Herbal meat sizzles like a potentially juicy affair, World News & Top Stories



[ad_1]

NEW YORK • Herbal meats are selling well in supermarkets and are becoming a flagship product for fast food chains, industrial agri-food companies and Wall Street investors.

JPMorgan Chase estimated that the plant-based meat market could easily exceed 100 billion US dollars (136 billion Singapore dollars) in 15 years.

Barclays says the "alternative meat" market could account for about 10% of all global meat sales, up to 140 billion US dollars in 10 years.

Among the major restaurant chains, Burger King has been testing a vegetarian version of its flagship product, Whopper, since April. McDonald's has unveiled a meatless hamburger in Germany and KFC is exploring meatless options for its menu.

Alternatives to meat are not new, but start-ups and other growing players have taken advantage of new technologies to more fully simulate the taste and texture of genuine meat.

At the same time, more and more consumers are opting for herbal products to protect the environment, the welfare of animals or for health reasons.

The best-known new companies – Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat – sometimes struggle to meet the growing demand for their products, even though Wall Street had bet on their potential.

On its first day on Wall Street as a publicly traded company, Beyond Meat jumped 163%, ending the session at 65.75 USD.

According to The Food Institute, sales of substitute meat jumped 23% last year in the United States.

Yet this represents only 1% of the total meat market, which is well below the 13% of milk represented by sources other than dairy products such as soy, almonds and coconut.

Since then, equities have more than doubled to $ 139.13 at the end of last Friday's session, a staggering 39.4% increase after the company announced sales growth. 140%.

Impossible Foods, whose Impossible Burger is sold in more than 7,000 restaurants in the United States and Asia, recently raised $ 300 million in a round of financing valuing the company at $ 2 billion.

Among large food companies, the Swiss giant Nestlé launched its "Incredible Burger" in Europe in April. The hamburger is made from soy, wheat and beet extracts and other herbs.

In the fall, Nestlé plans to offer a Sweet Earth sweet pea vegetarian hamburger in the United States.

The Anglo-Dutch company Unilever bought Vegetarian Butcher last year, which aims to become the "biggest butcher in the world" with herbal meat.

The American company Kellogg has been present in substitute meats since the 1970s via Morningstar Farms. Although the brand has not seen the same recent gains as its more recent competitors, it remains the largest producer in the United States.

The Brazilian giant JBS, which launches a vegetarian hamburger on its national market, and Tyson Foods, a punctual investor of Beyond Meat, is planning its own herbal product.

According to The Food Institute, sales of substitute meat jumped 23% last year in the United States.

Yet this represents only 1% of the total meat market, which is well below the 13% of milk represented by sources other than dairy products such as soy, almonds and coconut.

Despite the strong potential, badysts caution against losing sight of some of the uncertainties facing the industry. "There are risk factors to consider, such as alternative meat products being less healthy than what is claimed due to additives that may appeal to customers," said the Barclays note.

Barclays also referred to "potential regulatory restrictions" until marketing.

For example, farmer groups have been lobbying Washington to limit the term "meat" to animal products. In addition, there is always a risk that emerging corporate stars will be spoiled by a recall, said JPMorgan.

And the impact of the mistakes could be amplified by the growing presence of larger and more diversified companies that are entering the market. Clbadic businesses also have sophisticated supply chains and easy access to capital.

FRANCE MEDIA AGENCY

[ad_2]
Source link