This is not the time to launch a brand that sells meat alternatives.
All sides are putting pressure on each other. One side of the equation is that consumers have lost interest in the sustainability aspect, which the meat alternative category had long championed.
The backlash towards ultra-processed food is also bringing many of the plant-based products into the limelight – not for the better.
It is time for meat alternative producers to reinvent themselves, find reasons to sell their products and embrace the new food obsession, health.
Health trend: Meat substitutes
The past year has seen a rise in the demand for whole and functional foods.
Consumers are drawn to trends such as functional drinks and gut-healthy foods. They also want products that offer them real benefits. The backlash towards UPFs coincides with the return to whole food cooking, and is backed by a desire for functional drinks.
The meat alternatives caught in the middle of two rivals. Flexitarians who are the majority of meat alternatives’ market share compete with actual meat. At least when it comes to its natural form, conventional meat is a healthy option. Animal-source protein is generally of higher quality, with some exceptions.
Vegetarians and Vegans can choose tofu or tempeh as a traditional and more nutritious meat alternative.
Read also – Plant-based meat substitutes go beyond the meat alternative.
Meat alternatives are, to their credit or not, often branded as unhealthy. Although they may have fewer additives on average than bread slices, that is not what consumers think.
Faced with stiff competition from both sides, alternatives to meat need to reinvent themselves.
Alt meat is a new product that aims to shed ‘unhealthy associations’
It’s time for a shakeup. Many of the major plant-based companies have decided to do this themselves, adapting their products according to the changing consumer market.
Beyond Meat is now focusing its Beyond Ground product on health and function after several disappointing earnings reports.
The product contains 27g protein and 4g fibre. It also does not imitate meat, so it isn’t a product that can be directly compared to. It’s a product that is all its own.
This product is also focused on nutrition and health.
Super superfood, which is versatile and can be used in a variety of dishes, contains 100% natural ingredients, including spinach, mushrooms shiitake, seeds, etc., with the aim of appealing to consumers who are looking for products that have a clean label.
Moving Mountains is another brand that uses plant-based products. Its superfood line may be the most significant departure from imitation meat. The range includes a falafel that appeals to the desire of consumers for less processed foods while giving them something they are familiar with.
Quorn is one of the first meat alternatives companies to change. It is changing its formula, and removing some artificial ingredients.
In the past meat substitutes would tout their health benefits, but never before has health taken such a central place.
It will take time to see if the newfound health focus will succeed. Meat alternative companies are taking note of the trend and have adapted accordingly.