Meat, Poultry, & Seafood Alternatives: Plant-Based and Cell-Cultured Types, 3rd Edition

Report Overview

Plant-Based Meat: A Market in Flux

• The plant-based meat market, once a booming sector, has faced challenges in recent years.

This report examines the $1.4 billion US plant-based meat alternatives market, which is forecast to grow at an average annual rate of 2.4% through 2029. This Packaged Facts report also analyses the dynamics of the current landscape for cell-cultured meat alternatives.

Meat, Poultry, & Seafood Alternatives: Plant-Based and Cell-Cultured Types is the go-to source for a complete understanding of U.S. consumer trends regarding plant-based meat products and the future market for cell-cultured (or cultivated, lab-grown) meat. This report combines Packaged Facts’ extensive monitoring of the food and beverage market with proprietary surveys, and evaluates current trends and future directions for marketing and retailing, along with consumer patterns during the pandemic, during the inflation area, and across the broader food and beverage market.

This Packaged Facts report analyzes the dynamics of the current landscape of the plant-based meat market as well as plant-forward diets and eating philosophies. Consumers who eat plant-based meat, poultry, or seafood products and those who are open to trying cultivated meat products are examined. Trends including consumer usage of plant-based alternative products, reasons for diet and lifestyle choices, retail and restaurant trends, and the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects on consumers are also investigated.

Historical market size for the retail plant-based meat alternatives market is provided from 2018 through 2023. Forecasts for the plant-based meat market are provided from 2024 to 2029 and 2034. Numbers for the plant-based meat market include breakouts by meat type (beef, chicken, pork, seafood, turkey, fruit and vegetable non-analogs, non-specified meats, and other meat types), meat form, and storage method (refrigerated, frozen, or shelf-stable).

This report also provides foodservice market estimates for plant-based meat alternatives by meat type from 2018 to 2023 and forecasts from 2024 to 2029 and 2034.

Additionally, this report examines the uncertain landscape for cell-cultured (or cultivated, lab-grown) meat products.

The reasons for and implications of shifts in consumer perception and behavior are analyzed in the context of future market opportunities.

Major competitors in the plant-based meat alternatives space, funding for plant-based meat alternatives and cultivated meat companies, and development of ingredients and new products are examined.

The report has dozens of tables showcasing numerical survey data on consumer demographics and psychographics and numerous marketing photographs. This report goes in-depth on historical COVID-19 and inflation trends that have affected the food and beverage market.

For many years, concerns about health and the environment have led more consumers to plant-forward diets and plant-based meat alternatives to reduce meat intake. While some cease eating meats, dairy, or eggs, few consumers are willing to be so strict. Instead, a large group identify as flexitarian, meaning that they are reducing – but not eliminating – consumption of meat or other animal products in favor of plant-based foods.

Some of the top reasons that people are increasing intake of plant-based foods include:

• health concerns – many people think that products made from plants are healthier

• ethical/animal welfare concerns – ongoing publication of news stories about animal abuse and poor conditions at industrial farms is causing people to think more about where their food comes from and how it impacts the world

• environmental concerns – worry about climate change is leading consumers to question whether meat can be part of a sustainable diet

• seeking novelty – many consumers are curious about new products and are open to trying new foods

Many consumers are turning to plant-forward and plant-centric meals – including plant-based meat alternatives.

While some plant-based foods that are intended to imitate (or compete directly with) conventional meat or dairy products have historically been highly processed, an increasing number of products continue to be released with less processing and cleaner labels. This whole food image, where the plants take the lead rather than being hidden, particularly appeals to consumers who are changing their diets for health reasons.

Plant-based meat alternatives use plant proteins to attempt to replicate the flavors, functions, and/or textures of meat. These products’ naming and advertising conventions often incorporate terms such as:

• plant-based meat

• vegetarian/vegan meat

• meatless meat

• words that are clearly altered forms of the names of the meat products that they are imitating (e.g., chick’n, saus’ge)

Additionally, cell-cultured (or cultivated, lab-grown) meat products represent the next frontier of possibilities for meat alternatives. Two cultured chicken products were first approved for sale in the US in 2023.

Cell-cultured meat, poultry, and seafood products may go by many names in corporate and consumer culture, including “cultivated”, “cultured”, “lab-created”, “lab-grown”, “cell-based”, “slaughter-free”, “cruelty-free”, “clean”, “in vitro”, and “synthetic” meat.

Over the next decades, a large number of new meat products created from animal cells instead of slaughtered animals are expected to be released. A number of startups are developing these products, though there are many hurdles to overcome, particularly achieving economies of scale and being able to produce large-scale batches of product.

With a focus on “what’s next” and current consumer trends, Meat, Poultry, & Seafood Alternatives: Plant-Based and Cell-Cultured Types is packed with insights about consumer trends, behavior, and motivations to help food and beverage producers, retailers, packaging firms, employers, and investors gauge consumer perspectives and find areas for growth in a competitive market.

Meat, Poultry, & Seafood Alternatives: Plant-Based and Cell-Cultured Types delivers actionable predictions and recommendations designed to guide producers, retailers, and investors in making business decisions by providing data and insights about users of plant-based meat and consumer openness to cultivated meat products.

Report Methodology

The information contained in Meat, Poultry, & Seafood Alternatives: Plant-Based and Cell-Cultured Types was developed from primary and secondary research sources. Primary research includes interviews with food and beverage market experts; participation in and attendance at food industry events; and extensive internet canvassing.

Primary research also includes national online consumer polls of U.S. adult consumers (age 18+) conducted on an ongoing basis by Packaged Facts to analyze attitudes of consumers and their relevant food and beverage preferences.

Survey data from MRI-Simmons are used to analyze the demographics and psychographics of consumers.

Supplementing Packaged Facts’ exclusive surveys is analysis from the International Food Information Council Foundation’s (IFIC) 2024 Public Perceptions of Processed Foods Report and the 2024 Public Perceptions of Pesticide & Produce Consumption Report provide. These reports provide valuable insight into consumers’ perspectives on food purchasing decisions and diet and lifestyle choices. Additionally, IFIC’s 2023 Food and Health Survey is used to provide other useful information on consumer behavior.

Snacking Trends Are Important to Plant-Based Foods

Snacking trends can be pertinent to plant-based foods, including meat alternatives, because many people purchase packaged plant-based snack foods. Additionally, plant-based meat products and other plant-based snacks such as plant-forward crackers and popcorn are often consumed as snacks with a healthier perception than many other packaged snack foods (e.g., cookies or potato chips).

Changes to Snacking Habits in 2023

Packaged Facts’ May 2023 survey found that COVID-era habits of snacking more had dwindled. In fact, a greater number of consumers reported snacking less than they did pre-pandemic instead of more. For many consumers, snacking less may be a way to cut back on household expenses as inflation has increased prices for most household items. Consumers tend to consider packaged snack foods more expensive, discretionary purchases and tend to cut back on such products when economically stressed.

Despite Packaged Facts’ survey results showing decreased snacking activity, it is also worth noting that some people may snack more when they are cutting back on household expenses. For some, snacking throughout the day in place of meals may help them cut back on overall grocery expenditures.

Some people who consume plant-based products as a snack may decide to cut back to decrease spending. However, for many consumers, snacking is an essential part of their day; these individuals may be more likely to trade between items (e.g., eat fewer plant-based meat products and more conventional meat products, trade down to private label products in plant-based categories) than forego them altogether.