Insights and opportunities in whole-cut meat alternatives

Advancements in whole-cut meat alternatives may attract consumers and expand occasions

Whole cuts are among the most popular meat products. In a survey of U.S. consumers aged 18-59, among those who had eaten conventional meat in the past year, nearly seventy percent self-reported regularly eating whole-cut meat like steaks, chicken breast and thighs, filets of salmon, and pork chops. By contrast, around fifty percent of participants said they regularly eat ground meats, deli slices, sausages, patties, or nuggets and tenders. 

American meat consumption relies heavily on whole cuts like steak and chicken breast, but this category is almost entirely unaddressed by plant-based and fermentation-enabled meat. Additional investments and innovations enabling plant-based and fermentation-enabled whole cuts to compete with conventional whole cuts on taste, texture, functionality, and price can open new opportunities for alternative protein companies to engage consumers by more fully addressing their preferences and needs. 

If plant-based and fermentation-enabled steaks can achieve the rich flavor, juiciness, and texture consumers associate with steak, for example—indulgence with less saturated fat, cholesterol, and environmental impact—the category could attract new consumers and expand into new eating occasions to unlock a segment of the conventional meat market underserved by alternative protein products.