The plant meat going hot for epidemic, prices is the decisive factor

As the new coronavirus pandemic puts pressure on the supply chain, plant meat may face an important moment.

In its 2018 "Year in Food" report, Grubhub, the leader of the US takeout industry, determined that plant-based foods will become increasingly popular. In 2017 and 2018, investors invested more than $ 13 billion in US plant-based meat companies.

In 2019, plant-based meats became popular in mainstream food sales channels for the first time. At that time, it seemed that every fast food restaurant released new plant-based foods.

According to a survey by consulting firm Gallup in January 2020, 41% of Americans have tried vegetable meat, and more than half of them said that plant-based meat products may be part of the diet. Due to the poor food supply in the epidemic, more people will try plant-based meat products when the variety of protein-containing foods decreases.

The epidemic triggered an economic recession. When the economy is sluggish, consumers usually reduce the purchase of high-priced food, such as red meat. During the 2008 recession, more consumers tended to choose cheap protein sources such as nuts, eggs and beans.

If, as industry analysts say, plant-based meat products will soon be cheaper than animal meat, then plant meat will soon be on the table for more consumers. But if the prices of the two are comparable or plant-based meat products are more expensive, their appeal will be limited.