A Protein Revolution

Plant-based meats are sparking the next wave of food innovation

- Jennifer Lee

Meat is getting a bad rap. Factory farming practices, health concerns, and the environmental impact of livestock cultivation are all factors leading to decreasing meat consumption, at least in the West.

A meat-free diet was once considered part of the ‘hippie’ or ‘alternative’ lifestyle, but it is rapidly gaining mainstream acceptance. And to cater to this fast-growing market, meat alternatives are being developed by many different companies, using different ingredients and methods.

With the ever-growing number of investments, acquisitions, and product launches in the still-nascent plant-based meat industry, it might seem as though the meat alternative sector is starting on its path to a self-sustaining scale. Impossible Foods, maker of the cult-famous Impossible Burger, raised an impressive US$300 million in its latest funding round from a diverse set of investors ranging from Horizons Ventures to Katy Perry. Around the same time, Beyond Meat had the highest-performing IPO in nearly two decades. And Tyson, the number-one producer of broiler chickens in the US, just launched its own line of plant-forward, vegetarian chicken products.

ALT LEFT Such faux meats are, of course, made from plant-based ingredients. That is where the similarities end – each manufacturer has its own proprietary process and secret ingredients.