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healthier, more delicious options. They also
want to understand what they are eating and
the impact it has on their environment.
" And it's not only vegans who are driving
the growth in this space, " Curtin said. " Our
research shows that 93% of people coming into
this category are flexitarians. We are seeing
more and more people interested in a balanced
diet that includes both animal protein products
and plant-based protein products. "
The challenge - and the opportunity - is to
focus on improving their nutritional value. High
protein, low sodium and improved fat profiles
are the new frontiers.
CLAIMS TO FAME
Advancements in ingredient technology
and processing are fueling meat-alternative
innovation. Whereas early entries into
the plant-based meat space may have
disappointed meat-loving consumers, the
next generation of products are doing a
much better job of delivering on sensory
expectations. They have also progressed into
providing value-added propositions to better
connect with today's health-, wellness- and
sustainability-conscious consumers.
Formulators are avoiding the long
ingredient labels and oftentimes unappealing
Nutrition Facts that some of the original
plant-based meat manufacturers had been
scrutinized for in recent years. Clean and
simple is the future in this space. Marketers are
using labels to call out how their products are
different from the competition.
" Label claims are valuable real estate on
the products, " said Scott Dicker, market data
analyst, SPINS, Chicago.
The fastest-growing label claim in the
plant-based meat space is " sprouted/pastured, "
which is valued at $20 million, for the 52
weeks ended April 18, 2021, according to
SPINS analysis of IRI data. This is an increase
of 37% from the previous year. Non-GMO is
the most popular label claim ($884 million,
+28%), followed by vegan ($838 million, +26%),
organic ingredients ($306 million, +18%) and
allergen friendly ($7 million, +17%).
" While labeling allergen friendly is very
small, we expect that to be a driver going
forward as the category evolves, " Dicker said.
When it comes to allergies, a growing
number of formulators are avoiding wheat
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ingredients in order to make such a claim,
according to Dicker. A key " additive "
ingredient trend, however, is including enough
protein to have parity with animal versions.
SPINS data show that high-protein (more than
10 grams per serving) products are growing
at double the rate of products with less than
10 grams of protein per serving. Overall,
there's a lot of room for improvement in
terms of nutritional value and product quality.
Marketers are up to the challenge.
RECENT PRODUCT INNOVATIONS
Greenleaf Foods, a Maple Leaf Foods
subsidiary, used the pandemic as a time to
reboot its Lightlife brand by removing all
unnecessary ingredients in order to provide
consumers some of the cleanest meat
alternatives in the marketplace. Ingredients
removed include carrageenan, maltodextrin
and eggs.
" Reformulating an already-celebrated
product using fewer ingredients - yet
improving the quality and taste - is far more
difficult than creating a brand-new item from
scratch, " said Jitendra Sagili, chief research
and development and food technology
officer at Greenleaf Foods. " We've done a
considerable amount of consumer testing
that shows the taste, texture and nutrition
all outperform previous versions of these
Lightlife products. "
Greenleaf Foods also introduced a range
of new products, including the Field Roast
Signature Stadium Dog, which is the first pea
protein-based hot dog in North America. It is
double smoked using maple hardwood chips
and a combination of steam and dry heat. The
Greenleaf Foods offers
a variety of plantbased
products under
its Lightlife brand.
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