Plant Based Zack Henderson

Color Aesthetics of Plant-Based Beef Alternatives

In 2016, Tyson Foods and the venture capital arm
of General Mills both invested in the plant-based
food startup, Beyond Meat.

Cargill, one of the world’s largest beef suppliers, also sold two of its cattle feedlots in Texas this year with plans of selling two more to redistribute capital into other investments, per the company’s President, John Keating. Shortly after, Cargill spokesman, Mike Martin, explained the company’s intention to expand its North America-based protein business by exploring plant-based protein, fish and insects, along with other opportunities linked to livestock and poultry. Canada is also gaining traction in the plant-based meat market with top meat producer Maple Leaf Foods’ purchase of US-based LightLife Foods, one of the top five meat substitute brands in the U.S.

It’s evident that times are indeed changing.

In 2016, the U.S. was tied with Spain and the UK for the fifth most retail launches of global new meat alternatives (5%), and the market for meatless “meat” products is projected to continue to grow in the next few years according to Mintel. Even fast-food giant, McDonald’s is testing the waters of the plant-based meat segment with their soy-based McVegan burger trial in Finland. In addition, 31% of the general U.S. population like to have “meat-free” days such as “Meatless Mondays.” Impossible Foods, a start-up leader in the plant-based meat category, now has their meatless “Impossible Burger” in restaurant chains in California, Nevada, and New York. Now, one can even find some of these plant-based meat products in the actual meat retail sections, like Beyond Meat’s plant-based burger sold at select Whole Foods, Safeway, and Kroger stores around the U.S.

Plant-Based Meat Without Compromise

The sensory experience of eating plant-based meats seems to be an extremely important topic amongst product developers.

“The goal for Impossible Foods was to have an uncompromisingly delicious meat without using animals,” said founder, Patrick Brown.

Watch Out

In neutral environments, color from red anthocyanins will exhibit shades of purple and blue.

Watch Out

Standard beet juice solutions tend to brown under heat processes.

Watch Out

In acidic environments, color from red beet juice will degrade and fade, resulting in a colorless effect.

Plant based burger with ingredients on black, black beans, tomatos, onions

Generally, high usage rates are unnecessary, so cost-in-use is optimistic for this application.

With the industry’s strides in natural color extraction techniques and innovative technologies, achieving the desired appearance of actual beef in plant-based alternatives should not involve any compromise.

If you have any questions or projects where you need some assistance,
please feel free to reach out to my team or me. We love to talk color!

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Color Aesthetics of Plant-Based Beef Alternatives

Plant-Based Meat Without Compromise

“The goal for Impossible Foods was to have an uncompromisingly delicious meat without using animals,” said founder, Patrick Brown.

Watch Out

Watch Out

Watch Out

Generally, high usage rates are unnecessary, so cost-in-use is optimistic for this application.

If you have any questions or projects where you need some assistance, please feel free to reach out to my team or me. We love to talk color!

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If you have any questions or projects where you need some assistance,
please feel free to reach out to my team or me. We love to talk color!