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.

The want of more protein in diets have US consumers seeking the macronutrient from a variety sources, reports The NPD Group. Protein, the nutritional counterpart to fat and carbohydrates, is considered the body’s building blocks, and can be found in a long list of foods, like seafood, meat, poultry, eggs, legumes, and vegetables.

Pandemic-driven cooking and eating at home still prevail among food trends, said participants from the Specialty Food Association's Trendspotter Panel during Specialty Food LIVE!™, a virtual marketplace event held January 19-22. The Trendspotter Panel for Specialty Food LIVE! January 2021 included food analysts and experts from across the food and beverage industry.

 

It's clear that the plant-based revolution rolls on and continues to evolve. And not only has it reached mainstream status—but now it might be described as a global phenomenon.

Franklin Farms™, a division of Keystone Natural Holdings, is introducing a new line of functional food frozen plant-based burgers. A9ΩTM (Alpha Nine Omega) Plant-Based Burgers are a new addition to Franklin Farm’s plant-based offerings and will be available in the freezer section.  

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.

Food and beverage companies nationwide are increasingly investing in plant-based meat alternatives to satiate growing consumer demand for protein not sourced from animals. But who exactly are the primary consumers of such products?

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.

American consumers are eating more plant-based foods these days, especially adults under age 35 and those actively following a specific diet. This is according to findings published in the new report Vegan, Vegetarian, and Flexitarian Consumers by leading market research firm Packaged Facts.