Expert Says Alternative Proteins Not Having The Impact On Meat Consumption Many Feared

Many in the beef and pork industry have expressed concerns that alternative proteins would become a replacement for American Consumers. However Andy Harid with Food Marketing Institute said that's not happening, saying that consumers that purchase "fake meat" do so in addition to typical meat purchases, rather than as a replacement. He added according to his group's extensive consumer surveys, sales of meat products in super markets are not going down, even as sales of substitute meats are going up.

"So, it doesn't look like in the early stages, any ways that is necessarily drop down consumption."

Harig says there are a lot of younger shoppers who are concerned about issues like sustainability and animal welfare, but it usually takes a long time for major changes of the U.S. diet to be made.

​"I tend to think this is probably not a ten-year horizon, but a much longer one than that before we start to see any kind of significant changes."

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