Grocery store popularity of alternative meat—like veggie burgers and
plant-based proteins—has skyrocketed amid the pandemic in the U.S. with
sales about doubling for top brands since President Trump declared a
state of emergency on March 13; experts attribute this to consumers’
desire for sustainable and healthy food—compounded by meat facility
closures and supply chain disruption.
KEY FACTS
Nielsen
reported
that fresh meat alternative sales increased 255% in the last week of
March (compared to the same week in 2019), fully outpacing the growth of
meat sales, which increased 53% over the same period.
“The crisis has encouraged a sense of new product discovery in this category,” Jaime Athos, Tofurky CEO told Forbes.
“Consumer awareness of the positive social and environmental impacts of
plant-based proteins are continuing to grow...compounded more recently
by the closure of meat production facilities and supply chain
disruptions.”
Conagra’s Gardein—which makes fish, chicken, beef and fish alternatives—told Forbes that sales increased by 65% from March 13 to April 19 compared the same period in 2019.
Tofurky, which sells 35 different plant-based alternative meat products said to Forbes
that sales have increased 40% in the last twelve weeks, with the sale
of its plant-based ham growing 631% compared to the same period last
year.
Kellogg’s plant-based meat brand MorningStar Farms reported to Forbes a 66% increase in March sales, driven by frozen vegetable proteins.
38% of Gardein buyers were first-time customers, which Conagra’s Senior Vice President of Demand Sciences Bob Nolan told Forbes reflects the growing interest in plant-based proteins.
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