Shipments of plant-based proteins from foodservice distributors to commercial restaurants were up 60 percent year-over-year in April of 2021, according to new data released by NPD Group today. The stat is another data point illustrating the staying power and appeal of plant-based proteins.
NPD writes that plant-based beef nabbed the largest share of those protein shipments, with the number of pounds shipped increasing by 45 percent year-over-year in April. Plant-based chicken grew by 82 percent year-over-year in April, and plant-based fish is up 72 percent year-over-year. Plant-based chicken and fish are more nascent categories compared with plant-based beef, which would explain their relative dramatic jumps.
“There has been a lot of public discussion about plant-based beef and meat substitutes, and whether or not plant-based is a fad or a trend,” says Tim Fires, president of NPD’s SupplyTrack said in a press announcement. “But the fact of the matter is, chefs and operators see the plant-based protein category as a flexible option for developing recipes and menu offerings that taste good, and their guests enjoy. Plant-based is now a staple in their repertoire.
Though NPD didn’t specify reasons for the increase in shipments, the two big drivers for this growth in plant-based protein are availability and price. Both Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat, the two biggest players in the beef analog space, have dramatically ramped up production in the past couple of years, which has helped bring prices down and closer to parity with animal meat.
But this increase in shipments of plant-based protein to restaurants is just part of an overall increase in interest and sales of plant-based meat. The Good Food Institute’s latest U.S. market research shows that the plant-based meat category grew by more than $430 million in sales from 2019 to 2020 and the category is now worth $1.4 billion.
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