The Value of Plant Based Meat Alternatives for Your Business
You may not be familiar with what a plant based meat alternative is, but it's never too late to learn. Consumers today are adapting their purchasing habits to this new and exciting field of food technology. It’s getting harder and harder to tell the difference between what is and isn't meat, so now is the time to consider including these products in your business plan.
Defining a Plant Based Meat Alternative
Plant-based meat is any product that is intended to resemble animal-based meat but uses alternative ingredients derived from plants as a source of protein. These alternative proteins are technically derived from plants and microbial cells. Microbial cells can also facilitate a process that produces recombinant proteins. The resultant sustainable protein products, depending on their source and the manufacturing process, can come in many forms. Their properties also change based on whether they are used dry, wet or fresh. Typical forms include:
• Fats
• Flours
• Pastes
• Isolates
• Concentrates
The array of available alternative protein products allows manufacturers to imitate both whole muscle meat products and restructured meat products — think of steak and chicken breast versus nuggets and pulled pork. Advances in processing techniques and equipment have proven successful in mimicking most forms of meat accurately. Let's just say they'd be hard to identify in a lineup.
Points on Health and Wellness
Research has begun on the health benefits of a plant based meat alternative as a staple in your diet. Regarding heart health and cardiovascular diseases, plant-based products may be beneficial. Studies have shown that people on a diet of plant-based meat can have reduced levels of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), especially compared with people on a diet of red meat. Higher levels of TMAO can indicate an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
These studies also found that people on a diet of plant-based products experienced mild weight loss and lowered cholesterol levels. The evidence may point to the increased health benefits of including meat alternatives in your diet. We recommend that people consult a nutritionist for comprehensive advice and meal planning.
Extrusion is an important part of the process.
Key Characteristics of Marketability
It may be obvious, but the more your product looks like real meat, the more appealing it is to consumers as a meat alternative. This includes factors of texture (important for handling and while consuming), appearance and flavor. These days, the taste profiles of plant-based meat products are extremely comparable to meat-based products.
The manufacturing stage is largely responsible for achieving optimal levels of texture and appearance. Whole-muscle meat products are more difficult to mimic and require specialized processes. These processes are collectively called extrusion. There are a variety of extrusion processes available for different sustainable protein products and different end product formats.
One good example of this is high moisture extrusion cooking, which uses twin-screw extruders with high moisture ingredients. To put it in simple terms, the protein is turned into a gel and cooled in such a way that it forms fibers via hydrogen bonding. The result is extraordinarily close to the texture of meat muscle. Generally, white meat is easier to imitate than red meat, but both are now possible with recent advances in technology.
Market Growth Expectations
There has been an increase in demand for plant based meat alternative products, which creates room for manufacturers, distributors and front-facing food industry establishments to capitalize on this growing niche. Plant-based product consumption has expanded beyond the vegan and vegetarian market to the larger dietary sphere. People have come to expect a wide selection of these products at mainstream supermarkets and on the menus of major chain restaurants.
Let’s talk numbers. Globally, the traditional meat industry has a projected growth rate of 3.9%, reaching $1.14 trillion by 2023. The plant-based meat alternative industry was valued at $11.6 billion in 2019 but has seen a much higher growth rate, at 15%. Market value projections expect this segment to reach $30.9 billion by 2026. It cannot be denied that this is an industry with a lot of potential.
Meat alternatives are also popular in every meal category: breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and appetizers. There are a wide variety of ingredients and manufacturing techniques available for mimicking every type of animal protein. This lays the groundwork for endless possibilities of expansion and experimentation.
Sourcing and Developing Products With Marisa Foods
Manufacturing plant-based meat alternatives can be expensive and time-consuming if your company doesn’t have the existing infrastructure in place. Outsourcing is an efficient method of integrating plant-based products into your repertoire. Marisa Foods is a trusted food manufacturer with a plant that is USDA-inspected with quality control protocols in place.
Marisa Foods will work with you to develop a custom product and menu suited to your needs. If you already have a recipe, we offer co-packing services. We also have a line of products ready to go through our private labeling program. Our services are flexible and scalable, supporting your growth and development as a business.
There’s no reason not to jump into this thriving market segment quickly, at a time when 60% of Americans report eating more plant-based diets and 50% of consumers report eating plant-based products at least once a month. Impressively, plant-based food sales grew 2.5 times faster than total food sales from 2018 to 2020. If you were skeptical of plant-based meat in the past, it may be time to revisit those biases.
Contact Marisa Foods today for an in-depth consultation and stake your place in the plant based meat alternative industry now, at this opportune time in the market. Spend your valuable time growing your business and leave the hard work in the kitchen to us. What do you have to lose?
