In 2024, global plant-based retail sales reached $28.6 billion thanks to accelerated interest in meat analogs in Europe and the Asia-Pacific regions. Domestically, although sales stagnated in 2024, there are many indicators that it will soon rebound.
Innovative brands in the alt-protein space are combining multiple technologies to create better products. By integrating methods like precision fermentation and enzymatic cross-linking, these companies are solving major pain points in taste, texture, and affordability.
The alt-meat market, which peaked in 2018-19, saw sales decline due to factors like market saturation and high prices, but signs of recovery are emerging, particularly in the frozen segment, according to expert Chris DuBois of Circana.
In a recent webinar, Food Business News shared emerging data, trends, innovations, and consumer insights impacting the alternative meat, dairy, and seafood markets, a $1.03B industry attempting to recover from a sharp decline beginning in 2018. Here are five key takeaways.
The precision fermentation category is projected to grow at a massive CAGR for the foreseeable future. While advancements are accelerating the production of animal-free ingredients, experts say a few key challenges could hold the sector back.
Novel proteins including cultivated meat, mycelium, and dairy bioidenticals are advancing further into the market, and some state governments are pushing back. A new survey by McKinsey & Company explores how consumers perceive these ingredients—and their willingness to trial them.
The approvals signal a potential disruption to traditional animal- and plant-based ingredients that have long dominated consumer packaged goods (CPG).
Through its new “super greens” partnership with BEAM, Dole joins the growing list of major food producers pivoting into the supplement category. How far will this industry convergence go?
From regulatory approvals in animal-free dairy, to a new snack made with air protein, fermentation is making major moves in the new year. What could the recent headlines signal for the future of food?
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.
Animal-free proteins made through precision fermentation and cell-cultures were seemingly everywhere at the recent IFT FIRST event in Chicago.
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.
Precision fermentation technology makes it possible to create alternative egg and milk proteins identical in taste, texture, and functionality to the traditional stuff—without using any animals.
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 …
While some in the industry are optimistic about alt-protein’s prospects and perceived benefits, others claim alt-protein is, in some respects, overhyped, as noted in a new report. The Politics of Protein, by the International Panel …
The process used to create precision fermentation is akin to alchemists transforming basic metals into gold. In this case, however, scientists are transforming sugar and fungus into hamburgers. According to RethinkX, a think tank that …
