Well, to remove your doubt-head straight and no doubt fire…

Alternative proteins are plant-based and food-technology alternatives to animal protein. They include food products made from plants (for example, grains, legumes and nuts), fungus (mushrooms), algae, insects and even cultured (lab-grown) meat.

The fundaments of this market are not very old.

Interest alternative protein market grew gradually up to and including 2007, only accelerating over the past decade. The factors contributing to this evolution are-increased consumer interest in health, price, and ethical considerations (such as animal welfare) around different types of protein. Global populations and ethnic communities vary significantly in the amount and types of meat consumed.

In the Middle East and much of Asia–Pacific, for example, most protein comes from legumes and seafood,⁶ while Chinese consumers mainly rely on beef, pork, and poultry. In China, approximately 50 percent of animal protein calories come from pork, compared with the Middle East, which reports minimal protein calories coming from pork but nearly 50 percent from dairy and eggs. 

Currently, the market base for alternative protein is approximately $2.2 billion compared with a global meat market of approximately $1.7 trillion.

As a oresensologist I believe, alternate protein is the next big thing in the food industry. Several entrants in the alternative-protein space are already rolling out new technologies and ingredients, and some are attempting to solidify their place in the market. Innovative food companies are able to mirror the customer experience of eating meat to a much higher degree.