I’m starting to think that the plant-based meat alternatives put out by Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat are the Scrub Daddys of the foodservice industry. Who would have thought they would catch on as quickly and as completely as they did? They are still in the introduction phase of their product lifecycle and already national chains are putting out press releases nearly daily with Impossible or Beyond menu launches.
It began with full-on burger sandwich offerings from early adopters White Castle and Fatburger followed by the likes of TGI Friday, Burger King, Hard Rock Café, Cheesecake Factory, Carl’s Jr. and Red Robin, to name a few. But it’s jumped from burger sandwiches to use as a plant-based meat replacement ingredient in tacos (Qdoba and Del Taco), as a pizza topping (Little Caesars, Oath Pizza) and flatbread (Courtyard by Marriott). And it’s also made the leap away from beef substitute to sausage substitute at Veggie Grill and at Tim Horton’s in Canada. Don’t blink or you’ll miss the big hop to chicken. KFC is testing and evaluating Beyond Fried Chicken.
Plant-based protein shipments from foodservice broadline distributors increased 18% in the past year—up from 17% the previous year, according to NPD Group.
In the beginning, I was positive the bottom would drop out of this flash movement. Nothing is that wildly successful overnight. OK, Scrub Daddy was with the help of Shark Tank investor Lori Greiner. Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat have also received heavy investment. So I’ve wondered if that’s what is behind their success.
But no, I’d say these products rose up at the perfect time, or else they created the perfect time to focus on plant-based proteins for environmental causes. Nearly half (49%) of GenZs (ages 12 to 24) are trying to add more plant-based foods into their diet compared to 33% of Baby Boomers, according to Mintel’s Plant-based Proteins—US, May 2019 report. Also, 45% of consumers believe that plant-based protein is healthier than animal protein.
But I’m still not ready to concede that these Impossible and Beyond products have staying power. Some factor could arise to change everything.
I remember a few decades ago when consumers suddenly started clamoring for organic produce. The national produce suppliers couldn’t change their fields fast enough to satisfy the cries. And in the twinkle of an eye, consumer sentiment jumped from organic to local. This came about so completely that without a thought, consumers would have answered “yes” to the question, “Is local produce healthier than produce shipped from far away?” This shifting consumer sentiment left national growers who were in the midst of changing out fields to organic standing with their jaws dropped.
Could an ethos arise that would change everything for these plant-based protein brands? When I read an article about how highly processed these products are, I held my breath. Could that become the game changer? Is some group or prominent publication or news magazine TV program going to discuss the myriad of ingredients in these things and compare that with whole foods? Whole foods (not the retailer), after all, is a movement itself. Are there artificial ingredients in these plant-based proteins? Because if so and someone jumps onto that, there are 33% of consumers who say the food claim free of artificial ingredients is important to them.
Amidst the shifting sands of consumer sentiment, we shall see how far these plant-based proteins go in their presently positive lifecycle.
Tell me what you think.
Jody
