Increase in Alternative Meat Consumption... Shinsegae Food's Alternative Meat 'Better Meat' Gains Popularity

On the 17th, at the Audi showroom in Bugok-dong, Busan, an event staff member handed a sandwich made with Shinsegae Food's alternative meat "Better Meat" to a visiting customer during the electric vehicle e-tron test drive event. Shinsegae Food and Audi are jointly promoting the carbon reduction benefits of alternative meat and electric vehicles by providing over 2,000 sandwiches made with "Better Meat" at Audi showrooms nationwide until the end of November. (Photo by Shinsegae Food)

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] Shinsegae Food's alternative meat "Better Meat" is gaining attention.

According to Shinsegae Food on the 28th, Starbucks' "Plant Ham & Rucola Sandwich," launched in July using the alternative meat "Better Meat" cold cut for sandwiches, sells about 2,000 units daily. The cumulative sales surpassed 200,000 units within three months.

Shinsegae Food analyzed that consumers who have experienced Starbucks' "Plant Ham & Rucola Sandwich" are not only satisfied with the taste and texture of the "Better Meat" cold cut but also appreciate its significance in animal welfare and carbon reduction, leading to continuous repurchases. Additionally, as the Meaning Out trend, where the MZ generation expresses their values through consumption, spreads, it is expected that allowing consumers to experience "Better Meat" in various places will help grow the domestic alternative meat market.

Accordingly, Shinsegae Food has begun actively developing additional menus using "Better Meat." At the same time, they plan to increase consumers' alternative meat experiences through collaborations with various brands in hotels, automobiles, fashion, IT, and more.

Shinsegae Food partnered with The Westin Josun Seoul to introduce a "Vegetarian Sandwich" made with "Better Meat" cold cuts at "Josun Deli." Created with recipes developed over three months by Josun Hotel chefs, the sandwich not only fully delivers the flavor of "Better Meat" cold cuts but also achieves an optimal combination using premium ingredients such as avocado, tomato, and chipotle sauce. The Westin Josun Seoul plans to expand the lineup using "Better Meat" into salads and other items beyond the "Vegetarian Sandwich."

Shinsegae Food is also actively collaborating with automobile brands that embody eco-friendly values. Since both alternative meat and electric vehicles share the effect of carbon reduction, they believe that providing consumers with simultaneous experiences can create synergy in promoting the product attributes. Accordingly, Shinsegae Food partnered with Audi, which launched the electric vehicle e-tron, to provide about 2,000 "Better Meat" sandwiches at major Audi showrooms nationwide during the e-tron test drive event running until the end of November, jointly promoting the shared carbon reduction benefits of alternative meat and electric vehicles.

A Shinsegae Food official said, "As alternative meat emerges as a new consumption culture among consumers pursuing various values such as personal health, animal welfare, and the global environment, we are receiving collaboration inquiries from various companies. We will expand the lineup of Better Meat products to offer customers diverse choices and actively collaborate with various brands to provide positive experiences with alternative meat."

Meanwhile, in July, Shinsegae Food launched the alternative meat brand "Better Meat," developed through proprietary technology, and officially entered the domestic alternative meat market by introducing sliced ham cold cuts for sandwiches as the first product. The brand name "Better Meat" reflects Shinsegae Food's commitment to contributing to human health, animal welfare, and the global environment with alternative meat that is better than meat.