By Applied Food Sciences When we think of plant-based meat alternatives, brands like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods immediately come to mind, and deservedly so. Influential partnerships with major fast-food chains have aided their disruptive emergence into the market. Today, consumer curiosity for plant-based meats is at its all-time high, and the market is expected to grow. But while these brands are dominating certain segments at +200% growth, the sleeping giants are just beginning to rise 1. Tyson, Perdue, Nestlé, Hormel, and many other major food companies all launched plant-based meat products over the last year. Unilever has an ambitious target to achieve over $1 billion annual sales of plant-based meat and dairy alternatives within the next five to seven years – Figures that could challenge the impressive beginnings of startups like Beyond Meat and the hundreds of other emerging brands in the space. Fortunately, the global plant-based meat category forecasts 28% compound annual growth, building on what was a $5 billion industry in 2018 to $85 billion by 2030. It appears there may be plenty of opportunity to go around