The meat business is in real trouble—or it’s reinventing itself just in time, depending which way you look at it. Millennial-driven consumer trends have everybody in the business, from major wholesale and retail meat brands to fast-food chains and meat-industry challengers—scrambling like never before to stay ahead of how quickly the market is changing.

The trends are being driven by consumers concerned about the healthfulness of meat on a personal and environmental level, which in turn has led to the production of meat and poultry with fewer antibiotics and other non-natural inputs, the rethinking of the meats served by quick-serve restaurants, and the booming popularity of plant-based substitutes for meat that rely on fashioning ersatz meat out of proteins and other plant substances.

“We look forward to working closely with White Castle, and together learning how to popularize plant-based meat with mainstream burger lovers,” Impossible Foods CEO Patrick O. Brown said. https://t.co/D3oBI4lWUU — Impossible Foods (@ImpossibleFoods) April 12, 2018

There’s value for all meat producers in getting in front of the “clean label” or “clean eating” trend because some U.S. meat products are still banned for importation to some countries, including Japan and in Europe, because they have higher standards.

Meat Market

Helping drive a demand for meat, diets such as the protein-rich Paleo Diet continue to be popular, and many Americans are ingesting more meat to get their daily rations of protein. There’s a long-continuing run on bacon. And some of the most popular new-era restaurant brands are fast-food gourmet burger joints.

The Future Of Protein – it’s what we can do AND what we should do (for better human health, better planetary health, better business etc) … join me for this discussion & what I think puts the Better in The Future of Protein #MIGlobal @MilkenInstitute @TysonFoods @BeyondMeat pic.twitter.com/g6vCYjROYD — Ashley Koff RD (@ashleykoff) May 1, 2018

Tyson Foods is one major company that has been rethinking what it means to be a meat producer. Tom Hayes, President and CEO, is speaking on a panel about The Future of Protein at the Milken Institute about the future of protein today.

Hayes will no doubt discuss innovative Tyson products including new offerings from its Jimmy Dean brand, which has come up with new twists on the traditional sausage as a robust provider of morning protein.

Sally Grimes: “We delighted breakfast lovers & grew the frozen protein breakfast category w/ @JimmyDean Simple Scrambles, Frittatas & Stuffed Hashbrowns. Coming soon are Jimmy Dean Egg’wiches protein snacks & Simple Scrambles made w/ egg whites” #CAGNY #innovation #protein $TSN pic.twitter.com/xDOJHc6m8N — Tyson Foods (@TysonFoods) February 20, 2018

Hayes is speaking on that panel with, Ethan Brown, founder and CEO of Beyond Meat—which makes sense as Tyson is an investor in Beyond Meat, a startup (tagline: “The Future of Protein”) that is wagering consumers will be satisfied with its non-meat products—including burgers and sausages—that look, cook and taste a lot like meat.

Meatless Wonders

Who else can't wait to try @BeyondMeat's Beyond Sausages?! Discover all the newest products here: https://t.co/vLq0LLeqbg pic.twitter.com/BMASTqhaqu — Whole Foods Market (@WholeFoods) May 1, 2018

Another rapidly expanding fake meat startup is Impossible Foods, which has grown the footprint for its Impossible Burger. It’s now available at more than 1,000 restaurants across America including with Fatburger, Bareburger and White Castle (where it’s sold as the Impossible Slider) and has won fans such as YouTube influencer Casey Neistat.

There’s a new slider in town @WhiteCastle. Can you say “The #ImpossibleSlider”? All rise and head down there! pic.twitter.com/8PQgKupmNC — Impossible Foods (@ImpossibleFoods) April 27, 2018

A number of up-and-coming fast-food restaurants are challenging the notion that meat or poultry must be the pillar of the menu as it is at every major chain from McDonald’s to KFC. Cava, for instance, specializes in Mediterranean fare such as salads and falafel, although lamb is a staple as well.

Veggie by Choice

Veggie Grill, which has 30 locations on America’s West Coast, is a vegan chain that serves burgers primarily made of pea protein while its “chicken” sandwiches are made of soy, pea and wheat proteins. Eatsa is an automated vegetarian chain with seven locations on the coasts. New York-headquartered by Chloe is a vegan chain whose plant-based, kosher menu appeals to meat-eaters, vegetarians and “flexitarians” alike.

WE'RE BLUSHING! @Forbes JUST NAMED US ONE OF LONDON'S BEST VEGAN BURGER RESTAURANTS! https://t.co/wntZfToOGK — by CHLOE. (@eatbychloe) March 23, 2018

“We, of course, love how we’ve been received by the vegan community, but the majority of our customer base is not vegan,” by Chloe Co-Founder and Creative Director Samantha Wasserman told brandchannel. “We also are an ideal dining destination for people who suffer from dairy and egg dietary restrictions, and we are kosher-certified, so we check a lot of boxes for different individuals. Our goal is to be a restaurant for everyone, whether you subscribe to a vegan lifestyle, are trying to cut out meat once a week, or have never tried vegan food before.”

Chain Reaction

While sticking with meat, traditional fast-food chains are adapting to growing concerns about the healthfulness of the meat and poultry they’re eating—and not just because Chipotle, a major chain, has served as a warning of how easily a major chain can be struck by a toxic food supply chain.

All poultry sold in the U.S. must be hormone-free, though FDA regulations say that antibiotics and steroids in beef and lamb products are acceptable as long as they cause no harm to people or animals.

Even so, getting ahead of regulations and winning over consumers is a smart move. McDonald’s, for instance, has committed to switching to fresh beef and better chicken. Wendy’s would argue that its ongoing marketing campaign in which it has explicitly criticized the Golden Arches for using frozen beef, including in a Super Bowl ad, has been taking a toll on consumer perceptions of McDonald’s. Wendy’s, of course, makes a point of saying that it uses fresh, not frozen, meat.

Whether it’s with more brands investing in improved real meat or meaty-tasting meatless options, either way—the consumer is the winner.