From soy-based sausages to pea protein burgers, the plant-based category is booming. According to EU data, Europeans’ consumption of plant-based food increased 49% between 2018 and 2020.

At the same time, meat sales — particularly of chicken and poultry — are on the rise. This begs the question: are meat eaters truly satisfied by plant-based options on the market?

Industry experts at the recent Alt Protein Conference by Protein Directory and Cell Agri were unconvinced, making the case for plant-based and cell-cultured hybrid products to satisfy meat eaters’ cravings in the not-so-distant future.

“Hybrid products are coming,” Olivia de Talancé, COO at French cultivated meat start-up Vital Meat, told the event. Vital Meat is developing a cell-based chicken product, with plans to expand into duck, white fish, and pork in the future. 

For David Brandes, co-founder of Belgian cultured fat start-up Peace of Meat (acquired by Israel-based Meat-Tech 3D in 2020) combining plant proteins with cell-based ingredients makes for a ‘perfect match.’

Suggesting that cultured fat is the missing ingredient in current plant-based formulations, Brandes said cell-based fat ‘really drives the full animal-like taste’ and ‘satisfies cravings for meatiness.’ 

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