The meat substitutes market is estimated to be valued at USD 1.6 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach USD 3.5 billion by 2025, recording a CAGR of 12.0% during the forecast period. Growth of the meat substitutes market is driven by factors, such as the changing preferences of people for vegan food products as well as increasing obesity.

The key players in the meat substitutes market include Archer Daniels Midland Company (US), DuPont (US), Roquette Frères (France), Kerry (Ireland), Ingredion (US), The Nisshin OilliO Group,Ltd (Japan), Axiom Foods (US), Sotexpro S.A (France), Wilmar International Limited (Singapore), CRESPEL & DEITERS (Germany), CHS INC. (US), Suedzucker (Germany), MGP Ingredient (US), Puris (US), Sonic Biochem Ltd. (India), The Top Health Ingredients (Canada), The Emsland Group (Germany), and Cargill (US).

Cargill (US) is involved in the manufacturing and marketing of food ingredients; agricultural products; and risk management, financial, and industrial products & services around the globe. Its key business segments include specialty food ingredients & applications and bulk ingredients. It comprises 75 businesses, which are classified into four main divisions, namely, agriculture, food, financial, and industrial. The products & services provided by the company are in the area of animal nutrition and feed, commodity trading and processing, industrial/bio-industrial products, energy and fuels, farmer services, financial and risk management, food & beverage ingredients, health and personal care, and salt. The company mainly focuses on various investments to strengthen its position in the meat substitutes market. For instance,

• In August 2019, Cargill invested $ 75 million in PURIS (US), a key distributor of pea protein ingredients to Beyond Meat (US). This investment would enable PURIS to double its production of pea proteins.

Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) produces food & beverage ingredients, feed & feed ingredients, industrial ingredients, biofuels, and naturally derived alternatives to industrial chemicals. It operates through five segments—agricultural services, oilseeds processing, corn processing, wild flavors and specialty ingredients, and others. Its network spans across more than 170 countries around the world. It operates globally through 271 processing plants and more than 450 procurement facilities, where cereal grains and oilseeds are processed into products used in the food, beverage, nutraceutical, industrial, and animal feed markets. It also has 46 innovation centers and owns approximately 200 warehouses and terminals, which are used as bulk storage facilities. It mainly focuses on various partnerships to expand itself to strengthen its product portfolio in the meat substitutes market. For instance,

• In August 2019, ADM (US) and Marfrig (Brazil) entered into a partnership to provide plant-based burgers in Brazil. Marfrig (Brazil) currently offers plant-based burgers in Brazil, whereas ADM provides natural ingredients and plant-based protein flavors to its US customers.

Ingredion (US) is an ingredient solutions company whose product line includes sweeteners, starches, and unique ingredients from plant sources, such as corn, tapioca, rice, sago, and potato. It also sells biomaterial solutions derived from the wet milling and processing of corn and other starch-based materials to a range of industries, both domestically and internationally. It caters to a variety of customers in diverse industries around the world, including food, beverage, paper & corrugating, brewing, pharmaceutical, textile, and personal care, as well as the global feed and corn oil markets. Its key reportable segments include food, beverages, animal nutrition, brewing, and others. It maintains a strong operational base of 44 manufacturing facilities and has a presence across 60 countries.

Ingredion produces a diverse variety of flours made out of pulses. These flours are used in bakery products, snacks, cereals, meat alternatives, pasta, batters, and breading. Meat alternatives are produced from pea, faba beans, chickpea, and lentils. The company mainly focuses on various expansions & investments to expand itself in the meat substitutes market. For instance,

• In May 2019, Ingredion invested about USD 185 million toward a new facility in Vanscoy, Canada, which would be operational by 2020. The new facility would play a key role in the development and production of new protein concentrates and flours from lentils, faba, peas, and beans.

The changing lifestyle and increasing buying power of consumers have increased the demand for meat substitutes. The growth of the region is owing to the increasing sale of plant-based meat products in North America and the rising acceptance of convenience foods among consumers due to their hectic lifestyles. Also, the inclination of the millennial population toward ready-to-eat foods drives the North American processed food market, which, in turn, is driving the demand for global meat substitutes.