Kerry, the world’s largest taste and nutrition company, has surveyed 3,700 people across ten Asia-Pacific countries to gauge their opinions on plant-based meats.
The results show strong interest among many consumers, with 62% of respondents saying they are interested in buying meat alternatives and 44% intending to eat more of them. However, 70% said that the plant-based meats currently available did not have the same taste and texture as real meat, adding that they would purchase the products more often if these factors were improved. This echoes a recent report which found that parity in taste and texture will be vital to the growth of the alt-meat market.
Interest in meat alternatives has surged in Asia in the wake of Covid-19, after meat markets were identified as the source of the virus. The region now accounts for 22% of global plant-based meat sales by value, and is expected to be the world’s largest market by 2025. A report last year found huge potential for growth in the Asian alt-protein market.
In Kerry’s study, consumers also expressed a desire for meat alternatives that align better with local cuisine, an area where products imported from the West often fall short. According to Ronan Moloney, VP & GM of Food and Meat at Kerry Asia Pacific, this is something the company is well-placed to address.
“‘Radicle™ by Kerry’ enables manufacturers to create and deliver sustainable food and beverage products that are nutritionally optimized with cleaner labels, authentic taste, and appealing texture. With a growth of more than 20% in meat alternative launches in Southeast Asia from 2019 to 2020, there is no doubt that Asia presents a good opportunity for innovative, tasty products that consumers will want as their first choice, and not the alternative,” he said.
