Sustainability writers warn us constantly that we’re headed for a plant-based food future. But for all the chatter, little progress has yet been made in phasing out animal protein. Plant protein enthus-iasts warn, the ‘Great Segue’ is going to take us by unpleasant surprise!
For all the media coverage the coming, inevitable segue from animal to plant protein is get-ting, consumers – and food producers – have not made sig-nificant inroads into supplying the immiment explosion in demand.
Unexpected numbers
The latest survey of world-wide plant protein consumption re-veals that such foods still make up only a tiny fraction of overall sales for protein for human con-sumption.
According to the latest report by Statista’s Market Insights, “plant-based meat substitutes accounted for a mere sliver of the U.S. meat market last year. Not counting insect-based meat alternatives or cultured, i.e. lab-grown meat, meat substitute sales amounted to (US)$1.4 billion in 2023, while sales of fresh and processed meat added up to almost (US)$124 billion.”
That’s less than 1.2 percent of the overall US meat market. An astonishingly small ‘slice’, as Statista puts it, of the overall meat ‘pie’.
Where do plant proteins rule?
Perhaps surprisingly, plant protein plays a leading role in only one major world culture. And it’s not China. Yes, Most Chinese eat rice up to three times a day, with every kind of accompaniment.
But rice not a not plant protein. Unless it’s paired with legumes such as lentils, beans or peas, to constitute a complete protein.
In fact, only about 9 percent of Chinese adults aged 18 – 64 consider themselves vegan or vegetarian. Even the US and UK come in at 10 percent vegetarian or vegan, each.
Many have dabbled…
… But few have yet made the monumental commitment to move altogether from meat to plant proteins.
The overall plant-based foods numbers paint a much brighter picture.
However, the great preponder-ance of plant-based products Americans are buying – 4 of the top 8 – are dairy replacements. Meat and seafood replacements come in at second place, but account for less than half the dollar-sales chalked up by plant-based milks.
‘Plant-based protein liquids and powders’ (usually consumed as part of nutritional supplementation or body building programs) land-ed smack in the middle of the list at just 1/3 of the plant-based meat and seafood total.
My take
Though awareness of plant-based foods is apparently high among Americans, there’s been no signi-ficant cultural shift toward the plant-based future just abut everybody now agrees is inevitable.
Like all such momentous such changes, it appears that most of us are waiting to make our personal move only when it becomes absolutely necessary. And that’s going to be a recipe for confusion, tem-porary shortages, increased diet-related health risks, disappointment and frustration…
~ Maggie J.