Consumers’ concerns over “green” issues also rose sharply. Upcycling, organics, sustainability, corporate responsibility, and living wages reached enough of a tipping point in the consumer zeitgeist where the Hartman Group termed sustainability and company responsibility a “business imperative.”

Nearly every Old World cuisine holds the keys to building flavor, not only through indigenous ingredients but also through its cooking techniques. While batch production often necessitates shortcuts, it is possible to lose sight of the fundamentals that make culinary creation worthwhile. Fortunately, there is something of a revival happening in which even larger prepared food makers are reintroducing those basics of culinary art.

Sophie's Bionutrients, a next-generation sustainable urban food production technology company, has pushed the frontiers of plant-based food by developing burger patties made from microalgae.

Market research finds that opportunities about for plant-based products as they become more mainstream.

Beyond Meat, Inc. announced its plans to enter a 12-year lease in a new, nearly 300,000 square foot space at 888 N. Douglas St.in El Segundo, Calif. The building is currently under development by Hackman Capital Partners with anticipated completion in spring 2021.

FiveStar Gourmet Foods partnered with Beyond Meat® to bring more salad protein choices to consumers. FiveStar introduced a new Simply Fresh Taco Salad made with Beyond Meat®, featuring plant-based beef crumbles from Beyond Meat, a leader in plant-based meat. The new 7.5oz complete salad debuted in Publix supermarkets.

Hooray Foods debuted an innovative meat-free bacon with a 300-store rollout in Whole Foods. The brand is breaking through barriers to entry with a product that looks like bacon, sizzles like bacon, smells like bacon and tastes like bacon, but instead puts health, environment and animal welfare first.

Optimizing the texture, flavor, appearance, cooking experience, and other qualities of these and other items to be as close to their animal counterparts as possible to meet increasingly exact consumer expectations has pushed innovation to new levels.

Plant-based has been the big buzz-term in food and beverage for well over a year now. With meat and poultry analogs leading the way, we split the topic into two features.

Featuring unparalleled access to a vast portfolio of signature plant-based meats, including all-new bulk packs, mixed product bundles, limited-time offers, trial packs and more, the direct-to-consumer site is a new and convenient way to experience Beyond Meat.