Letter CONTENTS AUGUST 2025 glow up TIME TO 4 8 TRENDING The plant-based meat sector enters its “mature” phase. THE ALT-MEAT OF THE MATTER Karsten Schellhas on localizing to new markets. The proliferation of “plant-based” has left meat analogue makers with a problem. Optogenetics allows scientists to produce cultivated meat without growth factors. Understanding values can move the needle on sales. Where alt-meats live has a big impact on sales. What has the first Bezos Center for Sustainable Protein accomplished, and what is on the horizon? Testers generally liked the flavor and convenience of this alt-beef microwave meal. Consumers react to trying cultivated meat. Awarded three Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Awards for Best Scientific Content and Best Podcast by the Software & Information Industry Assn. 10 TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING 16 LIGHTING THE WAY W e’re all adults (I assume), but that doesn’t mean we don’t have some growing up to do. Everything’s changing constantly, and as I adapt, sometimes — even at 41 years old — I am surprised by a soft tuft of childhood innocence tucked in my oth-erwise self-protective mind. It can be a shock when you come up against the harsh realities of the world, but as many alt-meat companies are learning, while growing up is unavoidable, if you do it with style and forethought (and a little bit of humor), it doesn’t have to be painful. It can be a glow up. You’ll see it in this issue’s trending topics (page 4), which focus on the different ways the sector is putting on its big-girl panties, working together and innovating to-ward what consumers want. When we asked experts about growing pains around the language of plant-based meat (page 10), we got some great suggestions to ease the sting, and columnist Karsten Schellhas offers ad-vice for companies looking to grow into new markets with confidence (page 8). This issue, we’ve also included a story about a breakthrough that may help cultivated meat earn stardom by bringing prices down (page 16) and inter-views with two very different men (pages 22 and 30), both focused on the future of the industry and helping it grow into something stronger and more long lasting through collaborative biology, engineering, education and consumer research. In the immortal words of e.e. cummings, “It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are,” but I hope these stories prove that doing the some-times hard work is worth the rewards. 22 STOP MAKING SENSE 29 ICE ICE, BABY 30 A BEZOS-SIZED FOOTPRINT Melissa Sue Sorrells, managing editor 37 TASTE TEST: IMPOSSIBLE FOODS PASTA BOLOGNESE BOWL 40 JUST TO TRY IT EDITOR IN CHIEF: Lisa M. Keefe lkeefe@alt-meat.net 312/274-2212 VICE PRESIDENT, GROUP PUBLISHER: Bill Kinross bkinross@alt-meat.net 312/274-2214 MANAGING EDITOR: Melissa Sue Sorrells msorrells@alt-meat.net 312/266-1950 SALES: Jeff Sutley, sr. account exec jsutley@alt-meat.net 312/274-2210 John McMillan, sr. account exec jmcmillan@alt-meat.net 308/272-1288 Karen Moriarty, sr. account exec kmoriarty@alt-meat.net 630/579-9850 ART DIRECTOR: Brittney Hackbart bhackbart@mtgmediagroup.com 312/274-2216 DESIGNER: Bert Ganzon bganzon@mtgmediagroup.com 312/274-2227 MARKETING MANAGER: Joanne Costin jcostin@contentforbiz.com PRODUCTION: Karen Ruesch kruesch@mtgmediagroup.com 312/274-2204 2 Alt-Meat August 2025 Copyright © 2025 by Marketing & Technology Group Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited For further information go to www.alt-meat.net
Alt-Meat August 2025: Page 2
