Tofu becomes a popular meat substitute in the United States! What exactly happened? Attached is the latest epidemic situation

During the COVID-19 pandemic, a large number of factories in the United States shut down, including many meat processing plants, causing meat shortages. However, tofu has become a popular meat substitute in the United States! What exactly happened? What is the latest epidemic situation in the United States?

1. Tofu becomes a popular meat substitute in the United States! What exactly happened?

Kroger, a retailer with nearly 2,800 supermarket stores across the U.S., said tofu sales increased nearly 9% from mid-March to the end of May. Wegmans, which has 101 stores in seven states, said its tofu sales nearly doubled compared with the same period in 2019.

Compared to other meat substitutes, tofu is a good value for money. The artificial meat brand Beyond Meat prices a pound (about 0.45 kilograms) of "ground beef" at $8.99, while nearly a pound of tofu retails for only $2.99. "For price-sensitive, health-conscious consumers, this is a viable option for adding more protein to their meals," said Dasha Shor, global food analyst at market research consultancy Mintel.

2. Plant protein has a promising future!

As animal protein became scarce, purchases were restricted and prices rose, leading brands of plant-based meat substitutes have been thriving. In the first quarter of this year, Beyond Meat's net income increased 141% over last year, and its stock price has more than doubled since the beginning of the year. Its products are already available in 25,000 grocery stores across the United States, and it recently announced a partnership with food distributor Sinodis to enter the Chinese market and significantly increase its market share in Asia. BTIG analyst Peter Saleh has a buy rating on Beyond Meat with a price target of $173.

In fact, even before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, interest in plant-based meat was on the rise. According to Nielsen data, from late December to early January, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, sales of plant-based meat increased 30% from the same period last year, while meat sales only increased by about 1% during the same period.

Moreover, plant protein is a type of protein that comes from plants. It is nutritionally comprehensive, similar to animal protein, easily digested and absorbed by the human body, and has multiple physiological health functions. The protein content of beans is as high as 35%~40%, and its various products such as tofu, soy milk, and soy paste also preserve a good amino acid pattern. Therefore, soybeans and their products are also an important source of high-quality protein and the main source of protein for vegetarians.

3. What is the latest epidemic situation in the United States?

According to the real-time epidemic monitoring system of Johns Hopkins University in the United States, as of 5:33 p.m. Eastern Time on June 15, there have been 2,110,182 cases of novel coronavirus infection in the United States, including 116,081 deaths. Compared with the system's data about 24 hours ago, the United States had 18,834 new cases of infection and 375 new deaths.

New York State has 383,944 cases of infection, including 30,856 deaths. In addition, New Jersey, Illinois, California and Massachusetts have also seen more than 100,000 cases of infection.

The above is an introduction to how tofu has become a popular meat substitute in the United States. We would also like to remind everyone that the epidemic is still ongoing and food must be heated at high temperature before eating to avoid infection.