MKTG7503 A Student’s Guide to Understanding Motivations and Barriers in the Shift to Plant-Based Meat Alternatives

Research Background:

Plant-based meat alternatives and its examples:

According to the Good Food Institute (n.d.), the term plant-based meat refers to the production of meat directly from plants, instead of using animals to produce meat by converting plants into meat. The producers of plant-based meat alternatives claim that they can make meat more efficiently by skipping the consumption of animals. It has also been reported that plant-based meat alternatives contain a similar amount of nutrients like protein, fat, minerals etc. like animal-based meat. Another definition of plant-based meat reported by Clayton et al. (2019) is that they are the plant-derived products which are purposely designed with an aim of replacing animal meat, which includes seafood and poultry. These meat substitutes are also known as meat analogues, or alternatives, however, plant-based meat alternatives are in some cases also referred to as fungus-derived products.

According to ABC 7 Chicago (2019), plant-based meat has a bite-and-chewy texture, which is very familiar and similar in texture and taste to animal meat. However, it is prepared using gluten-free, plant-based nutrients including soy, peas, lentils, beans etc. Similarly, Beyond Burgers is a famous food chain based in the US, that uses plants for the production of meat, and provides a range of plant-based meat alternatives to people including plant-based burger patties, sausages, mince etc. (Biscotti, 2024). Some examples of plant-based alternatives include plant-based milk such as almond milk, soy milk, and coconut milk, which is being sold in Australian markets and is consumed by people referring to plant-based products (Edwards, 2023). Some other examples of plant-based meat alternatives (PBMA) provided by Impossible Foods (n.d.) include ground beef, hot dogs, ground sausage, sausage patties, bratwurst meat, chicken nuggets, chicken tenders, chicken patties, chicken sandwiches, chimichurri, lasagna, soup, wings, bbq, and meatballs all derived from plants.