Jan 11, 2020

The next frontier for plant-based meat

Illustration of a pattern made out of burger patties with a hand and spatula flipping one.

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

After conquering the plant-based burger, fake meat startups are focusing on perfecting other meat alternatives.

Driving the news: Impossible Foods is now out with Impossible Pork. The company distributed samples at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, and tasters said it closely mimicked real pork, Vox reports.

  • If plant-based pork takes off, it could turn into a windfall for fake meat companies. Pork is the most popular meat, accounting for 36% of the world's meat consumption, per Vox.
  • Fake pork could also be meat alternative companies' ticket to the lucrative Chinese market, where pork is especially popular but prices are soaring due to African swine fever and a trade-war-induced shortage of soybeans (feed for pigs).

Go deeper: U.S. fake meat industry vies for China market

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