2019 was the year plant-based proteins went mainstream. With consumer habits changing due to COVID-19, will interest in meat alternatives remain strong?
Grocery sales growth
In a January survey from Gallup, 41% of Americans indicated that they have tried a meat alternative at least once. At least half of these respondents said that they are likely to eat plant-based products in the future.
“With emptier-than-usual grocery store shelves, the 41% of people who’ve tried plant-based meat products could increase when consumers are presented with fewer options than usual while looking for available protein options with acceptable shelf lives,” Dan Whitmyer of ad agency Kickdrum wrote in FoodDive.
U.S. retail sales of plant-based proteins grew 279.8% the week ending March 14, according to data from Nielsen. This may seem like a giant surge when compared with IRI data that shows retail meat sales increased 77% the week ending March 15. However, sales of meat alternatives were already up – in the week ending February 29, sales grew 158.3% over the previous year.
The plant-based retail market is currently worth $4.5 billion and is currently increasing at a rate five times faster than the total U.S. retail food sales.
Reverting to familiar foods
Alternatively, uncertain times could drive many consumers back to familiar eating patterns.
“Within the protein trend, the interest in faux meat will be one of the trends which COVID-19 will upend. It is clear from research that faux plant-based meats are consumed by meat eaters, not vegetarians, with curiosity being their driver. As sales numbers on these products continue to slide, COVID-19 will push meat eaters back to animal protein at an accelerated pace,” a report from think tank Culinary Tides predicts.
How one food startup is thinking their strategy
Clara Foods, a San Francisco-based startup that uses fermentation to create chicken-free egg whites, has put a stop to research efforts and delayed their search for retail partners. Previously, they had planned to debut an egg replacer to markets as early as 2021.
"Most companies, at least right now in this period of uncertainty, companies are definitely, I think, still in the process of putting out their fires," Arturo Elizondo, Clara Foods' CEO, said. "So there has been delays in terms of responses of being able to test products, test samples."
View our continuing coverage of the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic.
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