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Companies producing plant-based meat alternatives, including Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, have been criticized for their marketing and makeup of their products as well as their use of animal testing. Dietitians have claimed they are not necessarily healthier than meat due to their highly processed nature and sodium content.
John Mackey, co-founder and CEO of Whole Foods, and Brian Niccol, CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill, have criticized meat alternatives as ultra-processed foods. Chipotle has claimed it will not carry these products at their restaurants due to their highly processed nature. According to CNBC, "Chipotle joins the likes of Taco Bell—Niccol's former employer—and Arby's in committing to excluding meatless meats on its menu." In response, Beyond Meat invited Niccol to visit its manufacturing site to see the production process. Chipotle later developed its own "plant-based chorizo". In September 2022, Taco Bell also began adding plant-based meat alternatives to its menu.
Some consulting firms and analysts demand more transparency in terms of the environmental impact of plant-based meat. Through a survey, analysts from Deloitte discovered that some consumers linked meat alternatives as "woke" and politically-left leaning.[1] These ideas came from Cracker Barrel's introduction of Impossible Sausages in their restaurants in August, 2022.[2] In 2021, 68% of consumers who purchased plant based meats believed it was healthier than animal meat.[1] The survey also exhibits the number dropping to 60% in 2022, demonstrating a shift in views about the healthiness of these meats.[1]
Some states have instituted legislation stating that meat alternatives are not allowed to label themselves as "meat". In Louisiana, the so-called, "Truth in Labeling of Food Products Act" was challenged by Tofurkey, complaining of free speech violations and was successful on those grounds.
A newer focus of alternative meats from companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods focus on appealing to meat eaters. University of Oregon marketing professor Steffen Jahn thinks that this has run afoul of human psychology, saying “the mimicking of real meat introduces that comparison of authenticity.”[3] Jahn argues that marketing plant-based meats with traditional meats leads to an artificiality that many consumers do not love.[3] Consumer psychologists split foods into categories of “virtue” and “vice” foods, which ultimately guide how products are marketed and sold. Virtue foods are those that less gratifying appealing in the short term, and typically healthier, whereas vice foods are the opposite, having more long term consequences.[4] Many ready-made meat alternatives combine these categories with their long list of ingredients. Consumers who are likely to want to be “virtuous” by avoiding damage to the environment or animals are also likely to want “virtuous” food in the form of simple ingredients.[3]
