Alternative protein innovation falls

Following years of growth, the alternative meat sector has seen a dip in patent activity.

Intellectual property firm Appleyard Lees reveals there has been an approximate 7% decline in patent filings for plant-based meat technology in 2022 – the first fall since 2013.

Despite this, the findings from the Inside Green Innovation: Progress Report reveals that new filings for plant-based in 2022 were the second highest on record, climbing from 264 in 2021 to 283 last year.

This fall in innovation activity comes as sales in the plant-based meat sector witnessed a 26% decline in the two years to 2023. Still, the continued high investment into the category shows investors are confident a second wave of plant-based meats is on the horizon.

The report highlights concerns over ultra processed foods​​ (UPFs), poor eating experiences (versus conventional meat) and higher prices (estimated to be a 77% price premium by weight) as potential drivers for this descent.

A study published by the UK-based Quadram Institute​​ earlier in the year found that while plant-based foods are generally higher in fibre, they are lower in protein than their animal-based counterparts. The researchers also highlighted that a blanket answer as to which food category is healthier cannot yet be determined, with nutritional qualities varying wildly.  

Tofu and tempeh growing​

Pea and soy remained the key proteins of interest; however, tofu and tempeh were the only category that saw growth in 2022, which the report suggests could be a result of increasing opposition to UPFs.

South Korea holds the lead in plant-based innovation. Notable companies in the field include Nestle – focusing on protein binders, connective tissue analogues and texture improvements – and Roquette Freres, concentrating on patents for both texture and flavour of pea protein.

“There was still significant funding in the plant-based meats industry in 2022, with over one billion USD of investment and a similar amount in governmental research funding announced through 2022 and 2023,”​ added Alice Smart, associate at Appleyard Lees.  

“This shows that improving plant-based meats is still a topic that both investors and governments see as a potential solution to the problems of environmentally sustainable food production.”​

GFI’s life cycle assessment on plant-based

These findings come at the same time the Good Food Institute (GFI) reveals the results of its ISO-certified life cycle assessment (LCA) on plant-based ‘meats’.

Conducted by Earthshift Global, the LCA underscores the category’s environmental benefits compared to meat, showing that their plant-based counterparts have, on average, a 91% lower impact than beef, 88% lower impact than pork, and 71% lower impact than chicken.

The results also show plant-based ‘meat’ to be more efficient, emitting less air and water pollution. On average, the assessment found that plant-based meat uses 79% less land, 95% less water and reduces water pollution by 93% compared to animal meat.

Commenting on plant-based's sustainability credentials and the future of the sector, Appleyard Lees’ partner Chris Mason, added: “Plant-based meats offer a potentially more environmentally sustainable alternative to ‘real’ meat but reducing the cost of producing and retailing plant-based meats combined with improving the nutritional profile may be required to reinvigorate the industry."​

Cultured meat plateaus​

Meanwhile, following an almost four-fold increase in patent filings for cultivated meat from 2019-2020, and a further increase of more than a fifth to 2021, the number of new patent applications has plateaued, shrinking to just a 3% uplift in 2022.

The USA leads the field by some distance in terms of cultured meat innovation, followed by Europe and South Korea.

The US company leading the sector for patent filings, Upside Foods​​, gained the first regulatory approval for any cultivated meat product in the US in 2022 for cultivated chicken.

Patent filings in the UK, which constitute more than 10% of the global total, are coming mainly from Oxford University spin-out, Ivy Farm Technologies.​​

In terms of what’s pushing the industry’s stalled innovation, the report suggests companies may be focusing on scaling up production to commercialise their inventions instead. However, the latest patent filings for lab grown meat appear to be seeking protection for applications such as equipment and methods to reduce production costs and increase capacity.

According to Appleyard Lee’s partner Chris Mason, global investment in cultivated meat and seafood firms fell from $922.3m in 2022 to $225.9m in 2023.

“The top five cell-based meat manufacturers accounted for 46.9% of all funds raised and this has created a challenging environment for any new start-up firms entering the industry,” ​Mason said.

Smart added: “In the cultivated meat sector, scaling up is clearly the current focus and the biggest technological obstacle to further development faced by the more established companies in this sector. The desire to create an affordable and sustainable product is driving innovations in high volume methods, accelerated production and ways to make the culturing process more efficient. This push to scale up will need to move in parallel with progressive regulatory and funding environments to see this industry of high potential move to the next level.”​

In other news, Burts Snacks has suffered £5.2m pre-tax loss. Find out more here.​​