China has been battling with swine fever for the past months, resulting in a pork shortage that opened doors for startups to leverage on plant-based alternatives and giving them a chance to challenge industry leaders.
According to Nikkei Asian Review, restaurants are now more open to the idea of providing vegetarian and vegan dishes for consumers who are looking for cheaper alternatives than high-priced real meat dishes.
In Shenzhen, Planet Green has sold over 10,000 burgers that feature artificial meat. The burgers were only added to the menu this month but they are getting a lot of attention from consumers.
Omnipork is another product that is becoming more and more prevalent among restaurants that offer meat alternatives. Omnipork is a result of a mixture that includes rice, mushrooms, soybeans, and peas. According to customers, the alternative is so close to real pork that many cannot distinguish the difference.
Developed by Right Treat, Omnipork is available in around 1,000 restaurants across Hong Kong. The artificial meat product is also expected to start selling in other Chinese regions sometime this month.
The goal of Right Treat is to get the product into other Asian countries such as Japan and Thailand. The target for next year is to make the product available for 15,000 locations. Founder David Yeung said the company will cooperate with contractors and business around the world to achieve its goals.
One of the main challenges that artificial meat producers in China are trying to overcome is pricing. Meat alternatives currently cost around 50 percent more than real meat products. On the other hand, Right Treat is one of the startups that will cut prices next month.
Industry experts have predicted that as Chinese startups keep finding ways to produce meat alternatives, another rivalry with the United States may be formed in the vegan food market.
The world's biggest leaders in vegan food are Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat. Some industry experts believe that if Right Treat and other China-based companies keep exploring their options in the market, there is a good chance they can face-off with artificial meat leaders.
Earlier this month, China announced the release of 10,000 tons of pork into the market as part of the efforts to bring down jumping meat prices. According to CNN, the pork reserves were imported from major suppliers such as Seaboard, Smithfield, Danish Crown, and Clemens Food.
China's swine fever crisis saw the country culling around one third of its overall pig volume. While swine farms are still struggling to keep the problem in control, meat alternative startups are taking advantage of the opportunity to launch into the world.
