Meat Industry Publication Hosts its First Plant-Based Protein Conference

On June 26, leading meat publication Global Meat News is hosting its first conference dedicated to the discussion of plant-based proteins. The Future of Plant-Based Proteins Conference will highlight the latest developments and barriers in the rapidly expanding plant-based protein market. In the media outlet’s annual survey, participants revealed that six percent of alternative proteins affected their businesses in 2017, and 61 percent were in favor of seeing more content on alternative proteins in the future. The one-day conference will bring together industry leaders from across the globe to present a range of topics on the growing trend, as well as how it will influence the future opportunities of the international meat sector. One of the speakers invited to present is Nicole Sopko, vice president of vegan brand Upton’s Naturals, which pioneered flavored seitan and kickstarted the jackfruit food trend in the United States. Sopko’s speech will cover the changing marketplace, how to build a plant-based brand and market it internationally, along with the growing popularity of jackfruit as a whole-food meat alternative. “I’m looking forward to taking part in The Future of Plant-Based Proteins conference to discuss my work with Upton’s Naturals,” Nicole Sopko, VP of Upton’s Naturals, told VegNews. “So far I’ve been very impressed with Global Meat News’ commitment to expanding education into the area of meat alternatives. They’ve recognized the growing demand for vegan and plant-based foods and are helping the industry to deliver meat-free options to consumers. To us, this further shows how far the category has come and how much potential there is for the future. As interest in meat alternatives increases globally, there will be more events of this variety and The Future of Plant-Based Proteins is leading the way.”