Advances and challenges in alternative proteins: From biotechnology to sustainable food production

Global demand for meat is expected to increase by up to 50% by 2050. This crisis cannot be ameliorated by blindly increasing animal meat production. Innovative approaches are needed to replace or complement animal proteins, ensuring global access to safe, high-quality, and palatable foods while enhancing production and supply chain sustainability. Alternative proteins are an emerging branch of food science aimed at addressing the issues associated with the traditional meat industry. Alternative proteins integrate multidisciplinary technologies from food science, biotechnology, and material manufacturing. However, substantial modifications are required to facilitate the realization of large-scale production of alternative proteins for food supply. Here, we review the status of the alternative protein industry by covering aspects such as production efficiency, health attributes, China's and global industry scenarios, and hurdles in the progression of this industry. We further assess prospective development trajectories and offer constructive suggestions to guide sustainable growth in the alternative protein industry.