Current status of research and market in alternative protein
Changjun Cho, Hyewon Lim, Bosung Kim, Heewon Jung, Sungkwon Park
Abstract
As the global population increases and issues regarding health, environment, and animal welfare emerge, interest in alternative proteins is rising along with the emphasis on sustainability and food security in agriculture and livestock. Based on protein sources, alternative proteins can be divided into plant-based meat, animal cell-cultured meat, and edible insect. Alternative meat market will keep growing and accounting for 11% of the total protein food market by 2035. America has the largest share in the alternative protein market. Many food companies and startups are developing and distributing alternative proteins in Korea which is ranked 38th. Among them, plant based meat shows advantages in terms of production cost and safety verification, but may present some issues that include anti-nutrients and allergens. Animal-derived cell cultured meat can best mimic traditional meat products, but may have concerns for food safety and high production cost. In order to shift from traditional animal based meat production into extraction-, fermentation-, or culture-based alternative protein manufacturing system, it is necessary to understand the origins, pros and cons, and the current status of research and market for better forecast their future promises and challenges.