Popularity of plant-based meat takes root in China
The plant-based meat trend has been gaining momentum in China, as evidenced by the increasing number of options available in the market.
The artificial meat is made from extracted proteins from different plants, such as beans and legumes, and has been associated with healthy eating and sustainability as these products require fewer resources to produce compared to raising livestock.
About 160 supermarkets around China started selling microwavable meals featuring plant-based meats by the food-technology company OmniFoods in Hong Kong recently.
The meals, which include sticky rice in lotus leaf, pumpkin stir-fried noodles, multigrain rice with assorted vegetables and faux pork with mushrooms, are priced at 32 yuan ($4.70) for a 0.49lb pack.
At hotel Le Sun Chine in Shanghai, executive chef Gu Chao has created two dishes with plant-based meat — Shanghai-style meatballs with pumpkin filling and pancakes with faux meat toppings — for the launch of OmniFoods’ products in City Super, a highend supermarket.
“I learned about plant-based meat in the news three years ago, but I have just started cooking it,” Gu said.
“It doesn’t have the strong smell of a normal bean product, so I find it easy to use as a substitute for meat. There is no need to add special condiments.”
Jiang Yijing, a shopper who sampled Gu’s dishes, said: “I have dined at vegetarian restaurants but this is the first time I’ve tasted plant-based meat. It’s quite new to me. I think either traditional vegetarian dishes or plant-based meat are healthy and good for the environment.”
David Yeung, the founder of OmniFoods, said that raising pigs, which account for 65% of all meat consumed in China, significantly contributes to greenhouse-gas emissions, water consumption and pollution.
“When consumers choose plant-based meats, the savings in water consumption, land use and greenhouse-gas emissions is well over 90%,” he said.
“Many studies have forecast
that plant-based meats will account for 10% of the meat market in 10 years. We see that as highly achievable.”
In April,food-and-beverage chains such as Starbucks, KFC and Pizza Hut partnered with the U.S. plant-based meat company Beyond Meat to offer time-limited plant-based pasta, sandwiches and faux chicken nuggets in China.
In July Beyond Meat worked with Alibaba’s grocery-retail chain, Freshippo, to sell its plant-based meat hamburgers
in 50 of the latter’s stores in Shanghai.
For the Mid-Autumn Festival, which fell on Oct 1 this year, KamWah Gift, a bakery company, partnered with a local plant-based meat producer Starfield to design two mooncakes, rose black truffle and matsutake mushroom, which feature the artificial meat.
More restaurants in Shanghai have been offering vegan or vegetarian dishes with plant-based meat in recent years, said Eve Samyuktha, founder of Plant-Based Consulting.
Since 2016 Samyuktha’s organization has been helping restaurants to design vegan dishes and promote public awareness by conducting community and public outreach programs such as a vegan challenge and holding plant-based meat festivals.
“We aim to reduce 30% of animal-product consumption per restaurant in about 100 restaurants in Shanghai by (the end of this year),” Samyuktha said.
Zhang Lin, executive director of The Natural Step China, a sustainability advisory firm, said China is a market with huge potential for plant-based meat companies.
“The recent surge of plantbased meat is a good sign for the environment, but I don’t think companies should make environmentally friendly the only selling point for their products.
“Texture, taste and safety are the basic requirements for all foods, and there is no exception for plant-based meat.”