May 2024
Do consumers trust plant-based meat?
Plant-based meat doesn’t seem to be getting consumers’ mouths watering right now.
But people love protein. And people love plant-based food. Searches for “high protein” products are increasing year on year, according to Brandwatch, as consumers crave protein-rich snacks and meals. And, as 61% of consumers want to increase the number of plant-based foods in their diets, vegetarian and vegan lifestyles are becoming more popular
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You’d think combining the two in the form of plant-based meat was a recipe for success, but as is often the case in the food industry, combining two tasty ingredients together doesn’t always make for the most satisfying meal. Consumers remain hesitant about plant-based meat for a variety of reasons, but are there signs that these challenges can be overcome, or is the plant-based trend simply dead meat?
What happened to plant-based meat?
Many of the issues faced by plant-based meat can be summed up with a single word: Trust.
The survival instincts that have kept humans alive for thousands of years mean that if you don’t really trust something, you’re unlikely to put it in your mouth. And, while plant-based alternatives to meat were at one point treated as exciting new innovations, their sales have slumped in recent years.
These continuing sales struggles have likely become something of a self-fulfilling prophecy for consumers. Lower sales mean fewer products on shelves, which makes it easy for consumers to dismiss that fake meat thing as a fad that’s had its day. That leads to even lower sales, and the continuation of this vicious cycle.
But what caused these sluggish sales in the first place? The answer is down to a complex mix of factors. One is that we are simply seeing the market correct itself after an unsustainable early explosion. Banking on consumer spending habits to stay as they were during the pandemic, when many found themselves with more expendable income, or with cause to panic buy more products than they might need, doesn’t sound particularly sensible in hindsight.
However, there is a definite perception problem among some consumers that continues to this day. The widely-used term ‘fake meat’ likely doesn’t help matters, nor does its persistent reputation for being a lower-quality imitation of the real thing. Studies have shown that, while plant-based meat consumers generally like the way it tastes, they have been much less impressed with its texture and appearance.
Consumers may also be going cold on fake meat as a consequence of the negativity surrounding ‘ultra-processed’ foods. This issue became such a controversy that ‘ultra-processed’ was nominated as dictionary publisher Collins’ word of the year for 2023.
It is important to clarify that not all ultra-processed foods are created equal. Food processing is more about the ingredients involved than anything else. A recent WHO-backed study found that some ultra-processed foods, including plant-based meats, are not inherently unhealthy. In fact, foods like bread and cereal reduce the risk of certain diseases, as they are high in fibre. However, the plant-based industry has so far struggled to communicate this properly.
And, as a relatively young market segment, plant-based products generally have higher prices as R&D costs eat into margins, so the economies of scale have not yet been optimised. This means the cost-of-living crisis cannot be ignored – consumers on a budget are much less likely to take a risk on a product they aren’t entirely certain of.
New innovations can put meat on the bone
Is there any way that plant-based meat can rebuild that trust with consumers? The answer is yes, and the good news is that it’s already happening. 49% of consumers now trust plant-based alternative products more than they did three years ago, according to food awareness organisation ProVeg. The same report also found that plant-based meat was the most-requested alternative (35%), beating out poultry (28%) and snacks (27%).
Part of this is down to the continued improvement of plant-based products, which have invested heavily in ingredients and additives that can improve the flavour and mouthfeel of meat alternatives.
At ACI, we have relationships with some of the world’s foremost plant-based protein manufacturers. We’ve experienced first-hand the way that plant-based protein has grown and diversified, and now connect manufacturers to ingredient suppliers who can meet a broader range of flavour profiles and textures. For example, our range of soy products includes nuggets, crispies, flakes, flours, and more, with each one providing a different texture when included in plant-based food. And we work with premium suppliers like IFF, who deliver a range of protein products that deliver the kind of flavours and textures that consumers crave, particularly in premium products.
Other proteins, like pea, wheat, and vegetable proteins all offer different mouthfeel profiles for different meat alternative applications. The ability to replicate the fibrous texture of meat using a variety of ingredients has developed significantly in recent years, and it continues to grow exponentially as innovations like 3D printing and umisation unlock new possibilities.
As the industry’s knowledge base and technical capabilities grow, so too does its ability to communicate the benefits of plant-based meat to consumers through specific labelling and branding. For example, this could resolve the long-standing confusion surrounding plant-based and vegan food. The VegPro study found that a major cause of consumer mistrust was a perceived lack of transparency in labelling. This makes sense; a vegan consumer who mistakenly assumes a plant-based meat product meets their dietary needs will need some convincing before they trust a similar product again.
Partnering with a distributor like ACI Group, with our values of sustainability, transparency, and innovation, is one way you can enhance your plant-based products and develop the kind of meat alternative that consumers are growing to trust. If you want to know more about our market-leading portfolio, get in touch today.
https://foodinstitute.com/focus/high-protein-products-as-popular-as-ever/
[1] https://foodinstitute.com/focus/high-protein-products-as-popular-as-ever/
[5] https://www.v-label.com/consumer-insights/key-consumer-insights-on-plant-based-meat-in-2022
[8] https://proveg.org/article/taste-trends-the-shift-towards-plant-based-eating-in-the-uk/