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plant-based burgers for a suggested $10.99, significantly less than
other plant-based options on the market and comparable to real-meat
products.
" Some plant-based products are quite expensive and difficult for the
average consumer to purchase regularly, " he said. " Our 8-pack you can
buy once a week instead of once a month. It's a similar price as meat,
not 50% more. Sales have been fantastic. "
Generational differences will play a big role in determining future
demand for plant-based, O'Malley said. Today, the groups with the
largest purchasing power, boomers and Gen Xers, list health concerns
as their No. 1 reason for switching from real meat to plant-based meat.
Millennials and Gen Zers, by contrast, are more concerned about the
health of the planet and animal welfare.
Plant-based products are often criticized for having long ingredient
labels. While O'Malley said that's in some ways endemic to the process
of making plant-based, the industry is making gains.
" We're making a product out of plants that mimics animal-based
proteins, and you can't do it without science, manufacturing and
processing, " he said. " There's no easy way to get around it, and there's
always a balance. We all do the best we can to create products that are
healthy, as clean and natural as we can. "
He added, though, that while arguing about the length of ingredient
labels, it's easy to forget one of the plant-based industry's central selling
points: the industry's argument that plant-based proteins are healthier
and better for the environment than animal proteins.
The plant-forward option
In July, Hatfield, Pa.-based Clemens Food Group announced it was
entering the plant-forward protein segment with the launch of its
Hatfield Recipe Essentials Blended products, which are 75% pork, 25%
mushrooms.
The 14-ounce package is available in two flavors: Unseasoned
Ground Pork with Mushrooms and Mild Taco Seasoned Ground Pork
with Mushrooms.
Michele Williams, Clemens' senior retail marketing manager, said that
plant-forward is in high demand these days, in retail and foodservice,
and especially among younger consumers who are seeking balanced,
clean-label products.
Ground meat in general is a growing segment, and Clemens' is the
first blended product in the ground pork segment that meets that need,
Williams said. Not only that, it's also minimally processed.
" This is a plant-forward product, not a plant-based product. It has
fewer than five ingredients. Our Recipe Essentials line seemed like
the perfect match. When we decided to launch, and call it Hatfield
Recipe Essentials Blended, 84% of people we surveyed said they would
purchase the product. "
The line already offers great convenience, Williams added. Clemens
decided to take it a step further with a plant-forward option.
The feedback the company is getting from consumers is mainly
based on taste, she added. People are raving about the flavor that
comes through, and that they can't even tell that mushrooms are in
it. Consumers are concerned about what's in their food and, more
importantly, what's not in their food. " Five ingredients or less " is really
driving that demand, Williams said.
Beyond Meat expands distribution of plant-based sausage
El Segundo, Calif.-based Beyond Meat, Inc. is expanding distribution of
its new Beyond Breakfast Sausage Links into Canada.
Now available in retailers across the country, this marks Beyond
Meat's entry into the Canadian retail breakfast category.
Beyond Breakfast Sausage Links are crafted to deliver the craveable
flavor and juicy texture of traditional breakfast sausage, while offering
12g of protein per serving and 35% less sodium than the leading brand
of pork sausage, according to the company.
Beyond Breakfast Sausage Links are made of simple, plant-based
ingredients like peas and rice, with no GMOs, soy, gluten, antibiotics,
hormones or cholesterol.
As part of the Canadian rollout, Beyond Meat has launched Sleep for
Sausage, a nationwide campaign that will reward Canadians for getting a
good night's sleep with free Beyond Breakfast Sausage Links (studies have
linked eating a good breakfast with better sleep habits). Fans can receive
one Beyond Breakfast Sausage Link for every hour of sleep they clock.
supermarketperimeter.com
NOVEMBER 2021 - 39
" With plant-based,
there's often a long list of
ingredients. We also see
our consumers gravitating
to the claims we put on
our labels. We're seeing a high propensity for all-natural, no
hormones and other claims. "
When it comes to packaging, a tray pack with plastic covering it has
long been the standard for ground meat. But with the pandemic, much
of that changed, Williams said. People switch to Cryovac and sealed,
something Clemens had already been doing for a long time.
" It was no different with our blended product, " she said. " It's a
convenient, presealed package, a perfect size for one or many, a space
saver in the fridge or freezer. More companies are going that route and
more consumers are open to it. You don't have to worry about where it
came from. You know it's coming from the manufacturer. "
MVDIDUK - STOCK.ADOBE.COM, BEFORE THE BUTCHER, CLEMENS FOOD GROUP, BEYOND MEAT, INC.
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Supermarket Perimeter - November 2021

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