The Good Food Institute’s Post

The results of a recent study on ultra-processed foods published in The Lancet tell a very different story than the one consumers saw in its resulting headlines. As someone with a background in medical communications, where patient education and open science advocacy are critical, Good Food Institute Europe's digital communications manager Amy Williams was particularly frustrated with how things played out. She shares her thoughts in our latest Substack piece:

💡 In this blog series, experts from across our global network share their insights on how alternative protein companies can navigate the challenging path from concept to economies of scale. In part 1, The Good Food Institute APAC corporate engagement manager Jennifer Morton outlines four key questions every company in the alternative protein space should be asking themselves to achieve long-term success. Check it out:

Today, plant-based meats cost an average of 77% more than their conventional counterparts. There are myriad reasons for this, many of which are inherent in any nascent industry that is building an infrastructure from the ground up. Conventional meats are commodities that have been sold at a vast scale for more than a century through a well-established and robust supply chain, with the benefit of government subsidies. All of that keeps costs down. “Right now, plant-based meat products are not commodities, so that means that plant-based brands tend to sell lower volumes,” says GFI business analyst Daniel Gertner. A large-scale shift toward plant-based proteins would have major climate benefits, but prices need to come down if these products are going to reach mainstream markets. This is where public funding can help. “There’s no surprise that it’s not at price parity, when you certainly don’t have a level playing field on the government support,” says Andy Jarvis, director of Bezos Earth Fund. Around the world, more leaders have begun to recognize the potential for alt proteins to support their climate, economic, and food security goals — but far more investment is needed to unlock the full extent of these benefits. Check out our latest State of Global Policy report for more on the investment, support, and regulation enacted across the globe: https://bit.ly/3rqzuGD

Are you in the scientific research community? Check out our brand new newsletter, The Grazer, for updates on alternative protein research, funding, resources, and events delivered to your inbox every other month. Subscribe now: https://bit.ly/4c5H1wL

In July, GFI will host a webinar to discuss key data from our 2023 U.S. foodservice report and feature a panel of experts to answer your most pressing foodservice questions. Have questions for our panel? Submit them here: https://bit.ly/3VxrKOi 📒 Check out the report 👉 https://bit.ly/4cBguqY

👩🍳 Join GFI retail and foodservice lead Marika Azoff at the American Culinary Federation National Convention July 14-17 in Phoenix, Arizona. Register → https://bit.ly/3KUQf2V Marika will facilitate a panel discussion titled "Beyond the Burger: The Next Generation of Alternative Protein Innovation," looking at how alternative proteins can support chefs’ culinary pursuits and their business while feeding a growing population—deliciously, nutritiously, and sustainably. Check out our hot-off-press 2023 US Foodservice report for a deeper look at the plant-based foodservice landscape → https://bit.ly/3KUdXw8

💡 GFI's solutions database is an ever-evolving resource for anyone interested in alt protein industry opportunities. Check out the latest additions below ⤵️ 👅 Catalog of animal meat flavors: https://bit.ly/4esUK2b 🍔 Hybrid products to optimize nutrition, taste, cost, and sustainability: https://bit.ly/3z8aOq2 🐠 Cell line development from food-relevant aquatic species: https://bit.ly/3KOOvZ2 Our solutions database is a place to discover ideas for new startups, commercial ventures and products, research projects, ecosystem support, and investment opportunities for plant-based, cultivated, and fermentation-derived proteins. Explore the full database here: https://bit.ly/3Rw93cF

🌈 Check out the highlights from a busy, high-impact month for #altprotein innovation and progress along with many opportunities to engage with the alternative protein community! Take a look ⤵

"When he first read the paper’s title, [Gunter Kuhnle, a nutritional epidemiologist] assumed it referred to plant-based meat alternatives, plant-based drinks or plant-based milks—in other words, only the replacements for animal-derived products. 'Reading the paper, it became pretty obvious that it was not that,' he says." Great piece in Scientific American unpacking the issues with a recent study on ultra-processed foods and misleading headlines that followed: