With global protein demand rising and the perceived environmental, health, and animal welfare drawbacks associated with meat production and consumption, there is growing interest in expanding alternative protein markets. The first and second generations of plant-based meat alternatives represent potential alternatives, and other alternatives, such as lab-grown meat, are emerging as prospective outlets. This article provides an overview of the market potential for both first and second-generation meat alternatives, along with emerging lab-grown meat products. It also examines the environmental and nutritional aspects of these products in contrast to conventional meat choices. Lastly, it discusses the challenges and opportunities related to product development and market expansion. Meat alternatives, specifically second-generation plant-based and lab-grown options, display growth potential while facing market and regulation challenges. Nevertheless, they come with mixed environmental and health impacts. They offer reduced carbon footprints and enhanced resource efficiency compared to traditional meat production. However, their manufacturing processes tend to be energy-intensive. Furthermore, although their nutritional profiles feature lower saturated fat content, concerns arise due to elevated sodium levels and the heavily processed nature of some products, casting doubts on their overall healthiness. Lastly, we emphasize the market challenges, including high costs, technology/scaling concerns, and barriers to consumer acceptance, while outlining how the four Ps of marketing can present opportunities for meat alternative markets.

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肉类替代品的市场前景：挑战、机遇和新发展

随着全球蛋白质需求的不断增长，以及人们认识到与肉类生产和消费相关的环境、健康和动物福利缺陷，人们对扩大替代蛋白质市场的兴趣日益浓厚。第一代和第二代植物性肉类替代品代表了潜在的替代品，而其他替代品，例如实验室种植的肉类，正在成为潜在的出口。本文概述了第一代和第二代肉类替代品以及新兴的实验室种植肉类产品的市场潜力。它还检查了这些产品与传统肉类选择相比的环境和营养方面。最后，讨论了与产品开发和市场拓展相关的挑战和机遇。肉类替代品，特别是第二代植物基和实验室培育的替代品，在面临市场和监管挑战的同时显示出增长潜力。然而，它们对环境和健康产生了复杂的影响。与传统肉类生产相比，它们可以减少碳足迹并提高资源效率。然而，它们的制造过程往往是能源密集型的。此外，尽管它们的营养成分具有较低的饱和脂肪含量，但由于钠含量升高和某些产品的重加工性质而引起人们的担忧，从而使人们对其整体健康状况产生怀疑。最后，我们强调市场挑战，包括高成本、技术/规模问题以及消费者接受障碍，同时概述营销的 4P 如何为肉类替代市场提供机会。