In the spotlight: Plant-based Chicken
A growing number of people are tuned in to the advantages of plant-based foods, partly due to consumers’ increasing awareness of animal welfare and the environment. The health benefits of meat replacement products and an ever-growing demand for more variety of foods are important factors too. These are all reasons that plant-based alternatives to meat are gaining in popularity. Did you know that plant-based chicken is the fastest growing meat replacement option?
What are meat replacement product made of?
Meat replacement products contain soy, wheat, peas and other ingredients such as lentils and quinoa. Each ingredient has its own unique protein composition. The meat replacement options on the market that contain high-quality nutrients is rising due to a combination of these different ingredients and the growth in this market.
Plant-based chicken is gaining popularity
Chicken is one of the most-consumed meat products across the globe. As a result, the market offers many different vegetarian and vegan chicken products as replacements or alternatives to real chicken. These products are made from plant-based proteins and are gaining in popularity. The taste, structure and bite of these products is very similar to real chicken pieces, fillets and nuggets.
The plant-based chicken segment in Europe
The number of chicken products made from plant-based proteins has risen sharply over the last few years. In 2019, the plant-based chicken segment totalled about 43% of the European market for meat replacement products. This segment is expected to see an annual growth of 15.8% on average over the 2019-2025 period – rising to almost 4,888.4 million in 2025.
Plant-based chicken products available
The plant-based chicken products available on the market can be divided into two types: breaded and non-breaded:
Non-breaded plant-based chicken products:
Stir fry strips
The strips have a real shredded structure, so that it looks like chicken: easy to use in salads, as a pizza topping or in a stir fry.
Marinated Filet
The fillet is a lightly seasoned vegetarian fillet with the structure of chicken: perfect for roasting in a pan.
Marinated skewers
These skewers are great with rice dishes, chips or some crusty bread: great for on the grill or barbecue.
Breaded plant-based chicken products:
Vegan chicken burger
One of the many different vegetarian burgers on the market. Some are made from soy, others from peas and wheat protein.
Nuggets
100% plant-based, with a crunchy coating. These products can be prepared in the pan, oven or deep fat fryer.
Vegan Chicken Tenders
These vegan chicken tenders are made from soy protein and are 100% plant-based. They are wonderfully crunchy and have a pleasant ‘chicken’ taste.
Do you have a question about plant-based chicken products? Let us know!
At Schouten, we have a great variety breaded and non-breaded plant-based chicken products. Visit us to see our product range! Would you like to add plant-based chicken to your product range? Contact us.
