It was in the late 2010s when plant-based foods went mainstream.
The hype was concentrated in a few startups that had miraculously bridged the gap between real and fake.
Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat captivated consumers with meatless products that now looked and tasted like actual animal proteins, and Oatly led the way with creaminess that was comparable to cow milk.
They represented a paradigm shift in the world of consumer packaged goods.
Vegan products historically were made by and sold to vegans who had already made the lifestyle switch, but vegans account for less than 1% of the global population, and few companies were willing to stake millions of dollars in R&D for such a tiny market.
But these new innovations were designed to be mainstream, not niche.
They were, for omnivores first and vegan second rather than vice versa.
With seemingly minimal differences in taste, texture or appearance, customers could easily substitute their beloved meat and dairy for these modern plant-based substitutes.
Whether it was out of curiosity or novelty, these startups exploded in virality, and when customers demonstrated their willingness to pay a premium for these supposedly healthier, sustainable, plant based substitutes, the market jumped headfirst onto the bandwagon.
Restaurant chains joined the hype, aggressively rolling out plant-based menu items and dairy-free drinks.
