Plant-based meat
Highlights:
- 2023 saw a second successive annual drop in new patent applications, possibly due to continuing commercial difficulties in the industry.
- Notwithstanding this, filings in 2023 remained higher than at any point before 2020.
- The drop in global filings appeared to be led by a reduction in US filings, while European filings appear more stable.
- Established companies continue to dominate plant-based meat patent applications, with unique applicants falling and some start-ups struggling.
- The reduction in filings was consistent across all protein types, with filings relating to tofu and tempeh showing the largest decrease after a significant increase in 2022.
- Strong potential health and environmental benefits are still driving significant innovation and could lead to renewed consumer interest.
Plant-based meats are foods sourced from plants that mimic the appearance, flavour, and texture of traditional meat products. The challenge of producing convincing plant-based meat analogues has driven decades of research and innovation from food manufacturers globally. This is reflected in the large number of priority patent applications directed to improvements in plant-based meat filed each year.
According to the Climate Change Committee, which advises the UK and devolved governments on emissions targets, the average consumption of meat products in a UK home is about 850g a week per person. The committee further suggests that, in order to meet current food security and greenhouse gas emission targets, the UK must aim for a 20 percent reduction in the consumption of meat by 2030 and for a 35 percent reduction by 2050.
Notwithstanding environmental factors, it is widely acknowledged that many people consume too much meat and this is associated with an increased risk of diseases relating to high blood pressure, heart disease, and cancer. Plant-based meats offer a range of possible substitutes which don’t carry the same risks to health.
With these benefits in mind, it is perhaps surprising that the market share of plant-based meats has been in steady decline since 2021. Indeed, according to recent analysis, sales of plant-based meat has reduced by 7 percent in 2024, following a 12 percent decrease in 2023.
As a result, some plant-based meat manufacturers have been forced into administration, while others have downsized their operations to reflect the decrease in demand. Notably, supermarkets have also reduced the amount of plant-based meat on their shelves.
A recent review article published in Clinical Nutrition Open Science, concluded that the ultra-processed label has substantially undermined consumer acceptance of plant-based meat products.
The cause of plant-based meats’ shrinking market size could be a natural correction after the explosion of demand between 2019 and 2021 for vegetarian and vegan alternatives. It is likely, however, that consumer interest has fallen due to concerns about manufacturing methods for plant-based meat.
Plant-based meat alternatives are ultra processed in order to achieve a similar texture and/or taste to traditional meat products. Ultra processed foods in general have been the subject of significant scrutiny recently due to their potential negative impacts on public health. A recent review article published in Clinical Nutrition Open Science, concluded that the ultra-processed label has substantially undermined consumer acceptance of plant-based meat products.
Furthermore, a recent UK YouGov survey conducted in 2024 showed that plant-based meat alternatives were the second-most identifiable ultra processed food after ready-meals and above bread, ice cream, and cereal.
Other contributing factors to the downward trend in consumer demand are the perceived shortcomings in the taste and texture of plant-based meats compared to their counterparts, as well as the significant premium charged on plant-based meat. Compared to equivalent meat products, plant-based meat alternatives can cost up to 82 percent more. It is no surprise then that a UK-based study determined that higher income individuals are significantly more likely than other demographics to eat plant-based meat products. This means that a large percentage of the potential market is not taking up plant-based meat products.
However, within this recent downward trend, there are causes for optimism in the sector.
Firstly, due to years of innovation, the quality of plant-based meats has reached new highs. In a recent blind taste test of nearly 2,700 adults, commonly consumed meat products were compared with their plant-based alternatives. Over 20 different plant-based meats were deemed equivalent to, or better than, the corresponding traditional meat product. Such products included fillets, burgers, chicken nuggets, and sausages.
Additionally, recent evidence suggests that public concern over the detrimental health effects of plant-based meats is largely unsubstantiated. A study published in November last year, presented data from the UK biobank cohort which compared health markers and disease likelihood between vegetarians who consumed plant-based meat products and vegetarians who avoided these products. Interestingly, the study found no clear health risks or benefits associated with consuming plant-based-meat alternatives in a vegetarian diet, suggesting that the blanket criticism on ultra processed foods may not be so relevant to plant-based meats.
Perhaps then, it is only a matter of time before public perception changes, and we see another surge in consumer interest in this sector. Any such surge is likely to be accelerated by sustained innovation, particularly relating to improving the taste and texture of the products, as well as reducing the average price of the products, by addressing factors affecting production costs.
This appears to be the opinion of major leaders in the industry based on another year of significant global priority patent filings in 2023. While the global patent filing figures in 2023 have decreased compared to 2022 and do continue the trend in decreased filings seen since the record number of filings in 2021, 2023 still saw the third highest year for filings to date in this area.
Figure 1: global priority (patent) filings (1995-2023)
(Priority filing = the first time a patent application for a unique invention has been filed (the first filing).)
The decline in new priority filings in 2023 was seen across all major jurisdictions. However, the drive to protect innovation in this sector remains strong in Europe, which emerged as the biggest territory by a significant margin for filings in this sector.
Strikingly, there was a 37 percent drop in US priority filings between 2022 and 2023. This dramatic decrease resulted in the US having 30 percent fewer priority filings than in Europe.
This contrasts with previous years where these two jurisdictions have closely competed for the newest filings. This is perhaps indicative of a stronger market for plant-based meat products in Europe than in the US.
Figure 2: ten-year trend (2013-2022) - priority filings by jurisdiction - plant-based meat innovations
“Unique assignees" indicate the number of individual patent applicants/owners who have filed a patent in a given technology, for that year. Unique assignees of newly-filed patent applications globally have again decreased in these technologies in 2023 indicating once again that fewer entities are filing patents in this area. This may suggest that the industry is becoming more challenging for smaller companies and start-ups.
Figure 3: unique assignees and priority (patent) filings by year – a 20-year trend
As discussed above, the quality of the flavour and texture of plant-based meat products is a key factor to sparking a renewed interest in consumers. We reported last year that shared emphasis has been given to innovations in these areas. Results in 2023 show that there has been an equal decrease in the number of filings in both of these areas.
While we report another drop in filings in 2023, the figure for 2023 is the third highest recorded – showing continued research and innovation in this area despite apparent wavering of consumer interest in plant-based meat products.
Figure 4: twenty-year trend global priority (patent) filings according to flavour and texture
Comparing the data covering the major classes of plant-based protein (tofu, tempeh, pea protein, soy protein, and wheat protein) shows that the reduction in filings was consistent across all protein types, with filings relating to tofu and tempeh showing the largest decrease after an increase in 2022.
Figure 5: twenty-year trend (2004-2023) – global priority filings according to protein type
Figure 6: ten-year trend (2014-2023) – top filers – plant-based meat innovations
Looking at patent filers with the largest volume of filings in this field, there were two companies – Cargill and Unilever - which have recorded a record number of filings in 2023 – a significant increase compared to previous years.
Cargill has filed significant numbers of applications relating to wheat gluten alternatives to products such as minced meat. Cargill has also filed applications relating to advances in lentil flour, pea protein, and corn protein alternatives.
The surge in Unilever filings perhaps reflected the recent sale of its plant-based meat brand “The Vegetarian Butcher” to Vivera – now one of the largest producers of plant-based meat in Europe. It will be interesting to see if Unilever continues to innovate as intensely in this area in the upcoming years.
Fuji Oil and Roquette Freres were also within the top filers in 2023, with both companies filing slightly fewer applications than in 2022.
Recently published applications from Fuji Oil relate to innovative mechanical techniques for improving the texture and structure of plant-based meat alternatives, as well as novel soybean and soy protein-based meat compositions and plant-based fish meat alternatives. Indeed, innovations relating to plant-based fish appeared prevalent among many of the top filers.
Applications from Roquette Freres were focussed on innovation relating to pea and faba bean protein. This follows from last year when we reported that Roquette Freres appears to have ramped up its pea protein innovation in Europe and was the top filer in this field in 2022.
Of the other top filers, Nestlé appears to have had the most significant decrease in recent filings from 2023 compared to 2022. Similarly to Fuji Oil, recently published applications from Nestlé largely relate to plant-based alternatives to fish. This aligns with the release of Nestlé’s Garden Gourmet brand of plant-based white fish. Other applications appear to relate to the improvement of connective tissue analogues.
Looking ahead
In our review of the patent activity in 2022, we reported the second highest record number of applications. While we report another drop in filings in 2023, the figure for 2023 is the third highest recorded – showing continued research and innovation in this area despite apparent wavering of consumer interest in plant-based meat products.
It seems possible that a renewed wave of consumer interest in plant-based meat could be approaching, driven by innovations improving the quality of plant-based meats and reducing the cost of their manufacture.
Jack Braithwaite Trainee Patent Attorney
James Myatt Partner and Patent Attorney