Information about the Aspen Ideas Festival is here. I am scheduled for a session, The American Wellness Paradox, currently scheduled from 11:00-11:50 a.m., at the East Lawn Tent. This will be a discussion with senior HHS policy advisor, Calley Means. Here’s the blurb on it: “Americans are spending more than ever on healthcare, supplements, wellness trends, and “clean eating,” yet rates of chronic disease and metabolic illness continue to climb. As skepticism fuels the rise of movements like MAHA, debates over what Americans should eat have become deeply cultural, political, and economic. Two influential voices with sharply different perspectives on nutrition and food science explore how food systems, farming practices, consumer culture, and the wellness industry collided to create one of the defining public health debates of our time.”
by Marion Nestle
Feb
8
2024
The latest on plant-based meat and dairy substitutes
It continues to be hard to keep up with what’s happening with plant-based food alternatives. They have their fans, but also detractors. Much depends on sales trends and their consistency. I’m keeping on eye on this one.
STATE OF THE INDUSTRY
- Beyond meat and dairy analogues: What can plant-based protein do? Plant-based protein isn’t just about meat and dairy analogues. At Food Ingredients Europe in Frankfurt last month, FoodNavigator spoke to companies doing a range of things with alternative proteins outside of simply adding them to plant-based burgers, sausages, milk and cheese…. Read more
- Processed plant-based meat: Clearer communication on the horizon, predict experts: European producers in 2024 will focus on informing consumers about processed and ultra-processed foods and drinks, potentially lowering content in formulations to encourage plant-based meat or dairy alternatives uptake…. Read more
- Business Wire: Meati Foods now available in select U.S. Target stores: Meati Foods announced a significant retail expansion of its Eat Meati line of products in Target stores across the United States. Meati Foods aims to be in 8,000 retail doors by summer 2024, nearly tripling its current store count of 3,000. Read More
- Time to ditch the plant-based copycats? Almost a third of UK adults don’t want plant-based food that resembles their animal counterparts, finds research commissioned by law firm Browne Jacobson…. Read more
- Can Oatly reinvigorate slowing oatmilk category sales with launch unsweetened, clean-label options? Oatmilk pioneer Oatly’s new Unsweetened Oatmilk and Super Basic Oatmilk, which launched this week, respond to rising consumer concerns about plant-based milks, including their nutritional value and, for some, long lists of unfamiliar ingredients, which are taking a toll on the overall category’s sales and volumes…. Read more
NEW PRODUCTS AND INGREDIENTS
- A plant-based protein mimicking the taste profile of whey is ‘gamechanger’ for protein market: Great tasting, high digestibility and allergen-free – how a plant-based protein powder is making waves in the protein market in Europe…. Read more [Note: this one is a paid ad].
- Modern Plant Based Foods taps into caviar craze: The Canadian company’s Vegan Kaviar line aims to fill a gap in the market with a more affordable, plant-based option.

