The Rise Of Plant-Based Meat Industry In India
COVID-19 has turned our world upside down. Every aspect of our lives has been deeply affected. One big bothering question has been, “Does climate change affect the transmission of coronavirus?” This past year, the climate emergency and health were among the top concerns on everyone’s mind. And Indians have rightly shown that they are ready to take needful action where it is most impactful- by changing how and what they eat. Pointing at increasing interest in plant-based eating in India, the YouGov survey says more than 60% of Indians have a more positive perception of plant-based/vegan diets compared to 2 years ago.
Flexitarians, as they call it. This is about flexitarians who now share bigger guilts than hiding their love for mutton biryani from their parents to larger questions like animal cruelty. For many flexitarians, mock meat has become the perfect way to satiate their craving and assuage the guilt that comes with consuming non-vegetarian food. The taste is one of the key factors drawing non-vegetarians to plant-based meat, says Sohil Wazir, Chief Commissioner Officer, Blue Tribe. “The first reaction from non-vegetarians when they taste it is of surprise. They can’t believe that vegetarian items can actually taste so much like non-veg.” As more people become aware of the large impact our food choices have on our health and the planet, attitudes towards veganism are changing everywhere. Plant-based meat is already a big rage in international markets; looking to reduce the carbon footprint linked to animal farming. Plant meat is a part of the smart protein sector — including plant-based, cultivated, and fermentation-derived meat, eggs, and dairy. Plant-based meat is also steadily gaining ground in India with a host of players stepping into the arena. Popular brands like Funfoods by Dr. Oetkar, Good Dot, Axia Foods, Alt foods, Pro Meat, Piper leaf, Bombay Cheese Company, Pilk, Sante Spa Cuisine, Bodhi Greens have launched new plant-based products and menu items. Varun Deshpande, managing director, of Good Food Institute (GFI) India, said plant-based meats are a rapidly emerging innovation with major potential to transform our food supply. “They provide consumers with all the taste and cultural resonance of the meat dishes they know and love, but with vastly better implications for sustainability and security.” Attractive vegan deals and bundles are launched by Rare Earth, Vegan Dukaan, Vegan Daily, Vezlay Foods, Hello Tempayy, Blue Tribe Foods, Greend, Vegan World, targeting the increased percentage of Indians now eating more at home.
But this is only one side of the story narrated by the climate warriors screaming for good sustainable alternatives. While the others display a long note for caution. Diving in the menu of plant-based meat products tells us it is prepared from vegetarian sources such as soya, jackfruit, peas, beans, wheat gluten (seitan), etc., by adding other ingredients such as nuts, and giving it a certain texture so as to resemble, or mimic, the look, taste and visual appeal of animal meat. So how healthy is mock or plant-based meat? Does it offer the same amount of nutrition as, say, chicken or fish? Or is there a flip side? Players in the category vouch for both the taste and health factors. Truth is said, there are many health benefits attached to plant-based meat. “Zero cholesterol and no antibiotics, steroids, and growth hormones’ has amino acids, fats, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that can be beneficial for weight management, cancer, diabetes as well as other issues such as hypertension and cardiovascular diseases”, said a report in Medical News Today, quoting research.
Challenges ahead But all that glitters is not gold. All that is vegan is not green.
Health: “Mock meats are highly hydrolyzed and processed and contain ingredients that may not be best for us. Some can even be harmful”, says expert nutritionist Ishi Kholsa. Then there are others who do not bat for any kind of processed or mock food at all, be it vegetarian or non-vegetarian. Anything mock is not OK. Plant food should be as real and as close to nature as possible, she said. As a rule, anything that is processed or lab-made can never be as good as the real (thing). Brands of plant-based meat vary in their nutrient density and have different nutritional strengths and shortcomings. A person should always be mindful of their nutritional intake and how it may affect their health.
Lack of Awareness: Will Vegan-meat replace animal meat the way cell phones have replaced landlines? The plant-based meat industry is proliferating at a great pace. But it is still not an-everywhere-thing. The foremost challenge is to create proper awareness regarding the smart protein industry as a whole. Not many Indians have traveled abroad or have seen recently made documentaries on the reason-to-worry issue of biodiversity loss and its vitalness for life on Earth. The animal supply chain has a great impact on our environment and our whole ecosystem. The consumption of red meat and cruelty need to decrease to certain levels in order to sustain our nurturing planet.
Expansion: Hardcore non-vegetarians still stick to their preferred meats while trying and experimenting with plant-based flavors and textures. The other challenge can be offering enough choices to non-vegetarians and easy availability of the same at more places. Expansion of the industry has never been easy. It will require significant efforts and resources to boom.
Pricing: Neilson data demonstrates that plant-based meat on a per-pound basis is currently twice as expensive as conventional beef, three times as expensive as pork, and four times as expensive as chicken. One very important challenge the industry will face is pricing. In a recent study conducted by GFI with consumer research firm Mindlab that investigated price as a driver of purchase intent, consumers ranked price as the second-most important factor (behind taste) in purchasing a plant-based product. The plant-based meat is costlier when compared to animal-based meat. And achieving price parity is vital for mainstream adoption. Consumers would likely be less hesitant to try plant-based meat when the price range is similar to that of animal-based counterparts. For most consumers, closing the price gap would likely increase the purchase intent of plant-based products.
Sunrise Industry
According to Founder & CEO Ethan Brown, “Producing meat by growing animals is an outdated technology that may soon be replaced by more efficient alternatives such as plant-based meat, a shift that may happen similarly to the way landlines were nonchalantly replaced by cell phones”.
Plant-based meat is one of the most promising landscapes in the food universe and India is poised to be one of the biggest markets. Industry projections also confirm this increase and shift. India’s plant-based meat market, which is at $30–40 million, is estimated to grow to $500million in the next three years. According to a study by the Good Food Institute, plant-based dairy in India is projected to grow from $21 million presently at a CAGR of 20.7% to reach $63.9 million by 2024. In India, the reasons for preferring plant meat range from ethical and religious to adopting healthier eating habits and greater awareness about the potentially harmful effects of consuming too much red and processed meat.
The numbers indicate a huge paradigm shift towards plant-based meat (PBM) alternatives in India. So much so, that companies producing these alternatives are seeing about 100% growth in demand. Co-founder of Udaipur-based GoodDot, Abhishek Sinha shares, “Earlier we used to have 100% year on year growth, but since last year we are witnessing a 250% growth. The numbers reflect the interest of consumers.” Likewise, founder and CEO of Goa-based Wakao Foods, Sairaj Dhond adds, “The buzz around PBM is such that eateries, gourmet hotels, and cafes are looking to introduce separate menus with these products, or dishes and festival weeks comprising different cuisines that can use these alternatives.”
Conclusion
It takes a village and more to build a thriving sunrise industry. The government, industry, and academia should come together, join hand in hand in this massive mission for smart protein — one that advances scientific development catalyzes entrepreneurship, and benefits all sections of society.
Only time will tell if the plant-based meat sector emerges to be a force to reckon with or end up as a small section on supermarket shelves.
