Beefing up an appetite for the meat substitute business

LIKE just about every other industry, the global US$1.7 trillion meat market has been disrupted, with consumers taking of late to animal-free burger patties, whether for health or environmental reasons.

The taste for plant-based proteins has sent forecasts for the mock meat market surging, from under US$5 billion in 2018 to a delectable US$85 billion by 2030. Drawn to the feast, deep-pocketed financiers - including Hollywood personalities - are chomping at the agri and food-te…