Global events affecting conventional meat – such as the 2018 outbreak of African swine fever in China – have, in specific instances, also reduced supply and pushed up prices, said Dr Andrew Powell, chief executive officer of Asia BioBusiness.
“Particularly in China, during COVID, (demand for plant-based meat) peaked dramatically because of swine fever in China,” he said.
“(So) for a period there, the ground pork alternative protein called OmniPork was competitively priced. But as soon as the price of pork came down after COVID, and the swine fever got resolved to a degree, then the interest in plant-based (meat) declined significantly.”
WANING POPULARITY
Yet even at its peak, plant-based meat accounted for only a small fraction of overall meat sales in Singapore.
According to analysis by the Good Food Institute Asia Pacific (GFI APAC) – a Singapore-headquartered non-profit think tank focused on alternative proteins – plant-based meat made up just 0.056 per cent of total meat sales volume here in 2020, even as global investment surged.
By comparison, plant-based meat represented about 1.4 per cent of total meat sales in the United States that year – roughly 25 times higher than Singapore on a percentage basis.
Today, while updated figures for Singapore are unavailable, it is clear that demand has waned.
Malaysian casual dining chain PappaRich launched its own version of the Impossible burger in May 2019, and also rolled out plant-based versions of local dishes like fried rice and nasi lemak with Impossible rendang.
A spokesperson told CNA Today that two years later, however, it decided to pull all plant-based meat alternatives off its menu due to “low demand and the increasing price of Impossible (products) in Singapore”.
“Price plays a huge role in the viability of plant-based meat dishes because Singapore is blessed to have such a large range of fresh produce readily available at lower prices,” said the spokesperson.
A check at the supermarket found that a 383g packet of Impossible chicken nuggets retails for about S$11 (US$8.64), roughly the same price as a 1kg bag of chicken nuggets.
Supermarkets have seen a similar cooling of interest from consumers.
Responding to CNA TODAY’s queries, a FairPrice Group spokesperson said it currently offers around 80 plant-based meat products, but has observed a gradual drop in demand over the past two to three years, despite efforts to keep prices stable.
Meanwhile, a Cold Storage spokesperson said that the category saw its most significant growth between 2020 and 2023, reflecting a period of “heightened consumer curiosity” over meat alternatives.
Since 2024, however, it has observed a softening in demand for the products, as well as some brands even exiting Singapore.
Organic grocery chain Little Farms has gone as far as to entirely shelve its plant-based meat category.
Mr Tom Gray, its commercial director, told CNA TODAY that the chain began trialling plant-based meat alternatives seven to eight years ago.
“At the time, there was genuine interest from customers and we tested a range of early- and later-generation products,” he said.
He added that over time, customers had growing concerns over ingredient lists, unclear environmental claims, inconsistent taste and higher prices compared with conventional options.
“As a result, it became harder for plant-based meat to justify its place on the shelf.”
BETTER SUITED FOR WESTERN CUISINE
Experts said Singapore’s experience reflects a mix of structural and cultural factors.
For one thing, many plant-based meat products tend to perform better in burgers than in Asian-style dishes, which often involve preparation methods such as stir-frying, said NTU’s Prof Chen.
