Taking the ‘meat’ out of meat alternatives: Plant-based goes beyond

Summary of plant-based’s shiftPlant-based alternatives are moving beyond mimicking meatBeyond Meat, This and Moving Mountains have all released products that don’t replicate meat The drive for this comes from a consumer desire for clean labelMany consumers want products containing whole foodsFurthermore, foods high in nutrients like protein are popularPlant-based meat substitutes were initially conceived as direct alternatives to specific meat products.

Their development came at a time when vegan whole foods had failed to catch on with consumers, explained Claire Ogley of the Vegan Society at a panel recently.

The creation of vegan versions of sausages and burgers was a way to give consumers what they wanted, in a meat-free form.

Now, things are changing. As meat alternatives are increasingly viewed as ultra-processed, consumers are becoming more focused on functional ingredients and health.

In response, several key plant-based companies have developed products that do not explicitly replicate meat products.

The company This has developed a superfood product, Beyond Meat has recently announced its high protein Beyond Ground, and Moving Mountains has even released an old-fashioned falafel.

By responding to current trends, the plant-based sector aims to move with the times, instead of being left behind.

Plant-based, but not meatThe idea of a plant-based meat substitute not explicitly mimicking meat is, of course, not new.

Products like tofu, tempeh and seitan have been used for centuries, often taking the place of meat in a variety of dishes.

But now key plant-based meat companies are coming up with their own substitutes that shed straight-up meat mimicry for something new.

For example, the company This, whose product names normally begin with ‘This isn’t’ followed by the name of meat they are mimicking (This isn’t chicken, This isn’t bacon etc.) have released a new product: This is super superfood (my italics). This will be the first in a new ‘This is’ range.

The new product aims to involve consumers who have a desire for clean-label food.

The product does not have any additives, according to This, even common plant-based meat ingredients such as methylcellulose.

It also includes a range of whole food ingredients such as seeds, vegetables, spinach and dried shiitake mushrooms.

Existing alternatives such as tofu have a good health halo, explains Sardha Super, technical project manager at This, but a lot of consumers find it quite bland. With its superfood, This aims to solve the problem.

Moving Mountains has also released a ‘superfood’ range, which includes a crispy burger and falafel.

The range is a direct response to the brand’s conversations with consumers, which have revealed a desire for more whole foods. As a mirror to this, many are sceptical about processing and desire clean-label products.

Consumers want ingredients, now One of the key drivers behind this trend is that consumers are keen to find foods high in certain nutrients, such as protein and fibre.

Beyond Meat’s new product, Beyond Ground, specifically aims to address the popularity of such nutrients. The product does not explicitly seek to mimic meat; its main goal is to deliver protein to consumers.

According to Beyond Meat, the product has 27g of protein and 4g of fibre per serving.

It also has a short ingredients list, with only four ingredients – fava beans, potato protein, water, and psyllium husk – aligning with consumer desire for clean-label products.

Furthermore, the announcement of the product comes in line with Beyond Meat’s coming rebrand. The company aims to phase out the use of the word ‘Meat’ in its name, ending up as just Beyond.

Much like Beyond Ground, This’s superfood product aims to deliver protein to consumers. According to the company, it contains 18g of protein per 100g, which is 30% more than tofu.

Moving Mountains superfood range also focuses on packing in a wide range of vitamins and minerals, including zinc, magnesium, iron, and vitamin E.