Retail meat and poultry sales remain strong. Dollar sales grew 4.7% and lbs 2.3% in 2024 from the previous year, according to Circana, Chicago. Ground beef was number one in absolute dollar growth out of 85,000 center-store and perishable subcategories.

“While meat sales rose, plant-based meat alternative sales continued to decline,” said Anne-Marie Roerink, principal, 210 Analytics, San Antonio, Texas, and author of The Power of Meat, an industry study now in its 20th year. Roerink told attendees at the Annual Meat Conference held in Orlando at the end of March that “It never was meat eater versus vegan; Flexitarians made the difference.” And most of the plant-based meat options in the marketplace simply do not meet the needs of flexitarians. New research shows that blended products may be the solution to help flexitarians eat less meat.

Meet consumers half way

It’s all about making products that are plant forward. Within meat and poultry, this refers to hybrid or blended products. It’s not a new concept, but it’s one that has had very slow traction. However, Food System Innovations, San Francisco, a philanthropic group aiming to speed the transition toward a greater reliance on plant-based proteins, believes it’s where to meet consumers at this time. The organization refers to these products as “balanced proteins.”

“The rise of plant-based eating is not just a trend. It’s a seismic shift in the food industry,” said Julie Johnson, president, HealthFocus International, Des Plaines, Ill. “With over half of global consumers occasionally avoiding or limiting meat in their diets, the era of ‘reducetarians’ is upon us.”

Tim Dale, category innovation director at Food System Innovations, said, “Meat has always held a central place in our society. It’s a symbol of nourishment, tradition and craftsmanship. For centuries, it has been at the heart of cultures and cuisines, providing satisfaction and sustenance to people around the world. Today, the meat industry stands at an exciting juncture, one where it has the opportunity to direct its role in addressing the growing demands of a dynamic global food system (with balanced proteins).”

Such blended meat products enable reducetarians to feel better about their choice, for reasons ranging from health to sustainability. At the same time, they do not have to make any sensory sacrifices. And for parents, getting littles to eat some veggies is easier.

“Getting more vegetables into your kids’ diets can be a challenge and that’s where Perdue’s Chicken Plus comes in. It’s a product that makes it easier for families to enjoy the taste they love while sneaking in some extra nutrition,” said Parker Hall, vice president of research and development, Perdue Farms, Salisbury, Md. “Perdue is proud to offer Chicken Plus products for those who are flexitarian or simply looking to add more vegetables into their everyday meals.”

Consumers believe meat and vegetables serve distinct roles in a balanced diet. Alternative products must bridge that gap while being familiar to consumers. (Source: NECTAR)

Adding value without sacrifice

Food System Innovations partnered with YouGov to survey a nationally representative sample of 2,001 respondents to gain insights into consumer behavior, perceptions and opportunities for this emerging category. The data indicates that consumers generally hold positive perceptions of conventional meat products, thus alternative products must also feel familiar, provide added functional benefits and highlight immediate, tangible advantages for consumers.

“The fact is that meat perceptions remain overwhelmingly positive,” said Dale. “Eighty percent of omnivores are indifferent or believe ground beef is already a somewhat to very healthy option. Despite the growing focus on health benefits in product development, the majority of consumers perceive conventional meat products as meeting their needs. While perceptions vary by meat type, addressing these entrenched beliefs is crucial for positioning new products effectively.”

The survey also showed that many consumers are hesitant to adopt products they perceive as unfamiliar or disconnected from their traditional meat experiences. Balanced protein concepts and blends resonate with consumers by offering recognizable taste, texture and ingredients.

“Consumers view meat and vegetables as serving distinct roles in their diets,” said Dale. “With careful messaging and category stewardship, bridging this gap with products that combine the functionality of both presents a significant opportunity for the category.

“Balanced protein presents a unique opportunity to impact consumers’ diets by offering new tangible functional benefits they can believe in while also providing businesses with cost savings and supply chain diversification,” Dale added. “It’s a practical solution that creates market demands while delivering the sustainability and equity improvements our food system needs.”

Johnson agreed. “We believe harnessing plants’ inherent connection to many other macro trends (e.g., natural/clean, added fiber and protein, etc.) is the best way to push plant forward and deliver the products consumers are really looking for,” she said.

Ground into a perfect blend

Animal and plant proteins make a powerful pairing. They readily blend together in ground format and can be shaped into patties, sausages, nuggets, balls and more. These are formats that consumers understand as being blended and often include seasonings.

“Ground proteins have strong penetration across households, particularly among younger shoppers,” said Roerink. “Offering these products in a dedicated section or secondary placements could help introduce consumers to a wider range of ground meat options.”

Dale said, “Balanced protein builds on the strengths of conventional meat, enhancing its versatility and appeal with the addition of complementary plant-based ingredients. Rather than changing the essence of what makes meat so beloved, it offers added benefits that address today’s business challenges and evolving consumer preferences.”

That’s where NECTAR enters the program. This nonprofit initiative from Food System Innovations is on a mission to accelerate the protein transition with taste. NECTAR analyzed data from sensory panels conducted by Palate Insights in San Francisco during May to July 2024. The 1,192 omnivores evaluated 22 balanced protein products across nine categories, measuring flavor, texture, appearance, overall satisfaction and purchase intent.

“Seventy-four percent of respondents were ‘extremely interested’ or ‘interested’ in balanced proteins,” said Dale. “Balanced proteins were more appealing to omnivores than plant-based meats.”

Commercial products were cooked according to manufacturer instructions using consistent equipment types and were served in dressed contexts (i.e., hot dog in a bun with condiments of a participant’s choice).

Balanced burgers and nuggets beat animal benchmarks in blind taste tests. Unbreaded chicken patties, chicken meatballs and beef/pork meatballs performed similarly.

Four products demonstrated award-winning performance. The DUO Beef & Mushroom Burger, Fable Shiitake-Infused Beef Burger and Perdue PLUS Chicken Nuggets were preferred over animal counterparts. The BOTH Burger was equally preferred to the animal counterpart.

Marina Del Rey, Calif.-based 50/50 Foods developed the BOTH burger, leading the hybrid protein movement. The company’s mission is to cut meat consumption in half by delivering exceptional foods to the large and growing population of flexitarians.

“It’s a blended burger,” said Andrew Arentowicz, co-founder and chief executive officer. “We’re the first company that can actually say it’s 50/50 meat and vegetables. We have seen a lot of companies use protein isolates or other ingredients that consumers can’t pronounce. But we keep it simple.”

The BOTH burger is made with six ingredients. As the name suggests, the burger is half beef. The other half is composed of broccoli, caramelized onions, cauliflower, garlic and mushrooms, along with some seasoning. The product is United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)-approved for 50% beef.

“It’s a way to meet in the middle,” he said. “It’s getting more people interested in eating less meat.”

The Perdue Plus Chicken Nuggets are made with a blend of white meat chicken breast, chickpeas and cauliflower, and shaped into dinosaurs. One serving provides a one-fourth cup serving of plants (vegetable and legume).

50/50 Foods developed a burger that consists of half beef and half blend of cauliflower, broccoli, caramelized onions, mushrooms and garlic. (Source: NECTAR)

Merging with mushrooms

Fungi are the stars of the other two products. DUO is a Chicago-based company that offers 50:50 blends of ground meat (either beef or turkey) with mushrooms and seasonings.

Australia-headquartered Fable Food Company started out making vegan meats using shiitake mushrooms. After co-founder and chief executive officer Michael Fox learned that most consumers are inclined to be flexitarians as opposed to vegans, he added the shiitake-beef blend.

Based on these four high scorers, there’s an opportunity for blended meat companies to lean into whole-food plant-based ingredients. Mushrooms, in particular, seem to do a good job of replicating the experience of real meat in terms of taste, texture and appearance.

“Taste is the gatekeeper for sustainable dietary change,” said Dale. “These products represent a real breakthrough, where the more sustainable choice is also the more delicious one.”

The research also showed that there is a wide gap in the liking score between the leading balanced protein in a specific category, and the average of all balanced protein products in that category. Dale said this means there’s an opportunity to invest in research and development. Food System Innovations is ready to help.