Excellent article and well researched. Thanks. One tiny nit - I see this "plant based has higher sodium" argument made all over the place, but it's a comparison made to unsalted animal meat. Neither Impossible or beyond require additional salt when cooking, but I add ~1tsp of salt per lb of beef, which translates to ~600mg of sodium per 4oz serving, which is twice the difference. And food service burgers undoubtedly have an even greater amount of salt added.
Thx Vince- that’s a fair point! I will do some extra research on how much salt is normally added when cooking beef for more apple to apple comparison - if you have some good sources, let me know.
Hi Michal, thanks for this well-researched piece. Regardless of what happens to PBMA sales, the structural trend for meat consumption in developed markets is likely to continue downwards. This begs the question: if PBMA sales don't pick up to compensate, how will people replace the meat on their plates?
I think the answer could lie in thinking more imaginatively about whole foods - mushrooms, for example, can be cooked in a hundred different ways and can be the star of the show without having to create something artificially that looks like a burger or a sausage. Rethinking vegetable cookery might therefore be an alternative path to adopting plant-based meats, and this could lead to a huge opportunity for enterprising cooks and influencers.
Thx Liam - I agree those have a role to play and I am also excited about mushrooms in particular, both "whole foods" approach (just cooked properly) and used as a hero ingredient in modern 'meat alternatives' (see Fable, from our Better Bite portfolio, as an example).
Excellent article and well researched. Thanks. One tiny nit - I see this "plant based has higher sodium" argument made all over the place, but it's a comparison made to unsalted animal meat. Neither Impossible or beyond require additional salt when cooking, but I add ~1tsp of salt per lb of beef, which translates to ~600mg of sodium per 4oz serving, which is twice the difference. And food service burgers undoubtedly have an even greater amount of salt added.
Thx Vince- that’s a fair point! I will do some extra research on how much salt is normally added when cooking beef for more apple to apple comparison - if you have some good sources, let me know.
This is a great article. Thank you.
Thx Yimin!
Hi Michal, thanks for this well-researched piece. Regardless of what happens to PBMA sales, the structural trend for meat consumption in developed markets is likely to continue downwards. This begs the question: if PBMA sales don't pick up to compensate, how will people replace the meat on their plates?
I think the answer could lie in thinking more imaginatively about whole foods - mushrooms, for example, can be cooked in a hundred different ways and can be the star of the show without having to create something artificially that looks like a burger or a sausage. Rethinking vegetable cookery might therefore be an alternative path to adopting plant-based meats, and this could lead to a huge opportunity for enterprising cooks and influencers.
Thx Liam - I agree those have a role to play and I am also excited about mushrooms in particular, both "whole foods" approach (just cooked properly) and used as a hero ingredient in modern 'meat alternatives' (see Fable, from our Better Bite portfolio, as an example).
Very good analysis Michal. I like to think we're at the foot of that slope of enlightenment right now.
Me too Simon! Let’s see how coming 12-18 months will play out.
Excellent article Michal.
Thanks Russell