Be it on TV, in magazines, scrawled across social media feeds or somewhat bizarrely trumpeted as the hot new thing by multiple fast-food chains, plant-based meat alternatives are being hyped as save-the-day innovations ad nauseum. What's really going on here?
The burger is going through some changes, as consumer trends are having an effect on the patty. There are patties for every type of consumer, from fresh to frozen, from full-sized to slider, and from beef to turkey to plant.
Protein options, refrigerated snacks, a new generation of foodies and more are on the menu for 2020, as the Oklahoma State University Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center selects the hottest food trends for the upcoming year.
They say that where there’s smoke there’s fire. So, casual observers might suspect that the biggest new product news in foodservice meat, poultry and seafood—is that there’s actually no meat whatsoever.
Consumers want products that meet their demand for health, convenience and a host of other claims; meal kits and delivery options are helping them reach those products and order more meat and poultry.
Consumers continue to embrace increased convenience, recipes and marketing with protein. The only twist is they now want all of that in new formats such as third-party delivery, meal kits and in-store advice.