My latest update on plant-based meat and dairy substitutes

Much is happening in the plant-based food sector. I love trying to keep up with it.

First, the bad, or somewhat bad, news:

SPECIAL REPORT: Plant-based dairy and meat by numbers; declining trends continue, but pockets of growth remain: New data from IRI and SPINS shows continued steep declines in sales of refrigerated meat alternatives but pockets of growth in frozen products and some plant-based milk, cheese, and yogurt subcategories, which do not all behave in the same way (spoiler alert: oatmilk is hot, oat yogurt is not)….
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Meat substitutes contain ‘antinutrients’ that inhibit absorption of iron and zinc: ‘The industry needs to think about the nutritional value of these products’: New research out of Sweden has found that while many meat substitutes are high in micronutrients like iron they are often found in a form that cannot be absorbed by the body…. Read more
Business Insider A food fight is raging over what we can and can’t call ‘meat’: Startups that make plant-based foods are battling the meat lobby for the right to describe their products as bacon, burgers or steak. Read More

Next, the new product launches:

The latest food and drink plant-based product launches: Food Manufacture looks at some of the latest food and drink product launches in the plant-based and vegan category, including Meatless Farm, Seabloom, Richmond, Innocent and Sheese. Read more
Voie gras: Nestlé develops plant-based foie gras alternative for European markets: Just six months on from inception, Nestlé’s vegan foie gras alternative is launching into Swiss and Spanish markets under its Garden Gourmet bran. Read more
Plant-based butter set to revolutionise the art of pastry with low environmental impactBe Better My Friend is a Dutch company set up by chef Marike van Beurden, food scientist Pere Castells and global food strategist Joost Lindeman with a vision to end the bakery sector’s dependency on animal-derived ingredients…. Read more
Creamy without the cow: ChickP releases plant-based ice cream with ‘a truly rich’ texture: ChickP Protein’s chickpea-based ice cream prototype boasts dairy-like creamy texture and fewer additives…. Read more
Philadelphia Cream Cheese launches plant-based spread: The product, which is available at select retailers in the Southeastern U.S., is Kraft Heinz’s second non-dairy launch under one of its flagship brands in the last two months.

And where the industry might be headed:

Food companies invited to collaborate on plant-based research: Plant2Food, a science platform from the Novo Nordisk Foundation, is inviting UK food companies to collaborate on plant and food science and share new knowledge. Read more

Comment: Despite the current drop in sales, I don’t see these products disappearing off the shelves. There is a demand or them among people who do not want to eat meat or dairy foods for reasons of health, animal welfare, or the environment. The products need to taste good if they are going to continue to sell. And they need to become more food-based rather than ingredient-based if they are to overcome concerns about their meeting definitions of ultra-processed.

I will keep following this sector with great interest. Stay tuned.

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