A new report by Markets and Markets states that the plant-based meat market is projected to reach USD 8.3 billion by 2025, recording a CAGR of 14.0% in terms of value. It is currently estimated to be valued at USD 4.3 billion.
Growing vegan and flexitarian populations across the world, rising awareness about the health benefits offered by plant-based meat over animal meat, and growth in government initiatives along with significant investments are driving the global plant-based meat market.
According to the study, the soy segment accounted for the largest share in the plant-based meat market. Soy serves as an alternative to meat sources such as pork, beef, and chicken, owing to its high protein content. Traditionally, the consumption of soy and soy products is associated with the Asian population. However, the consumption of soy foods has recently risen in Western countries, owing to the increase in the adoption of vegetarian diets. Soy-based foods are cholesterol-free against animal protein foods and serve as a source of fibres, vitamins, and other essential nutrients. Plant-based meat producers are increasingly incorporating soy to make products such as burgers, meatballs, and sausages.
The chicken segment accounted for a significant share in the plant-based meat market. Based on type, chicken accounted for the second-largest dominating segment in the plant-based meat market. Various strips, nuggets, and burgers contain chicken meat as their major ingredient. The products developed by many food companies thus offer plant-based chicken in various forms such as strips, nuggets, cutlets, and burger patties, which is leading to the rising demand for plant-based chicken meat. The strips & nuggets segment is projected to grow at a significant growth rate in the plant-based meat market during the forecast period.
By product, the plant-based meat market is segmented into burger patties, strips & nuggets, sausages, meatballs, and other products such as slices, fillets, cutlets, slides, fingers, and crumbles. They are a healthier alternative to meat and are environmentally more sustainable, which is why more food manufacturers are developing plant-based meat products. Several start-ups are going mainstream with the launch of plant-based burgers, nuggets, sausage, meatballs, and other products.
The North American region is the fastest growing region in the global plant-based meat market. For American consumers, meat is a very prominent part of their diets. However, as many researches highlighted the health risks related to the consumption of red meat, consumers are increasingly shifting toward plant-based diets as they are a healthier option as compared to animal meat. Furthermore, Consumers in the region are adopting a flexitarian lifestyle and are incorporating plant-based foods in their daily routine diets. Along with this, the trend of veganism is gaining momentum in the region, which is further contributing to the growth of the plant-based meat market. Governments are also investing heavily in the plant-based protein industry, as there is a rise of vegan and vegetarian eating.
