Protein Focus

Popular Protein Trends to Keep Your Eye On

Despite the growing evidence and awareness of the climate impact of our diets, meat consumption continues to rise around the world. IBISWorld expects meat consumption to rise by 0.1 percent in 2022-23, to reach 73.7 kilograms per capita. Poultry production is expected to increase in the current year, putting downward pressure on prices and encouraging increased consumption.

And while rising instances of vegetarianism and veganism in New Zealand are constraining overall consumption, Kiwi consumers still love their meat, from beef and lamb to fish and now, a rising number of ‘meat’ alternatives.

Plant-based proteins are not the only solution to the environmental impact of meat consumption, however, sustainable agriculture is a vital part of New Zealand’s red meat sector which is built around extensive low-impact grassland grazing systems and is widely recognised as being one of the most environmentally efficient farming systems in the world.

Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s Environment Strategy lays out a progressive long-term vision for the sector based around four priority areas: healthy productive soils, thriving biodiversity, reducing carbon emissions and cleaner water, with the goal of the sheep and beef sector as a whole moving towards carbon neutrality by 2050.

There are some great trends in the meat industry that have popped up over the last year, driven by consumers getting back out onto the dining scene. A lot of these trends incorporate what consumers are looking for in terms of taste, traceability, and sustainability. Here’s some of our top picks:

From Rarely Used to On the Rise

Move over ribeye, there are some new cuts in town. Consumers are becoming more interested in many lesser-known cuts of steak, such as bavette, oyster, flank, beef tongue and more.

There are many reasons why these underutilised steaks are now front-and-centre including cost, supply challenges, and sustainability. Whatever the case, these cuts are often highly flavourful and can provide guests with a new eating experience.

Nose-to-Tail Eating

In relation to celebrating underutilised cuts of meat is the notion of eating ‘nose-to-tail’. Beef + Lamb New Zealand have defined nose-to-tail (NTT) eating simply as, ‘promoting eating all edible parts of the animal, from the head to the tail, in an effort to minimise waste and eat thoughtfully and respectfully’.

Food waste can be reduced by cooking with the whole animal. Even meat bones, which also make up a portion of non-edible food waste, can be used. Instead of buying expensive bone broths or stocks why not make your own, ensuring you get every bit of goodness out of the bones before they are discarded.

Seafood Snacks and Seaweed

Sooner or later the growing markets of seafood and snacking were bound to meet. That seems to be happening now. In North America, where popcorn shrimp has long been a popular seafood snack, chefs are serving charred skate fin as a type of seafood jerky and a range of salmon hot dogs have hit the supermarket shelves.

Seaweed, once mostly common to Asian countries, is widely growing in popularity. Seaweeds are a highly versatile and nutritious food source that can be added to a range of products for their taste as well as how they can be used to thicken soups or stabilise the texture of ice cream. As seaweeds have an umami flavour, many chefs also favour seaweeds to enhance the depth of flavour in their dishes.

Novel Protein Sources

Imagine eating a burger produced from elements found in the air, or a slice of cheese made from fungi with origins in a national park. Brands are exploring a wide range of innovative protein sources to supplement the industry’s continued focus on pea and soy.

Cell-based solutions made from cultivated animal cells are on their way to becoming increasingly mainstream as industry leaders such as Future Meat Technologies are developing more efficient processes for manufacturing meat products at scale. Beyond cell-based options, several new and existing players in the space are exploring novel protein sources coming from air particles, volcanic ash, seaweed, insects, and more.