CNBC recently published a list of projected foods that both sales and market research shows more people will be eating in 2018. Topping this list is ‘vegetable protein,’ with an emphasis on vegan meat products that look, taste, and sometimes even bleed like traditional animal products.
Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods stand out amongst these vegetable proteins — and are mentioned by name in the article — having both had an extraordinary year. That being said there are others like Memphis Meats, a company working on “clean meat,” and Gardein, which sells affordable vegan meats all over the country, that also deserve recognition.
CNBC writes with a sense of enthusiasm about a product that not too long ago was seen as niche. “Vegetable protein no longer means dry, tasteless “meat” patties and reconstituted tofu. These innovative products are made with plants but “bleed” just like real meat with the help of beet juice.”
What will make the difference for 2018, people argue, is that these plant based meats taste better to the masses, where they haven’t in the past.
It’s not just the projections of vegetable proteins that are looking good. The numbers themselves tell the entire story. Epic Burger, which began stocking the Beyond Burgers, reported incredible sales of the new product. “In the first three months, we’ve sold more than 20,000 Beyond Burgers which equates to about 10 percent of burger/sandwich sales and is exceeding our sales expectations,” David Friedman, CEO of Epic Burger, said in November.
2017 saw veganism taking a permanent spot in mainstream culture, making 2018 a year of great possibility for vegan and plant based foods.
