The Good Food Institute’s Post

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

Want to build a career in alternative proteins? We recently held a webinar full of info on how to do just that! Watch the recording: https://bit.ly/3xlEakk At this event, GFI’s academic community specialist Asia Sheehab was joined by food scientics Dr. Minami Ogawa who shared her unique journey into entrepreneurship and her innovative research on edible microcarriers for cultivated meat production.

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

"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:

New on our Substack: GFI’s legislative director Pepin Tuma sat down with Justin Kolbeck, a former U.S. Foreign Service Officer who founded cultivated seafood startup Wildtype, for an in-depth discussion about the connection between food security and national security and the potential for cultivated meat + seafood to enhance both. "The United States has long been the world leader in agriculture research, including cultivated meat breakthroughs, yet we are at risk of falling behind without substantial investment and governmental support." Check it out: https://lnkd.in/ePWwqugU

After closing an over $11 million Series A funding round, Tender Food is scaling up their patented manufacturing technology that spins plant fibers into whole cuts of meat. Founded by Harvard engineers, Tender Food aims to become a manufacturing platform for other #alternativeprotein companies to unlock significant cost savings and fuel overall growth of the plant-based industry, notes co-founder and CEO Christophe Chantre. "Our technology allows us to create healthy products that taste great, have the structure and feel of animal meat, and are much cheaper to produce,” says Chantre. Dig in → https://bit.ly/45zQdHf