Key to industry growth lies in plant-based 'animal fats'

Food taste is one of the most important factors in ensuring consumer loyalty. Experts have clarified the category of meat substitutes. Indy Kaur, founder of Plant Futures, told FoodNavigator this week that the taste and feel of meat are also key to converting meat lovers.

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James Petrie, CEO and co-founder of Nourish Ingredients, said more than half (51,%) would never try plant-based food again because they didn't like the taste. He cited statistics from the Good Food Institute.

What Makes Meat Substitutes Taste Bland?

Petrie said that fats similar to animal fats were essential to creating a good experience. This was especially true for meat substitutes. He continued: “Food tastes great because of fat. It gives it that taste, texture and smell that people enjoy from dairy and protein.”

Coconut oil and palm oil are often used as substitutes for animal fats, although they do not perform as well.

Petrie, however, claimed to have identified the "most potent fats in meat and milk" using molecular dissection elsewhere in nature. Petrie said the process could be scaled up through fermentation to produce "climate-resilient and sustainable animal fatty acids."

Plant-derived oils could be used to reduce food prices or poverty by developing more affordable or accessible "hybrid" meats.

USDA data shows that U.S. beef inventories are down 56 pounds, or 2.1T, per capita, from 2023. That's contributing to higher prices.

Animal products that go further

The world's middle classes want to be able to enjoy the same food as the West, but the resources aren't there. [red meat] Petrie said that "more than half of consumers don't like the taste of foods made from plants."

Meat alternatives can be produced in larger quantities and more sustainably. They are also often cheaper. They could satisfy the demand for meat while reducing costs.

This theory also applies to dairy. We get direct questions from companies [who may be] 'We produce 3 billion slices of cheese, but the demand is 4 billion,'" Petrie said.

We're trying to expand the feed offering even further [using our technique] without sacrificing quality or consistency. You get a better return on investment and can produce more food that consumers want to eat."