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The End of the Imitation Game Future Plant-Based Meat Isn’t Trying to Be Meat


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New data from the Good Food Institute (GFI) reveals a sobering truth that most people who try plant-based meat don’t stick with it. But that’s not the real story. Look closer and you’ll see the shift away from mimicry, away from bleeding patties - toward something more interesting - plant-based protein products not pretending to be meat at all.


We’ve hit peak burger fatigue. The plant-based aisle is saturated with shrink-wrapped attempts at imitation, from vegan bacon to “fishless” fillets. And while trial rates remain high, repeat purchase data is sliding. According to GFI, the core customer base is reshuffling and so is their taste.


The interesting thing is the next phase of plant-based doesn’t look like meat and that’s a good thing.


Take Revo Foods' The Prime Cut. It’s structured like a protein-rich block of chicken, sure, but it’s not trying to fool you. It’s 3D-printed mycoprotein, made with precision, not pretense. It’s a protein thing, built for texture, satiety, and sensory value on its own terms. Not a meat knock-off. A protein-forward food format.

 PFN/TRENOS Ai Graphic Archive

Source: PFN/TRENOS Ai Graphic Archive


This trend isn’t emerging in isolation. In a recent PlanetFood.News article, Australian bio-manufacturing expert Dr James Ryall slammed ANZ’s failure to grasp the opportunity. His view? The future of protein isn’t “meat without the animal” - it’s entirely new food forms. Formats designed for performance, shelf stability, and customisation and not nostalgia.


This is what GFI’s consumer segmentation subtly points to:


  • Curious-but-done shoppers don’t want another fake burger.

  • Health-driven flexitarians want protein with purpose.

  • Emerging consumers want convenience without compromise.

They’re not interested in fantasy. They’re interested in functionality.


So maybe we’re finally starting to outgrow the meat mimicry era. The real winners? Brands like Revo, companies betting on new formats, and bio-manufacturers building the food equivalents of Tesla and not just better versions of the horse cart. Because the future of protein isn’t meatless meat. It’s food making meat irrelevant.




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