Technological Advances that Overcome Challenges to Alternative Protein Development and Commercialization

Technological Advances that Overcome Challenges to Alternative Protein Development and Commercialization


A Visionary Perspective on R&D and Innovation Effort

The growing global demand for sustainable and ethical food sources has led to significant advancements in alternative proteins. From plant-based proteins to cellular agriculture and novel fermentation techniques, researchers and industry pioneers are leveraging biotechnology, data analytics, and process optimization to enhance the efficiency and scalability of alternative protein production. Smart fermentation techniques, gene-editing strategies, machine-learning-backed tools, extrusion extraction processes, and shear mixing techniques are some of the technologies being adopted to overcome hurdles related to cost of production, taste and texture optimization, and consumer acceptance. This Frost & Sullivan analytics identifies the potential challenges in current alternative protein production and adoption and how technologies are advancing to handle some of these issues more from a processing and formulation standpoint. The study identifies future technology advances to help solve the manufacturing, processing, and adoption issues of specific plant, insect, microbial, and cultured proteins in specific product segments like alternative meat, alternative dairy, egg replacers, and seafood replacers. The analytics also focuses on trend assessments and identifies attractive opportunities for both protein manufacturers and food and beverage companies in the next five years. A few case studies that showcase successful examples of companies addressing challenges related to supply chain, technology, and production scale-up, and noteworthy collaborations of protein manufacturers and F&B companies are highlighted. Investment and patent trends have been analyzed to identify key beneficiaries, investment trends, and some notable funding initiatives. Growth opportunities of the future such as advanced culturing techniques, machine learning for flavor optimization, and CRISPR-backed solutions are also highlighted.


  • Strategic Imperatives
    • Why Is It Increasingly Difficult to Grow? The Strategic Imperative 8 : Factors Creating Pressure on Growth
    • The Strategic Imperative 8
    • The Impact of the Top 3 Strategic Imperatives on Alternative Proteins
    • Growth Opportunities Fuel the Growth Pipeline Engine
    • Research Methodology
  • Growth Opportunity Analysis
    • Plant Proteins
    • Microbes
    • Edible Insects
    • Cultured Proteins
    • Challenges to Alternative Proteins
    • Growth Drivers
    • Growth Restraints
    • Research Scope and Key Questions the Study Will Answer
  • Technological Advances that Address the Challenges in Alternative Meat Production
    • Handling Issues in Formulation and Processing Techniques in Alternative Meat
    • Plant Proteins to Improve Consumer Experience and Expand Range
    • New Technologies to Harness the Potential of Fungal Proteins
    • Insect Proteins in Emerging Applications
    • Preference for Cultured Meat Devoid of Harmful Additives
    • Processing and Formulation Challenges in Alternative Dairy
  • Technological Advances to Address Challenges in Alternative Dairy
    • Challenges in Alternative Dairy Milk Formulation
    • Competition from Dairy-free Milks and Plant-Protein Products
    • Microbial Proteins in Dairy-free Milk Alternatives
    • Fungal Proteins in Dairy-free Milk Alternatives
    • Disruptive Potential of Lab-Grown Milk
  • Technology Advances to Address Challenges in Egg Replacer Production
    • Challenges to Egg Replacement Technology and Formulation
    • Finding Optimal Plant-based Egg Substitute
    • Microbes in Egg White Alternatives
  • Technological Advances to Address Challenges in Seafood Replacers
    • Seafood Replacers that Mimic the Dietary Offerings of Natural Fish, Fillet, and Shrimps
    • Plant-based Fish and Seafood that Replicate the Common Texture and Flavor of Fish
    • Seafood Lab Grown from Algae
  • Industry Effort
    • Patent Trends that Lean Toward Plant-Based Proteins
    • Highest Patent Filing in the USTPO
    • Explorative Research in New Ingredient Development by Conjugation and Botanicals
    • Regulatory Scenario
    • Partnerships to Magnify Brand and Extend Reach
    • Digital Strategies Adopted by Universities and Research Institutes
    • Public and Private Funding for Development and Commercialization
  • Stakeholder Use Cases on Overcoming Challenges Related to Alternative Proteins
    • Emphasis on Sustainable Material Sourcing Case Study: Bell Food Group
    • Expansion of Protein Production Sites Case Study: Thomas Foods International
    • Scaling up Development of Plant-based Meat Products Case Study: Unilever
    • Launching Plant-based Products for Competitive Edge Case Study: Nestle
    • Recruiting Farmers to Use Crops as Protein Source Case Study: Arla Goods
    • Growing a Plant-based Dairy Business Case Study: Danone
    • Protein Texture Designing of Egg Substitutes Case Study: Simple Eggless
    • Slide 76: Optimal Protein Extraction to Scale Production Case Study: EastJust Inc.
    • Scalability of Yeast Engineered Proteins Case Study: The Every Company
    • Creating Cell Suspension Technology to Reduce CAPEX Case Study: BlueNalu, Inc.
    • Raising Funds to Scale Production Case Study: Wild Type Foods
  • Analyst Perspective
    • Disruptive Technology that will Address Challenges in Production
    • Disruptive Technology that will Address Challenges in Replicating Characteristics
    • Individual Preference as a Barrier to Adoption
    • Source, Extractions Method, and Similarity to Traditional Proteins
    • Strengthening Supply Chain through Partnerships
  • Growth Opportunity Universe
    • Growth Opportunity 1: Advanced Culturing Techniques
    • Growth Opportunity 2: Flavor Optimization
    • Growth Opportunity 3: CRISPR-Based Ingredient Enhancement
    • Growth Opportunity 4: New Precision Fermentation Techniques
  • Appendix
    • Technology Readiness Levels (TRL): Explanation
  • Next Steps
    • Your Next Steps
    • Why Frost, Why Now?

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