Plant-based meat is the biggest trend in the food industry this year as Beyond Meat and its rivals continue to compete for the masses' support. However, not every food giant exec believes the health-related powers of this trend, including Whole Foods CEO John Mackey.
In an interview with CNBC Make It on Wednesday, Mackey noted that while Whole Foods did launch Beyond Meat in 2013, he personally does not endorse plant-based meat since he believes these are not healthy.
Mackey argued that the ingredients included in most plant-based meat products are "super, highly processed food." He went on to explain that for health reasons, he is not recommending such products to consumers.
It is worth noting that Mackey is a vegan. The Whole Foods boss also explained that while he does not endorse plant-based meat due to questionable health benefits, he agrees that the product is more environmentally-friendly than the regular meat products in the market.
Beyond Meat and rival, Impossible Foods have been making a name in the global food sector over the past several months. Their products are gaining traction due to their promises of eco-friendly processes and goods.
In a recent study that Beyond Meat produced in partnership with the Center for Sustainable Systems at the University of Michigan, one plant-based burger does amazing wonders for the environment.
The study suggested that one burger with plant-based meat results in up to 90 percent of reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, this burger has 93 percent less negative effects on land use compared to livestock.
Meanwhile, the "fake meat" industry continues to grow in popularity. Other food brands have announced that they are entering the non-meat alternative market. According to Bloomberg, some of these firms are Conagra Brands Inc. and Nestle SA have decided to expand their products in the plant-based meat segment.
Nestle is looking to unveil the Awesome Burger in September in the United States. The product features peas as its base. Conagra, on the other hand, is improving meat alternatives for its sausage and hot dogs.
While Conagra and Nestle have yet to join the competition, the real rivalry is between Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat. In terms of earnings and stock prices, the two brands are battling it out for the spotlight.
Beyond Meat is already making a name in supermarkets while Impossible Foods is looking to attract the mass market instead. Both food giants have drawn first blood against the other last year in terms of deals struck but the battle has just begun, industry experts say.
