Four key insights from the Alternative Proteins 22 Conference

A Covid-delayed but sold-out conference, the first arranged by Food Frontier, saw key stakeholders gather to learn, share and network about all things Alternative Protein this week in Melbourne. The venue was the W Hotel, which is a new 5-star brand from Marriott in "rebellious" Flinders Lane. The venue didn't disappoint and served probably the best Alternative Protein menu I have experienced so far.

Here are the four main things I observed at the conference:

1.?????Cooperation. There was a definite mood to work together, share and learn from each other within the sector even amongst/between competitors.

2.?????Messaging. The consensus was that we need to improve the language to consumers to avoid confusion and negative connotations – Complimentary Proteins was a new catch phrase that was coined.

3.?????Education. Discussion came up regarding the continued need to educate consumers about this new category, its’ health benefits and most importantly the contribution to sustainability of our food chain.

4. Balance - Make friends not enemies with the traditional meat industry. The fact is that this is a new food category aimed at solving the expected future shortages of traditional proteins in a sustainable and planet friendly way. Our normal meats will continue to be popular although more expensive in future. New Protein formats will be using the same logistic chains and sales channels - they need to "fit in" not displace.

At Food Industry Foresight we have launched a new market size study mapping New Proteins in Foodservice in Australia. It is aimed at answering some of the key questions that suppliers will need to know such as:

How are these new food formats being served, consumed and?marketed in foodservice?

Which foodservice channels are leading the?charge?

What alternative protein food formats are being served and where?

This is planned to be an annual tracking study and will provide key insights for Alternative Protein Companies to assess and measure their progress in the market place. Contacts us to find out more.