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Home » Diet » Accommodating the Flexitarian Diet – Progressive Grocer

In the fast-food world, McDonalds has said that it will test a plant-based burger called McPlant in key markets this year. This move follows successful plant-based rollouts from Burger King and Dunkin.

An emerging product segment that may pick up steam in 2021 is plant-based seafood, as this category is still relatively new but speaks to both health and sustainability concerns.

New York-based Gathered Foods is already seeing success with its Good Catch Plant-Based Tuna, now being sold in tuna aisles at 6,000 retail locations in the U.S. market.

While our target consumer is the flexitarian, weve seen great success with both natural food retailers and more conventional food stores, explains Christine Mei, CEO of Gathered Foods.

The company is now moving into new seafood categories, as it introduces New England Style Plant-Based Crab Cakes, Thai Style Plant-Based Fish Cakes and Classic Style Plant-Based Fish Burgers. Its frozen entres and appetizers are crafted from a proprietary six-legume blend (peas, chickpeas, lentils, soy, fava beans and navy beans) that provides plenty of protein and helps the company create a texture that mimics the flakiness of seafood, according to Mei.

Meanwhile, were starting to see plant-based meats marketed as ingredients, providing consumers the option to add more meat alternatives to their own recipes. In 2021, we expect to see a growing demand in the meat alternative space for flexible, convenient formats like crumbles and shredded meats, which lend themselves to a variety of uses in the kitchen, from stir-fries to sandwiches to tacos, observes Ana Ferrell, VP of marketing for Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), based in Chicago. In fact, our research finds that 41% of U.S. consumers are interested in trying alternative shredded and pulled meats.

In the alternative dairy category, Ferrell anticipates key growth in plant-forward cheeses, alternative dairy foods and beverages, and blended proteins such as almond and coconut drinks.

As an ingredient maker itself, ADM provides responsibly and sustainably sourced ingredients, including plant proteins with a clean taste and neutral flavor, according to Ferrell. She also notes that ADM is seeing a lot of potential in blending animal and plant proteins to develop more nutritious products.

While the future looks bright for plant-based foods, there may be a few hurdles to overcome. Dasha Shor, global food analyst and registered dietitian at Chicago-based market research firm Mintel, says that in her view, plant-based alternatives must address taste and texture to become more mainstream. The success of the meat alternatives comes from meeting consumer expectations for meatier flavor and texture profiles, she observes. However, manufacturers will be challenged by consumers about the high use of additives in meat substitutes in order to mimic the taste and texture of real meat. The next frontier of plant-based innovation is addressing consumers concerns around the level of processing, number of ingredients and overall healthfulness of plant-based meat substitutes.

In just one example of a supplier reformulating its products, Beyond Meat is launching new versions of its plant-based burger early this year. The El Segundo, Calif.-based company says that its two new iterations will feature lower saturated fat and overall fat, fewer calories, and B vitamins and minerals comparable to the micronutrient profile of beef.

Not surprisingly, retailers are capitalizing on product innovation by adding more plant-based products to their private label portfolios, which conveniently provide their shoppers more affordable options. Cincinnati-based Kroger took the lead by launching its own dedicated brand, Simple Truth, in 2019. Last October, the national retailer expanded the line to include an impressive 75-plus items, ranging from the Emerge Chickn line of patties and grinds to nondairy cheeses and oat milk ice cream.

Private label is presenting a sizable opportunity, affirms Emma Ignaszewski, corporate engagement specialist at The Good Food Institute (GFI), a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. At least 30% of consumers who tried new private label products during COVID-19 plan to stick with them.

Kroger has also been experimenting with merchandising strategies in the plant-based space. The retailer worked exclusively with PBFA in a three-month study that ran from December 2019 through February 2020 across 60 test stores in three states, in which Kroger placed plant-based meats in a dedicated 3-foot set within its meat departments. Across test stores, plant-based meat sales increased an average of 23% compared with the control group

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Accommodating the Flexitarian Diet - Progressive Grocer

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Home » Diet » Accommodating the Flexitarian Diet – Progressive Grocer