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July 2020
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NEWS FROM THE FRONTIER
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Dear friends – As we observe how market pressures are shifting in the age of COVID-19, it's encouraging to see continued product launches, partnerships and investment in alternative proteins around the world.
Several new plant-based meat offerings hit retailers and restaurant chains down under this past month, with a smart partnership bringing plant-based options to home delivery, and even convenience stores launching plant-based grab-and-go items. Smart Company explored this activity in light of COVID-19, with insights from Fable Food Co. and v2food.
In China, growing interest in plant-based meat amongst the world’s largest consumer market has led to more fast food outlets trialling plant-based offerings, homegrown companies launching unique products for local tastes and a new incubator for Chinese start-ups.
Read on to discover the latest in alternative proteins at home and abroad.
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Food Frontier CEO Thomas King delivered a virtual keynote presentation for the Australian Institute of Food Science & Technology (AIFST) conference on the latest trends and opportunities in alternative proteins locally and globally.
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DEVELOPMENTS DOWN UNDER
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Kiwi company Sunfed Meats launched their much anticipated Boar Free Bacon in New Zealand grocery stores, as well as partnered with Mad Mex Fresh Mexican to offer NZ diners a plant-based meat alternative with their Chicken Free Chicken.
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To mark World Meat Free Week, v2food partnered with Deliveroo and 70 Australian restaurants to offer plant-based versions of menu classics, as well as gifting samples of v2mince and v2burgers with select orders.
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Australian start-up Fable Food Co landed their mushroom-based “braised beef” product in 600 Woolworths stores across the country.
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Aussie convenience store 7-Eleven launched a range of plant-based grab-and-go menu items, including sandwiches, pies and sausage rolls.
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Source: Sunfed Meats
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GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
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Zhenmeat, a China-based start-up creating plant-based meats that cater to local tastes, launched a pork tenderloin alternative that will be available at Sichuan hotpot restaurants across China, as well as a crayfish alternative.
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Select KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell locations across mainland China introduced the Beyond Burger as a limited-time menu offering, marking Beyond Meat’s continued expansion in the Chinese market.
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Spurred by an "epiphany moment" on the potential environmental impact of generating mass interest in plant-based proteins in China, investor Tao Zhang created an incubator for Chinese plant-based start-ups and is hoping to finalise its first cohort by the end of July.
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As consumer habits shifted towards purchasing food online during COVID-19 lockdowns, Impossible Foods launched direct-to-consumer sales in the U.S.
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Source: Zhenmeat
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WHY ALTERNATIVE PROTEINS?
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A new report from the UN has identified seven trends driving the increasing global emergence of zoonotic disease – diseases originating in animals that are passed on to humans – and outlines ten policy recommendations for national governments and businesses to reduce and prevent further zoonotic outbreaks in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the launch of the report, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for a framework to protect and sustainably use biodiversity, saying: “To prevent future outbreaks, countries need to conserve wild habitats, promote sustainable agriculture, strengthen food safety standards, monitor and regulate food markets, invest in technology to identify risks, and
curb the illegal trade in wildlife.”
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Source: Getty Images
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We hope you remain inspired and well in these challenging times, and we thank you for your continued support. As always, please send us any ideas or feedback.
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