プラントベースの肉についてーThe Economistの記事をベースに

2026年3月8日

経済誌エコノミスト（英語版）の記事で、プラントベース（植物由来の食肉に似せた製品ー代替食肉）の食肉市場の勢いが鈍っているというものがありました。食も私にとってはキーワードの一つで、Economistの中でも食関係の記事はよく読みます。

その記事を元に、解説＋分析を書いてみました。　ポイントについてはまた後日。

Plant-based meat was once one of the most exciting trends in the food industry.

However, recent data suggests that the boom may be slowing down.
The article I chose today examines why this is happening.

A few years ago, plant-based meat attracted enormous attention from investors, food companies, and consumers.
Companies such as Beyond Meat experienced rapid growth, and the market expanded quickly.

However, the situation has changed in recent years.
Sales of plant-based meat have started to decline, and some major companies are struggling
financially.

Concurrently, conventional meat sales are increasing again.

The article suggests that this does not necessarily mean the industry is collapsing.
Rather, it may be experiencing a market correction after the initial hype.

Several factors help explain this slowdown.

First, there is a gap between consumer expectations and the actual products.
Many consumers feel that plant-based meat still does not fully match the taste and texture of real meat.

Second, price is another issue.
Plant-based meat products are often more expensive than conventional meat, which makes them less attractive, especially in an inflationary environment.

Another concern is health.
Although these products were originally marketed as a healthier alternative, many of them are now criticised as ultra-processed foods with long ingredient lists.

In addition, broader food trends may also be influencing consumer behaviour.
Many consumers are now turning toward whole foods and simpler diets, rather than highly processed alternatives.

Another important point is that plant-based meat still represents a very small share of the overall meat market.

According to the Good Food Institute, plant-based meat accounts for only about 1% of the U.S. meat market.

Consumer data also reveals an interesting pattern.
According to research from Nielsen and the Plant Based Foods Association, about 86% of households that buy plant-based meat also buy conventional meat.

This suggests that the main target consumers are not strict vegetarians, but flexitarians—people who still eat meat but want to reduce their consumption.

This raises an interesting paradox.

People often say they want to reduce meat consumption, but at the same time they still want food that tastes like meat.

If someone wants to avoid eating meat, one might ask why it is necessary to recreate the taste and texture of meat rather than simply eating vegetables, beans, or other plant-based foods.

From this perspective, plant-based meat can sometimes feel slightly contradictory.

In many ways, the plant-based meat industry may simply be moving from hype to reality.

And its future will depend not only on technology, but also on a deeper question: whether consumers truly want to replace meat at all.

#Economist #FoodSecurity

＜関東＞

埼玉県

• 所沢市

東京都

• 国立市
• 小金井市
• 国分寺市
• 小平市
• 立川市
• 西東京市
• 東村山市
• 三鷹市
• 武蔵野市