Food From Thought: August 2021
New attention on alternative proteins, portfolio news, and more.
Unusual times sometimes offer up unusual new opportunities.
Case in point: Skyrocketing chicken prices as a result of supply chain limitations exposed by the Covid-19 pandemic are shining a light on alternatives, a moment that Alpha Foods jumped on this week by cutting prices on its plant-based nuggets. Will the move lure in meat eaters? It might, but it also highlights the very real potential for savings associated with alternative proteins.
Another example: Fast food chain Subway received some unwanted attention last month when rumors began circulating that its tuna salad did not actually contain any tuna DNA. (What actually it did contain was left up to the imagination.) The company later came out and certified that its tuna was, in fact, tuna, but not before plant-based seafood maker Good Catch took the opportunity to park its food truck in front of a Subway location in Midtown Manhattan, passing out free subs made with its fish-free alternative.
Gimmicky? Maybe, but these episodes and more point to the many different ways that consumers are finding their way to alternative proteins. For some its cost savings. For others, quality. And for others, sustainability is the focus. Whatever the reason, plant-based producers are getting better and better at communicating their advantages to the world at large. And shoppers are paying attention.
Abbot’s Butcher
Aleph Farms
Alpha Foods
Beyond Meat
Good Catch
Heura
Meati
Miyoko’s Creamery
Nova Meat
Outstanding Foods
Wicked Foods
CNBC: Faux fish looks to ride the growing wave of alternative meats
Edie: Is protein diversification the next clean energy for the net-zero economy?
Food Dive: Why chicken is taking over plant-based meat
Food Ingredient First: Alt-proteins in Asia: Rising clean label standards and premium meat may pose future challenges
Food Navigator: Protein from waste: a sustainable solution with consumer appeal?
Green Queen: China’s 700 Million Young Consumers Key To Mainstream Alternative Protein, Report Says
Plant Based News: Why Billionaire Jim Mellon Is Predicting The End Of Meat, Dairy And Fish In 10 Years
PYMNTS: Alternative Proteins Take New Shapes Amid Growing VC, Consumer Interest
Vegconomist: Plant-Based Seafood Market to Skyrocket, Increasing 13X to US$1.3 Billion in Next Decade
Washington Post: Why the CEO of Impossible Foods thinks he can eliminate all animal-based meat in 15 years
Plant Based Foods Association: Unovis Featured in Member Spotlight
Bridge2Food: The Unovis Asset Management Outlook on Plant-Based with Juliana Green