Top Ten Alternative Protein conversations by leading industry voices. Aug. 2020 – Jan. 2021.

Trends in conversations between food production industry leaders suggest that B2B communications are likely to gain more traction with an emphasis on helping downstream companies navigate the relatively new sector.

As Bader Rutter’s Intel Distillery team ranked and analyzed conversations between influential voices in the industry, several themes emerged in the alternative protein space over the past six months. In particular, there appear to be opportunities in product development and navigation of the incoming administration’s policies.

Innovation climbed to the top spot in discussions as processors announced new products, production techniques and partnerships. In January alone, researchers at McMaster University developed a new method for stacking sheets of cultured muscle and fat cells; PepsiCo and Beyond Meat established The PLANeT Partnership to develop new plant-based snack foods; and equipment maker Bühler partnered with German Institute of Food Technologies to design extruders specifically for plant-based proteins.

Policy continues to hold a high priority in discussion of the alternative protein sector. With the Biden administration just beginning its term, we expect the topic to remain top of mind for industry leaders.

While investment still draws attention, the proportion of conversations around the topic has fallen over the course of the past six months. Interest in the topic peaked over the summer, when venture capital funds for the sector contrasted with pandemic-related difficulties for traditional protein.

This content was developed in partnership with Alt-Meat, a multimedia brand covering a myriad of topics in the meat alternatives market from a business point of view. For more information, visit Alt-Meat.net.