Protein Investment Continues Critical Innovation Role
Investor appetite for alternative proteins remains strong despite challenging macroeconomic and market conditions
Global alternative protein investment totals +$14 billion
Investor appetite for alternative proteins remains strong despite challenging macroeconomic and market conditions
Over the past decade, the alternative protein industry has seen rapid growth in investor interest, with a total of $14.2 billion invested globally. Despite a high variance, investment in alternative proteins has doubled on average year over year.
Amid challenging market conditions, alternative protein investment decelerated over the past year (alongside the 35% decline in overall global venture funding), decreasing from $5.1 billion in 2021 to $2.9 billion in 2022.
• Investments returned to pre-pandemic levels when capital nearly tripled between 2019 and 2020. Investment continued to surge in 2021 with record-breaking venture funding across most sectors.
• Even with this recalibration, 2022 investment still far surpasses the $1.1 billion raised in 2019, which is largely considered alternative proteins’ ‘breakout’ year.
• Investment deceleration could continue to impact the alternative protein industry in the coming years amid an uncertain market environment: a GFI-led survey of investors currently active in or entering alternative proteins showed that those who slowed their alternative protein investing in 2022 did so primarily due to broad market and economic conditions.
Investor optimism remains strong, with alternative proteins recognized as an increasingly important ESG industry.
• GFI’s survey of investors shows that 99% of respondents are optimistic about the long-term potential of the industry, and 87% expect to make investments in alternative protein companies or funds in 2023.
• ESG is important for 94% of the investors surveyed, with 72% deeming ESG "critical" or "very important." 80% of investors who invest on behalf of an ESG or impact fund shared that alternative proteins are part of their funds’ core mandates.
Nascent alternative protein industry offers ample untapped opportunities.
• “As companies continue to develop new technologies, as well as scale and optimize production to improve the taste and affordability of products, sales will accelerate and spur additional investment–particularly when macroeconomic and market conditions normalize.” — Sharyn Murray, GFI investor engagement manager.
• “Continued growth of the plant-based category will be enabled by innovation that results in appealing options. As consumers increasingly seek out alternative proteins for personal health and environmental reasons, winners will be created in the category and generate strong returns for investors.” — Alice Raksin, Vice President at L Catterton.
Impossible Beef Lite
All-New Impossible™ Beef Lite features 21g of protein with 75% less saturated fat and 45% less total fat than 90/10 lean beef from cows
California-based Impossible Foods expanded its industry-leading plant-based meat portfolio with a leaner version of its flagship Impossible™ Beef product: Impossible™ Beef Lite.
Impossible Beef Lite is designed to be better than lean ground animal beef, featuring 21g of protein, no trans fat or cholesterol, and 75% less saturated fat as well as 45% less total fat than 90/10 lean beef from cows.1 The nutrient-packed product is also a good source of fiber, iron, B vitamins, zinc, and potassium while featuring 33% less sodium than a competitor’s plant-based beef product.
Impossible Beef Lite tastes2, cooks and satisfies like lean ground animal beef, and makes for a flavorful, high-protein addition to numerous dishes like tacos, chilis, stir-frys, soups, and classic lasagna. And like all Impossible Beef products, Impossible Beef Lite is a better choice for the planet than lean ground beef from cows — amounting to a fraction of the land use, water consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions.3
The new plant-based beef offering complements the company’s existing Impossible Beef product, which is the #1 best-selling retail product across the entire US plant-based meat category in both dollar sales and volume, and is the best-selling product by volume of any plant-based meat brand in US food service. Impossible Beef already compares favorably to conventional 80/20 beef from cows in terms of nutrition — containing less total fat, less saturated fat, 0mg of cholesterol4, and additional nutrients like fiber and B vitamins.
1 Impossible Beef Lite has 75% less saturated fat and 45% less total fat (1g and 6g, respectively vs. 4.5g and 11g, respectively) than USDA 90/10 ground animal beef per 113g serving.
2 Based on a US National In-Home Use Test with 149 consumers in October 2022.
3 Impossible Foods Life Cycle Assessment of Original Impossible Beef, ISO compliant; WSP, 2022.
4 Impossible Beef has 40% less total fat and 33% less saturated fat (13g and 6g, respectively vs. 23g and 9g, respectively) than USDA 80/20 ground animal beef per 113g serving.
PERDUE Flavor-Infused Chicken & Chicken Plus Snackers
The launch is part of the brand’s continued focus on innovation which meets consumer need for new flavors during meal and snacking occasions
PERDUE® launched two new meal and snacking lines in its portfolio, PERDUE® Flavor-Infused Chicken and PERDUE® Chicken Plus Snackers. Both product lines were developed as part of Perdue’s continued focus on providing innovative, flavorful products that give consumers simple, high-quality, better-for-you options for meals and snacking occasions.
PERDUE® Flavor-Infused Chicken is versatile, and easily combined with other ingredients like pasta or rice and veggies to make a tasty dish in minutes with authentic flavors from around the globe. Flavor-Infused Chicken comes refrigerated and ready to heat and eat, is 100% natural, and minimally processed without artificial ingredients. The chickens are raised with no antibiotics ever. Perdue uses a "sous vide" cooking process to vacuum seal and slow-cook the chicken, resulting in tender, flavor-infused chicken fully cooked. The product is available in three varieties: Sesame Ginger, Green Chili, and Greek.
PERDUE® Chicken Plus Snackers are a bite-sized, pop-able snack designed to combine the crave-able flavors. This new Perdue Chicken product line is 100% natural, and minimally processed without artificial ingredients. And, our chickens are raised with no antibiotics ever. Featuring three iconic snacking flavors – Pizza, BBQ, and Firecracker – and a quarter cup of veggies and 9g of protein in every serving, PERDUE® Chicken Plus Snackers blend Perdue Chicken with real plants and vegetables.
Infinit Nutrition Javi Instant Protein Latte
The company's MUD protein coffee line updates its name and look, while maintaining a fan favorite recipe
INFINIT Nutrition, a brand operating in the personalized sports nutrition category, unveiled a new protein coffee drink mix called "Javi." The new product is a rebranding of one of the company's founding formulas, MUD, which has been a popular part of INFINIT's lineup since 2009.
The rebranding results from INFINIT's decision to update the cafe-inspired protein meal supplement formula. Part coffeehouse latte, part protein powder, the product name, MUD, has been redefined to the more representative "JAVI Instant Protein Latte."
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