GFI report highlights untapped potential for whole-cut meat alternatives

Plant-based burgers and nuggets may be familiar on supermarket shelves, but a new report from the Good Food Institute (GFI) shows that whole-cut meat alternatives remain a major white space in the US market. The study, Insights and Opportunities in Whole-Cut Meat Alternatives, examines the state of products such as steaks, filets, chicken breasts, and pork chops – categories that dominate conventional meat consumption but are scarcely represented in plant-based and fermentation-enabled formats.

According to GFI, nearly 70% of US consumers aged 18-59 who had eaten conventional meat in the past year reported regularly consuming whole cuts like steak and chicken breast. By contrast, only about 50% said they regularly eat ground meats, sausages, patties, or nuggets. Despite this preference, whole-cut alternatives currently make up just 1-5% of US retail plant-based meat sales.

This imbalance highlights both the challenge and the opportunity. Conventional beef steaks alone accounted for 37% of US retail beef dollar sales in 2024, while plant-based beef filets, steaks, and cutlets represented only 1%. “American meat consumption relies heavily on whole cuts like steak and chicken breast – but this category is almost entirely unaddressed by plant-based and fermentation-enabled meat,” the report notes.

The GFI analysis shows encouraging signs of progress. Between 2022 and 2024, US retail sales of plant-based filets, steaks, and cutlets grew at a compound annual growth rate of 17%, led by beef-based products at +170%. Chicken-based equivalents grew 11% in the same period.

Recent technological advances are helping drive this growth. Producers are experimenting with shear cell technology, 3D printing, fiber spinning, and freeze structuring to replicate the fibrous textures of conventional meat. Mycelium-based methods are also gaining ground, offering natural alignment of fibers that closely mimic muscle tissue.

Startups and established players alike are moving quickly. Impossible Foods launched its first plant-based steak in 2025, while Beyond Meat announced a fava bean and mycelium-based steak to complement its existing range. Juicy Marbles unveiled the first plant-based rib with edible bones, and Israeli startup Chunk Foods brought a fermentation-enabled steak to a US steakhouse chain.

Partnerships are also scaling capacity. SWAP Food (formerly Umiami) opened France’s first commercial-scale plant-based whole-cut facility and partnered with Heura Foods to launch plant-based chicken filets. Meanwhile, Chunk Foods opened a new facility in Israel capable of producing millions of fermentation-enabled steaks annually, enabling its entry into US retail.

Despite strong momentum, consumer perceptions remain a hurdle. Research cited in the report found that leading plant-based steak products significantly underperform conventional steak in blind taste tests, particularly on taste and texture. However, unbreaded plant-based chicken breast fared better, matching consumer satisfaction scores with its conventional counterpart.

Overall, 68% of surveyed US consumers said they regularly eat conventional whole cuts, compared to just 30% who regularly eat plant-based equivalents. Yet the addressable market is promising: 44% of consumers open to plant-based meat said they would consider eating plant-based whole cuts.

GFI argues that better sensory performance and greater consumer education could unlock this latent demand. “Progress in taste and texture can significantly impact consumer behavior,” the report states, pointing out that categories with higher sensory satisfaction capture five to 15 times more market share than lower-performing categories.

The size of the opportunity is striking. In 2024, the US plant-based whole-cut market totaled around US$120 million, compared with conventional chicken breast sales of roughly US$9 billion in 2023 and steak sales of US$11 billion in 2024. Even modest gains in market share would translate into substantial growth for plant-based and fermentation-enabled products.

The report concludes that further investment in R&D, texturization technology, and consumer awareness will be essential to close the gap. Success could open the door to new eating occasions – from grilling a plant-based steak at a barbecue to preparing plant-based chicken shreds for a family meal.

“Additional investments and innovations enabling plant-based and fermentation-enabled whole cuts to compete with conventional whole cuts on taste, texture, functionality, and price can open new opportunities for alternative protein companies to engage consumers by more fully addressing their preferences and needs,” the authors write.