The plant-based market in the US is booming, with sales growing at a much faster rate than the overall retail-food market. It is not just vegetarians and vegans who are contributing to this growth, but also a rising number of "flexitarians" - those actively reducing their intake of meat and dairy. This has led to companies like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat creating innovative plant-based meat substitutes that cater to the taste preferences of this demographic. The recent surge in plant-based food consumption can also be attributed to pandemic-related factors, such as consumer stockpiling and meat shortages.