Your favorite foods
with more value
and more nutrients
Balanced Proteins (BPs) are meat, poultry, dairy, egg, or seafood products that substitute at least 30% of the animal-based ingredients for ingredients made from plants, cultivated animal cells, and/or microbial fermentation.
Why are balanced proteins important?
A pragmatic solution for a more sustainable and delicious food system
Balanced proteins (BPs) offers a practical, middle ground solution that aligns with current consumer preferences and industry practices while tackling critical inefficiencies in our food system. The success of balanced proteins paves the way for a healthier, more sustainable, and equitable future:
Great Taste & Texture: BPs retain the flavor, juiciness, and cooking performance that consumers know and love.
Omnivore Appeal: As meat-led products that maintains the taste and performance of conventional meat, BPs are able to appeal to a broader set of consumers than previous alternatives.
Price Parity: BPs are more easily incorporated into existing scalable processes decreasing their price for both businesses and the end consumer.
New Jobs to Be Done: BPs have the opportunity to credibly create new functional benefits for consumers—leading to adoption and successful product line launches.
Nutritional Benefits: The addition of plant-based components diversifies nutritional profiles—offering fiber, vitamins, and lower saturated fat in a transparent process.
Supply Chain Resilience: Diversifying protein production creates more stable markets and ensures food security in the face of global challenges.
Sustainability Gains: A significant reduction in environmental impacts, including emissions, water use, and land degradation, compared to 100% animal meat.
Equitable Welfare: By reducing reliance on industrial animal farming, Balanced Protein minimizes public health implications and animal ethical concerns.
FAQs
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We established this range by considering four key data points:
Consumer Insights on Mix Preferences: According to NECTAR’s Future of The Industry 2024 report, consumers showed a stronger preference for balanced blends like 50% animal-50% plant over more extreme blends (e.g., 90/10 or 10/90). This suggests that achieving a palatable and acceptable balance between plant-based and meat ingredients is crucial to appeal to a broader consumer base.
Range of Existing Offerings: The category of Balanced Protein is still evolving, but most products on the market have ratios between 50/50 and 70/30 (animal to plant-based ingredients). A baseline of 30% accommodates the lower end of this spectrum, allowing for flexibility in product formulation and aligning with current market offerings.
Comparable Standards of Identity in Other Food Products: We examined regulatory guidelines for “blended” products in other categories to understand the minimum thresholds needed to maintain product integrity. For example, the FDA requires milk chocolate to contain at least 25% cocoa solids, ensuring the product meets consumer expectations for quality and taste. Similarly, the European Union requires a 30% reduction in fat for a product to be labeled “reduced-fat.”
Ranges Above Previous Filler Levels: Historically, fillers like Lean Finely Textured Beef (LFTB) were added to meat products at levels of 10-15%. Setting a higher minimum plant-based ingredient level of 30% ensures products have an intentional inclusion of enhancing ingredients
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We use “plant-based” as a consumer-friendly umbrella term that includes products with no animal-derived ingredients. Plant-based foods include food from whole grains, nuts, seeds, and/or legumes, vegetables, fruits, fungi, and algae. Under this definition, we welcome all types of innovation in product formulation that contribute to a more nutritious and sustainable future for meat products. This includes a range of non-animal ingredients, from whole-food plant ingredients to textured proteins. However, the inclusion of plant-based ingredients must add value for consumers across three key pillars:
Taste: Plant-based ingredients should not detract from the overall taste experience of the product. Taste is a critical factor for the success of this category, as it remains the most important driver of consumer trial and repeat purchases.
Nutrition: One key advantage of balanced proteins over conventional meat is the potential to offer diversified nutrition. As consumers become more discerning about the ingredients in alternative proteins, it’s essential that plant-based components provide clear nutritional benefits not found in conventional meat while maintaining similar benefits that meat provides. To build trust, we lean towards the inclusion of whole-food ingredients where possible but encourage brands to find the right mix for their products.
Value: Achieving price parity with conventional meat is essential for the balanced protein category. This means using ingredients that can keep costs down while enhancing the product's appeal to consumers.
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We understand the power a category moniker carries. As such, we performed several studies across various stakeholders and thought-leaders to determine our communication strategy. In the coming weeks, we’ll continue to vet different nomenclature to develop a standardized language we can use. Here’s what we’ve learned so far:
Appealing: We learned that consumers are more receptive to names that evoke delicious food. It should invite curiosity rather than seem complex or overly scientific.
Familiar / Trustworthy: While the product is innovative, the name should not feel foreign or overly technical. Familiar terms like “protein” and “balanced” help consumers quickly grasp what the product is and how it fits into their lifestyle.
Understandable: Clarity is key. The name needs to quickly communicate that the product is a blend of both animal and plant-based ingredients, appealing to consumers looking for a healthier and more sustainable choice without sacrificing taste.
Distinct & Defined: The name needs to set this category apart from conventional meat and fully plant-based alternatives, while signaling that it’s a new kind of product. It must break through the clutter and carve out its own space in the consumer's mind. The name itself should set the parameters for what is permissible and what is not.