The plant-based food market is expanding its footprint to diverse categories, adding to meat alternatives with alternatives to seafood and eggs, as well as plant-based snacks and seasonings. The meat alternatives category is being redefined from simply offering an alternative to meat to a new definition as everyday food, as it evolves in line with consumer values.
Health, the environment and food diversity are its main growth drivers. Global shifts include a polarisation of focus on either ‘realistic’ meat alternatives or real ingredients, advances in hybrid meats and rapid growth for seafood and egg alternatives, while the focus of claims is shifting from plant-based to trust and and experiential value. In Japan, only a small proportion of consumers actively avoid animal meat, making it more important to demonstrate an enjoyable eating experience than to lean into plant-based claims.
The key to market expansion lies in staying attuned to consumer needs and optimising designs and marketing claims by target segment.
Plant-based food development is expanding from meat alternatives to include alternatives to seafood and eggs, plant-based snacks and more. Behind this market growth lies a focus on health and the environment, and rising interest in accommodating diverse diets. Moves to redefine plant-based products position them as new everyday foods, not just a substitute for animal products. Building on simple functional value, the key for product development here will rest on experiential value.
Yuri Terakado, Research Analyst – Food and Drink, Japan
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Executive summary
- Overview
- Scope and definitions used in this Report
- Global overview
- Plant-based food category key market factors
- Four global trends in plant-based food
- Japan overview
- Three trends to watch in Japan’s plant-based food market
- Expansion strategies for plant-based food in Japan
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Global market overview
- Plant-based food global market size
- Key market factors by category
- Plant-based meat alternative global market size
- Graph 1: plant-based meat market size, 2024-34
- Seafood alternatives global market size
- Graph 2: seafood alternatives market size, 2022-29
- Egg alternatives global market size
- Graph 3: egg alternatives market size, 2024-32
- Plant-based snacks global market size
- Graph 4: plant-based snack market size, 2024-34
- Diet diversity is fundamental to plant-based food, and health benefits, flavour and storytelling are its essential values
- Graph 5: select claims in food NPD, 2015-25
- Attitudes toward meat consumption vary greatly by market
- Graph 6: limiting meat intake, 2025
- Socioeconomic trends: prices must drop for meat alternatives to regain growth
- Graph 7: 2024 price comparison of plant-based versus animal-based meat, per weight, 2024
- Technology trends: innovation accelerates progress toward realistic textures and lower prices
- Regulation: global progress in establishing labeling rules for alternative foods
- Public support: more governments embrace plant-based
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Global trends
- Four global trends in plant-based food
- 1. Meat alternatives category focus polarises between more realistic meat substitutes and more vegetable-centric protein
- UK: meat alternatives category is growing along parallel lines of realism and ingredients
- Meat alternatives available now
- The brands aiming to shed this category’s substitute image
- Improving ingredient transparency has potential to convey many more values
- 2. Hybrid meat offers a breakthrough to the barriers of taste and price
- Hybrid meat development activity in Europe speaks to flexitarians
- Three main types of hybrid meat
- Hybrid meat divides opinion: Tyson Foods struggled in retail, Perdue Farms found success in school lunches
- Combining plant- and animal-origin ingredients to deliver on key areas umami and texture
- Actual Veggies enhances trust in taste and quality with visible ingredients and real cheese
- Graph 8: [no title]
- Mush Foods opens hybrid meat brand 50 Cut to restaurants, spreading the word through tasting events
- 3. Expansion in seafood and egg alternatives comes in wake of resource scarcity and health risk factors
- Resource risks from overfishing and health risks from microplastics are increasing the demand for seafood alternatives
- Oshi’s plant-based salmon arrives in high-end hotels and restaurants
- Bird flu and egg allergies accelerate the spread of egg alternatives
- Yo!Egg’s runny yolk visuals get social media buzz flowing
- 4. Focus moves from plant-based marketing to an emphasis on trust and experiential value
- Improving trust and transparency is essential for more categories than just meat alternatives
- Enter an era where plant-based snacks and sweets can compete with fun and satisfaction
- Plant-based snacks and treats on the market
- In sauces and seasonings claims, gluten-free and other allergen claims are firmly established, vegetarian is on the decline and vegan is on the rise
- Graph 9: select claims in sauces and seasonings NPD, 2015-25
- German seasoning brand Homann’s less is more strategy; quieter plant-based claims to capture wider audience
- What Bachan’s success says about consumer trust and demand
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Japanese market overview
- Trends in Japan’s plant-based food market
- Japan’s plant-based market: meat alternatives transition to post-peak restructuring phase
- Fuji Oil Holdings Inc leads in alternative protein patents
- Graph 10: top 10 organisations with granted patents for alternative proteins, 2025
- New plant-based certification system seeks to boost recognition and support product selection
- Plant Based certified products
- A unique plant-based market formed by Japan’s health and food cultures
- Three trends to watch in Japan’s plant-based food market
- 1. Expanding scope from meat to seafood and egg alternatives as well as snack categories
- Seafood and egg alternatives offer more clearly defined benefits to consumers than meat alternatives
- Continued improvements in the appearance, taste and texture of seafood and egg alternatives
- Seafood and egg alternatives on the market
- Health and flavour-based marketing is expanding to snacks, seasonings and sauces
- UPBEET!Tokyo and BENI BITES update much-loved classics to cater to consumer demand
- 2. Convenience stores and foodservice are the heart of current expansion in plant-based products
- Expanding convenience store options include ready-made meals and desserts
- Plant-based products on offer at three big convenience store chains
- Foodservice chains also expand plant-based options
- 3. Demand from inbound tourism and for barrier-free food act as drivers
- Inclusive menus becoming essential for hotels and tourist spots
- OnigiriBurger responds to social media requests with a new vegetarian menu
- Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai offered a platform to boost awareness of plant-based food with opportunities to try in person
- Fuji Oil works with partners to develop new exportable format for Japanese cuisine
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Japanese consumer insights
- Three consumer insights in plant-based food
- 1. Few consumers feel a need to replace meat
- Half of Japanese consumers are eating just as much meat as ever, with meat perceived as good for health
- Graph 11: select behaviour about consumption of animal products, 2025
- Consumers might eat more plant-based than they realise
- Graph 12: reasons for having plant-based foods, 2025
- Flexitarians hold untapped potential for meat alternatives
- Graph 13: limiting meat intake*, 2025
- 2. Potential aversion to the loanword ‘plant-based’
- 60% of consumers don’t connect with ‘plant-based’, and even half of soy meat users find it unfamiliar
- Graph 14: select thoughts toward plant-based and animal-based foods, 2025
- Men who are familiar with loanword ‘plant-based’ stand out for their low opinion of meat alternatives
- Graph 15: select thoughts toward plant-based and animal-based foods, 2025
- Consumers who have cut down on soy meat are more likely to want concerns over taste, price and additives resolved
- Graph 16: select thoughts toward plant-based and animal-based foods, 2025
- 3. Different segments, different needs: focus on dining occasions for women, and expectations for men
- Men under 40 and women under 60 would be ready to buy plant-based if their concerns were resolved
- Graph 17: select thoughts toward plant-based and animal-based foods, 2025
- Key to plant-based snacks and sweets is in healthy oils
- Graph 18: select factors that enhance the value of plant-based sweets, 2025
- Key for both plant-based snacks and baked goods is design for age-aligned dining occasions
- Graph 19: select factors that enhance the value of plant-based sweets, 2025
- Women’s health anchors vary by age
- Graph 20: factors make plant-based foods more appealing among women, 2025
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Opportunities in the Japanese market
- Expansion strategies for plant-based food in Japan
- 1. Expand awareness and experiences through foodservice to ready a transition to home use
- Leverage performance value of a chef at work to tantalise the senses with juiciness and meatiness
- Offer a global culinary experience with authentic spices
- 2. Create appealing novelty with hybrid plant- and animal-based products
- Import ideas for tofu to offer a novel experience
- Young women are curious about new foods; make hybrid products in forms these consumers want to try
- 3. Align with target segment needs and make benefits visible with visuals
- Intuitive fun and flavour, not difficult terms or functional features
- Guilt-free night time treats targeted to young women are a promising market for plant-based snacks
- Make memories with fun educational food experiences for parents and kids
- Include familiar foods in product names to reassure and lower barriers to use
- Respond to demand for on-the-go and sharing
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APPENDIX
- Consumer survey methodology
- Definition of generations
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