Founded in 2023, Asentia’s motto is “just making meat better,” according to the company. Although it has been on the market lately, Asentia has developed a variety of combination meats, a classic meat blend with plant-based ingredients, prototypes such as truffled mushrooms. meatballs, artichoke sausages with bourbon bacon and roasted shallot and shiitake Black Angus burgers, as well as exploring the organoleptic characteristics of premium cuts of meat and translating those characteristics into a combined product.
Birdie sees the blended meat category as a significant opportunity for the select protein industry to bridge the gap between growing demand for plant-based products and consumers’ reluctance to ditch meat entirely. By providing familiar and delicious taste experiences, blended meats may simply drive superior repeat purchases and broader market adoption.
One of the biggest opportunities in the select protein space is the prospect of R&D innovation, Birdie said.
She believes that finding a product that meets customer expectations and technical needs requires complicated food science.
“Our guide in terms of R
Birdie has focused on a deeper connection with customers to help repeat purchases of those products. The select protein industry wants to evolve to become more customer-centric, bridging the gap between customer aspirations and actual buying behavior, he said.
“90% of Americans need to eat healthier, but we don’t see the repurchase rate needed to make a significant impact,” Birdie said. By focusing on creating products that deliver the taste and nutritional benefits consumers are looking for, startups can tap into this untapped market.
“Honestly, I think it’s pretty simple. I think we continually buy products that we love, products that we crave, products that we know and that are compatible with our identity,” she said.
Securing investment is an opportunity or a challenge in the select protein sector. Birdie affirmed the combined perceptions among investors, with some skeptics due to them going further in the combined meat category. However, investors are starting to be more positive about the meat substitutes market. , given the growing global demand for meat options and the fact that the global meat market presents a multi-billion dollar opportunity, he said.
He noted that investors “understand that there is a clear need for those types of innovative and sustainable solutions. And they are convinced that a multi-trillion-dollar global meat market is developing and that there is a huge opportunity. “
Birdie continued, “There’s room for a lot of other types of tactics to meet that demand and then that, along with. . . Americans are looking for more plant-based meats. . . I think that speaks to anything, something deep and genuine internal. Womb. . . So now we’re about to dial it in, crack the code, and figure out how we can accumulate those purchases of. . . Infrequent purchases, perhaps once or twice a month, once or twice a week. , then in all probability once or twice. consistent with the day. »
In the United States, the select protein industry valued at $8. 1 billion in 2023; while globally, the industry attracted more than $16 billion in investments, with $1. 6 billion raised in the same year, according to SPINS data cited via GFI. However, the sector has obstacles to overcome, adding what GFI predicts will be “unprecedented investment and innovation” from the public and personal sectors, as well as facing global regulatory barriers, production capacity limitations and customer education.
Looking ahead, Birdie highlights the importance of strategic partnerships with giant meat corporations as a path to expansion.
“The next stage of the combined meat sector will involve partnerships with primary meat companies, allowing true collaboration between the select protein sector and the traditional meat industry,” he said.
These commitments, such as Tyson Foods’ investment in cultured meat with UPSIDE Foods in 2022 and plant-based meat manufacturer Beyond Meat, can drive widespread adoption of select proteins by leveraging the resources and distribution networks of established meat companies.
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