Kerry’s marketing expert for food protection and preservation, talks about Kerry ingredient solutions that boost food safety and reduce waste, and her views on the outlook …

Mycelium Deepening Roots in Plant-Based Space

While mushrooms remain all the rage as a whole food ingredient, their physical characteristics are less than ideal for replicating whole cuts of meat. Enter mycelium – the root system from which mushrooms grow.

Can Breeding Super Seeds Improve Plant-Based Foods?

Plant-based protein is popping up in more products than ever before, but challenges related to flavor and texture have left a bad taste in the mouths of many consumers. In response, some companies are utilizing …

Plant-Based Meat Growth Expected to Continue Despite Obstacles

The plant-based meat category is experiencing some growing pains. Through the early weeks of the pandemic, alt-meat sales grew some 200% at retail outlets, and the hype around that helped the category secure more than …

Emerging Food Leaders Survey: 2022 Edition

We asked Cornell University food program students to rank the importance of various food trends including plant-based, sustainability and inflation.

Exploring Plant-Based Nutrition

Kerry Nutrition Scientist Nathan Pratt, PhD, RD, joins The Food Institute Podcast to explore the nutrition of plant-based foods.

Bloomberg Boosts 10-Year Plant-Based Market Forecast to $166 Billion

The global plant-based alternatives market could swell to $166 billion in the next decade, according to an updated forecast by Bloomberg Intelligence. Bloomberg’s May 2022 projections incorporated 2021 results into the Plant-Based Foods Poised for …

Demand Growing for Clean Label Meat Alternatives

As a broader variety of plant-based protein alternatives enter the market, health-conscious flexitarians are turning a more critical eye towards ingredients and production methods. In 2021, consumer interest in clean label grew by 86% within …

Is Beyond Meat Beyond Repair?

Investors appear to have soured on Beyond Meat, sending its stock price from a $160.28 to as low as $35.74 in the last year, as competition in the alternative-meat sector has increased and the company’s …

Analysis: Is There Too Much Plant-Based Competition?

Seemingly any product you can think of has a plant-based alternative these days. When The Food Institute attended this years’ Natural Products Expo West, we found a plethora of plant-based brands with items like alt-chicken …

Can Plant-Based Innovation Boost Store Brand Sales?

On the heels of a stagnant sales year for store brands, Amazon and Kroger are bulking up their private label portfolios with plant-based products. Is category innovation on the horizon? The Food Institute Podcast · …

Is Plant-Based Meat at a Retail Crossroads?

Alternative meat sales continue to plateau at retail following strong performance in recent years. Has plant-based meat reached its peak, or is this just a lengthy chapter in the emerging category’s evolutionary process? According to …

Assessing the Plant-Based Landscape for 2022

Pandemic challenges in 2021 impacted the plant-based industry in divergent ways, as more consumers experimented at home and operators across restaurants and retail prioritized inventory over innovation. “At retail, we are seeing the biggest [plant-based] …

Plant-Based Alternatives Push Further into Fast-Food

Plant-based offerings continue to expand across restaurant menus, as major players like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat broaden their partnerships with fast-food chains. McDonald’s recently announced plans for a major U.S. expansion of its plant-based …

New Face of Plant-Based Movement Sees Promising Future for Industry

The level of excitement was palpable at the Plant-Based World Conference & Expo on December 9 in New York City. The official tradeshow of the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA) included over 200 exhibitors showcasing …

New Study Cites Higher Salt Content in Plant-Based Meat Alternatives

A new study begs the question: are plant-based products like alt-meat any healthier than the real thing? A study published recently in the journal Nutrients found some three-quarters of plant-based products analyzed failed to meet …

Plant-Based Meat Deceleration Signals Niche Future

Plant-based meat sales in restaurants and retail are beginning to plateau following a meteoric rise throughout the pandemic period, while traditional meat engagement remains strong. Data and supporting analyst insights from IRI suggest that this …

More Categories are Ready for Plant-Based Disruption

Click Below to Subscribe Are you ready for plant-based deli slices, seafood, or even filet mignon? Mission: Plant founder David Benzaquen is. In this episode of The Food Institute Podcast, the plant-based food industry expert …

Is Kelp the Next Big Ingredient in Alt-Meat?

When it comes to sustainable food sources, kelp checks all the right boxes. But are U.S. consumers ready to embrace it as a main course? Courtney Boyd Myers, CEO of alt-meat food tech company AKUA, …

Assessing the Mounting War on Meat

While climate and animal welfare advocates are encouraging less meat consumption, consumer demand continues to rise. With that, some are going on the offensive through legislative efforts. And the battle, it seems, will likely continue …

Is the Plant-Based Market Showing Signs of Decline?

Despite interest in the plant-based space by investors, the category appeared to lose a bit of luster in the second quarter, as both Beyond Meat and Maple Leaf Foods noted sales of their plant-based offerings …

Analysts: Restaurant Customers Seeking Plant-Based Innovation

There’s no denying plant-based food has had a big year. However, the pandemic’s full impact on plant-based momentum in restaurants remains unclear. While the gears of product development are starting to turn again, some major brands have …

Plant-Based Investments Heating Up

Investments into the plant-based meat industry have risen rapidly of late, with the industry raising over $1.4 billion in 2020 alone, according to a report from IDTechEx. The industry is optimistic that these trends will continue into …

Study: Plant-Based Meat Lacks Nutritional Components of Beef

A new study from Duke University has identified several chemical components in beef — some of which are important to human health — that are not present in plant-based substitutes, and vice versa. The study, …

Plenty of Room for Growth in Plant-Based Space

While Oatly may be making waves for its proposed $10 billion IPO, competition in the space continues to heat up as new competitors expand their product ranges. Meanwhile, the health benefits of these products continue …