Meat-eaters are keeping fake meat alive

Ever stared down the plant-based meat aisle and wondered who’s actually buying this stuff?

Turns out, the call is coming from inside the house. Meat-eaters are keeping these brands alive, and chances are you’re one of them.

Plant-based meat and seafood sales were down 10% in 2025, according to the Good Food Institute. But the people buying these items probably aren't who you expect: 96% of households that bought plant-based meat also bought animal-based meat.

Plant-based meats aren't necessarily an ethics issue; rather, people are looking for a healthier option. So, why not aim for a crucial lunch staple?

Prime Roots did.

The company makes koji-based cold cuts — turkey, ham, roast beef, and salami sliced just like any other meat at the deli counter.

"From day one we have been focused on meat eaters and flexitarians, which are the vast majority of the population," co-founder and CEO Kimberlie Le told The Hustle.

How it started

Le and co-founder Joshua Nixon started the concept at UC Berkeley’s Alternative Meats Lab using fungi to transform the way humans eat protein, making it better for both health and the environment.

"We are targeting some of the worst categories in terms of health, such as deli meats that are full of Class 1 carcinogens known to cause cancer and that are heavily processed conventionally," Le said.

When the company started around 2018, Prime Roots promised to be different from the junky foods — to be preservative-free, non-GMO, and top-nine allergen-free, among other things.

“At our core, we make products that taste great and that are actually better for you,” Le said. “We make it easy for consumers to try Prime Roots and incorporate it into their everyday routines.”

How it's going

One of the challenges for the plant-based meat industry has been an oversaturation of products. Le cites soy, gluten, fillers, and ultra-processed ingredients as deterrents for consumers of mass-produced plant-based meats.

While the market faces oversaturation and a dip in sales, Prime Roots says it's growing:

• Sales nearly doubled annually since the products launched, per the company.
• It expects to be in more than 1k retail outlets by year's end.
• Fall 2026, it launched a packaged line, Safe Slice, at Sprouts.

"We are not leaving the deli. That is where we started and the core of what we do and are best known for," Le said.