Beef-free burgers, egg-free omelettes and milk-free ice cream -- meat and dairy alternatives have shot to the top of the menu, and producers are facing up to the challenges of going mainstream.
Eyeing the booming market, major meat processors such as Smithfield, JBS and Perdue have all launched new brands using plants and are investing heavily to tap into changing consumer demand. Beyond Meat, the best-known of the new plant-based ventures, made a major splash when shares soared on its first day of trading on Wall Street in May.
Kellogg's Morningstar Farms vegetarian brand this week announced a new product range to keep up with the latest advances. The sector is still in its infancy in the US, at less than one percent of the conventional meat sector, but the potential for growth looks strong. Several US states have also passed laws to stop retailers of animal protein alternatives from using labels like"meat" or even"sausage" -- a push often driven by local farmers.