Plant-based meat is made from healthy vegetables and grains, and uses advanced food science techniques to create the look, taste, flavor, texture and nutrition of animal meat. By understanding the biochemical composition and three-dimensional structure of meat, modern companies produce high-quality “version 2.0” plant-based meats that taste great and meet the needs of consumers. They are typically targeted at people who eat meat but who would like to eat more plant-based protein for health or sustainability reasons. Today the plant-based meat industry has over 7 billion RMB in sales per year and is growing at 14% per year, with exciting new brands hitting the market each year.

Plant-based dairy is also a large and expanding sector. Leading domestic dairy companies like Yili Group, Vitasoy and Dali Group have all launched their own plant-based milk lines. While plant-based milk products have historically been made with soy, newer brands are also using as almond milk, oat milk, rice milk, and coconut milk. In addition to milk, other plant-based dairy products such as plant-based yogurt and cheese are starting to gain in popularity.