Alternative Protein Production Equipment Market Size - By Equipment Type, By Mode of Operation, By Application, By End Use, By Processing Technology, Forecast 2025 - 2034

Alternative Protein Production Equipment Market Size

The global alternative protein production equipment market was valued at USD 2.5 billion in 2024. The market is expected to grow from USD 2.7 billion in 2025 to USD 5.9 billion by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 9.1% from 2025 to 2034.
 

Changing global dietary trends has prompted increased concern over harnessing technology to replace conventional food production practices. These shifts in dietary preferences, which are caused by the rapid increase in population and global income levels, require the development of sophisticated food technologies, not only for meeting the growing demand but also for improving the sustainability of farming practices.
 

According to the data published by the United Nations (UN), the world population is estimated to reach 9.8 billion in 2050, followed by an increase in global demand for food products by 60% to 70%. Especially in developing countries, the demand for animal products such as meat, eggs, milk, and dairy products is increasing due to rising income and supportive government policies. The preferred method of food production and farming has become increasingly uncoordinated with timely advancements in environmental protection. This situation propels the rethinking of proteins around plants, insects, fermentation, and cultivated meat into productive food sources. To support this growth, there is a growing need for specialized equipment that can handle the unique production processes of these proteins, such as fermentation tanks and bioreactors, to extrusion systems and cell culture apparatus.
 

Growing concerns for health and wellness globally is one of the factors causing the development of equipment to produce alternative proteins. People are more aware of the food choices that provide good value, minimize the risk of chronic diseases, and enhance their active lifestyles. Animal-based proteins are being reintroduced alongside alternatives that are cleaner and more efficient to process. This allows for a shift towards plant-based fermented and cultivated proteins which tend to have lower fat and higher fibrous content, along with being devoid of antibiotics and hormones. Hence, there is an increased demand from manufacturers who need additional equipment to produce these alternative proteins on scale.
 

Alternative Protein Production Equipment Market Trends

• Businesses that market foods containing alternative proteins are beginning to adopt new techniques in processing technology. Businesses that sell foods with alternative proteins are beginning to adopt new techniques in processing technology. Processors of these foods have correspondingly more sophisticated, efficient, and flexible needs in technology, which includes easy scaling. These improvements are aiding manufacturers in not just increasing volumes of protein produced but also significantly improving the texture, flavor, and nutritional aspects to more closely resemble those of animal products. The developments in plant-based and cultivated meats include high moisture extrusion, precision fermentation, and advanced bioreactor designs which are now greatly easier to market and sell to consumers.
   
• With the aim of further advancing innovation in plant-based protein products, in August 2024 Equinom introduced an AI product called Manna. Manna uses AI to analyze the biochemical properties of grains and predicts favorable conditions for machinery tailoring, thus increasing the efficiency of processing. Additionally, Manna can grade and select the best yellow pea varieties for processing, empowering processors to make data-driven purchasing decisions.
   
• Technological advancements, especially in AI-enabled monitoring systems, machine IoT, and predictive maintenance—help firms enhance operational productivity, reduce operational costs, and maintain uniformity in product quality. Moreover, technology offers better control range over key parameters such as temperature, pH, and oxygen concentration which are critical in fermentation or cell culture processes for alternative protein production.
   

Trump Administration Tariffs

• The alternative protein production equipment market was adversely impacted by the Trump Administration’s tariffs on imports from China, especially those focusing on industrial machinery and high-tech parts. There are many critical components that go into the making of alternative proteins like bioreactors, precision fermenters, temperature control units, and even stainless-steel processing units which depended on China’s manufacturing capabilities. The imposition of tariffs caused significant decreases in the cost of these important components, resulting in procurement systems that relied on the Chinese market's low price due to tariffs value-controlled pricing.
   
• The cost of equipment manufacturers and producers increased due to these tariffs. Fermentation or cell-based protein system producers had two choices; cut down on their profits by bearing the expenses or shift costs onto alternative protein producers, and risk decreasing the competitiveness of these new food items. As a result, many changed their global supply chains fomented by increased spending burdens, forcing them to shift purchasing to other countries. With this change, most were able to source and even partially manufacturer these goods in countries such as India, South Korea, and even Eastern Europe with hopes to lessen the dependency on China’s imports.
   
• Despite the associated geopolitical risk, this corporate strategy shift attempted to mitigate concerns and build long-term resilience, but it came with numerous short-term challenges. Businesses faced problems with new suppliers such as delays in equipment assembly, inconsistencies in quality across components, and poor logistics. In combination, these issues created difficulties with meeting new production deadlines, resulting in increased capital and operational expenditure. The tariffs spurred diversification and innovation within the alternative protein production equipment industry but created short-term volatility and increased complexity.
   

Alternative Protein Production Equipment Market Analysis

Based on equipment type, the extruders segment generated a revenue of USD 800 million in 2024 and is expected to grow at CAGR of around 9.4% up to 2034.
 

• The enhancement of plant protein texturization through extrusion is performed for soy, wheat, or pea protein, shaping them into appealing textures for consumers anticipating substitutes to flesh products. Moreover, high-moisture extrusion aids in forming tissues that resemble meat. Hence, it forms the backbone of product development in the plant-based industry.
   
• In April 2024, Givaudan, MISTA and Bühler, announced the launch of a cutting-edge extrusion hub at the MISTA Innovation Center located in San Francisco. The new facility further expands MISTA’s capabilities toward advancing food innovation and underscores the commitment of Givaudan and Bühler to the transformation of the food system.
   
•  In addition, owing to their easier and more dependable functionality, as well as lower expense when compared with sophisticated bioreactors utilized in cultivated or fermentation-based protein systems, extruders are applied in small to large-scale production. Demand for extruders has increased proportionately since the plant-based sector still dominates in volume within the alternative protein market.

Based on applications, the plant-based proteins segment accounted for 54.9% market share in 2024 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 9.6% through 2034.
 

• Plant-based proteins are a significant segment in the alternative protein production equipment market owing to early-stage commercialization, acceptance among consumers, and lower production costs when compared to cultivated meat or insect protein. Soy, pea, wheat, and rice proteins are now incorporated into plant-based products which are increasingly popular among consumers interested in sustainability, animal welfare, health consciousness, and food security.
   
• Rising demand has stimulated investment and innovation in the production of plant-based foods and has been crucial in the development of further specialized equipment, such as extruders, mixers, separators, and drying systems. The incarnation of the more developed, and less sophisticated equipment of fermentation and cell-cultured technologies, enhances the establishment of plant-based protein production.
   
• In February 2025, Burcon Nutrascience—which has developed patented extraction technology for multiple plant-based proteins—aims to start commercial-scale production in the first half of 2025 from a facility in Galesburg, Illinois following a partnership with RE ProMan LLC.
   

Based on end use, the alternative protein production equipment market is divided into food industry, animal feed, nutraceuticals, and others. In 2024, the food industry segment dominates the market and is expected to maintain its position during the forecast period 2025 to 2034.
 

• Food industry accounts for the largest proportion of the market share for alternative protein production equipment since it plays a major role in the consumption of alternative protein foods, specifically plant-based and fermented and cultivated meat products. Capturing shifting consumer preferences towards health, sustainability, and ethical food options has led traditional food manufacturers to quickly add new products to their portfolios. This has created a significant opportunity to acquire new equipment aimed at manufacturing these products efficiently. 
   
• Food companies need to possess extruders, fermenters, mixers, hoppers, and other related equipment of great precision and high capacity. Tier 1 food companies alongside many smaller nascent companies that are scaling up to meet market demand have been spending aggressively on marketing and production infrastructure geared towards growing demand for alternative protein products. Enhanced consumer and retail demand is fueling this spending.
   
• In May 2024, GEA began construction of its technology center for alternative proteins in Janesville, Wisconsin. The center will scale up the production of novel plant-based, microbial, and cell-based foods. GEA aims to support manufacturers in meeting the demand for complementary proteins and ingredients to traditional animal-based products.

The U.S. dominated the North America alternative protein production equipment market with a value of USD 650 million in 2024 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.5% during 2025 to 2034. 
 

• In the U.S., the alternative proteins equipment manufacturing plant is on-demand due to the increasing interest in dietary-plant based and sustainable eating. People are concerned with health and ecological and ethical matters which drives people not to consume traditional meat products. According to GFI and PBFA, through retail sales data commissioned from SPINS, the U.S. retail plant-based foods market was valued at 8.1 billion USD in 2023. Those changes in spending behavior have created demand for specialized nutrition-production equipment such as extruders, fermenters, and bioreactors.
   
• In Germany, the alternative proteins production equipment market is also growing with the increase of consumer focus on sustainability, health, and animal husbandry welfare. There is a strong focus on CO2 emission reduction and climate goals in Germany – this includes incorporated cultivated and plant proteins. The government support offered for green technology and food innovation increases investment in industry. According to the Good Food Institute (GFI), the German plant-based market is the largest in Europe and continues to perform well. Sales across eight plant-based categories totaled USD 2.51 billion in 2023 – an increase of 8% compared with 2022 and 20.7% compared with 2021.
   
• The shift in attitude towards food security, sustainability, and burgeoning developments within China has led to an increased focus on cultivating alternative protein production machinery. Alternative proteins are now viewed as an integral part of a diversified food supply system which has resulted in government policies aimed at marketing the sector, as well as financial aid for cultivated meat and fermentation-based proteins research. In February 2025, China inaugurated its first research center for fermentation and cultivated meat in Beijing. This center is part of the New Protein Food Science and Technology Innovation Base, which costs USD 10.9 million and is located in Fengtai District. It is a public-private partnership between the local government and meat processor Shounong Food Group.
   
• There is an increase in demand for alternative protein production equipment within Saudi Arabia owing to the Kingdom’s heightened attention towards food security and sustainability, two key objectives of its Vision 2030. Given the immense dependence on food imports, the country is trying to improve local food production to mitigate reliance on global supply chains.
   

Alternative Protein Production Equipment Market Share

• The alternative protein production equipment industry is fragmented with the top 5 players including Alfa Laval AB, ANDRITZ AG, Bühler AG, GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft, JBT Marel Corporation share of about 15-20% in 2024.
   
• GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft is still engaged in the alternative protein market through its fermentation and separation processes for microbial and plant protein extraction. The company’s continuous flow centrifuges and bioreactor systems are precision engineered with regard to hygiene as well as energy efficiency which promotes sustainable scaling of protein production. GEA's presence in Europe with expanding operations in Asia and North America makes GEA a prominent technology partner in the global movement towards sustainable food systems.
   
• Bühler AG has positioned itself as an important player in the development of equipment for the processing of plant-based proteins and for high-performance extrusion systems used in the manufacture of meat analogues. The company’s extrusion lines are remarkably flexible as they allow the creation of a variety of textures and flavors using single extrusion, which meets the dynamic needs of consumers. Bühler AG reinforces its leadership in the fast-changing foodtech industry by having key innovation centers and manufacturing hubs in Switzerland, China, and the U.S. where its advanced engineering is needed the most.
   
• Increasing focus on automation for protein processing developed by JBT Marel Corporation now comprises solutions for alternative automated protein products. The firm’s integrated portioning, coating, and thermal treatment units are being modified to produce plant and hybrid proteins to maintain high throughput and consistency in quality. With offices in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, JBT Marel uses his knowledge, as well as the region’s industry infrastructure, to support the industrial scaling of novel alternatives to traditional protein sources.
   
• The creation of clean-label proteins and alternative forms of protein will be frozen without the risk mitigation fundamental innovation and investment on sustainable processing technologies made by industry leaders. Recently, new energy-efficient fermentation processes, higher water-extrusion techniques, and single-use bioreactors are emerging due to their precision, minimal damage to the environment, and compatibility with clean-in-place (CIP) systems. The GEA Group and Bühler Group are forerunners in advancing the reduction of energy and raw material waste during the production of plant and microbial protein versa agricultural. Increased competitiveness of the device from greater operational expenditures achieved through process optimization is supporting international efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of the food system.
   
• Simultaneously, ethical manufacturing practices and supply chain transparency are capturing attention in the alt-protein equipment sector. The evolving perception by consumers and changes to the ESG framework are creating greater demand for detail and complete visibility of processes. Standards such as ISO 22000 (Food Safety Management) in addition to B Corp or Carbon Trust certifications are motivating designers to incorporate socio-environmental restrained impacts elements into their equipment’s manufacturing processes. In this dimension, applying digital surveillance technologies and AI-based self-reporting analysis has allowed stricter policies to be met without compromising the quality of the product.
   

Alternative Protein Production Equipment Market Companies

Major players operating in the alternative protein production equipment industry are:

• Alfa Laval AB
• ANDRITZ AG
• BAK Food Equipment
• Bepex International LLC
• Bühler AG
• FAM STUMABO
• GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft
• JBT Marel Corporation
• Middleby Corporation
• MULTIVAC Sepp Haggenmüller SE & Co. KG
• Paul Mueller Company
• Robert Reiser & Co., Inc.
• Rockwell Automation
• Scansteel Foodtech A/S.
• SPX FLOW
   

Alternative Protein Production Equipment Industry News

• In February 2025, Rockwell Automation, Inc., a company dedicated to industrial automation and digital transformation, announced that Dutch Structuring Technologies (DST) is using its Kinetix servo solution to maintain the demanding micro-dosing precision levels in its new continuous meat-replacement production technology. Its new solution, which includes a variety of intelligent devices from Rockwell Automation, uses precision control of different continuous shearing and mixing formulae to turn plant proteins and water into a wide variety of products that exhibit more realistic meat-like textures and tastes.
   
• In February 2025, Ever After Foods, the developer of a proprietary technology platform for cultivated meat production, has announced a collaboration with Bühler, a global company producing processing equipment for foods and advanced materials. Together, the two companies will work to bring a commercial scale cultivated meat production system to the market. The system will reportedly allow for production at a ten-fold lower scale than existing technologies.
   
• In June 2024, Tetra Pak announced the launch of the Tetra Pak Industrial Protein Mixer, a new product designed to reduce product loss in liquid protein mixing. A direct response to the longstanding issue of foaming during the mixing phase of liquid food products, this innovative solution is set to improve food and beverage (F&B) manufacturers’ operational efficiency.
   
• In October 2022, JBT Corporation’s A&B Process Systems, a manufacturer of custom biologic manufacturing equipment, launched the all-new READYGo Bioreactor for processing companies in the cultivated meats sector. The READYGo Bioreactor delivers a scalable and configurable platform that is optimized for cultivated meat products.
   

The alternative protein production equipment market research report includes in-depth coverage of the industry with estimates & forecast in terms of revenue (USD Billion) (Thousand Units) from 2021 to 2034, for the following segments:

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Market, By Equipment Type

• Extruders
• Homogenizers
• Mixers
• Dryers
• Filtration Units

Market, By Mode of Operation

• Semi-automatic
• Automatic

Market, By Application

• Plant-Based Proteins
• Cultured Meat
• Insect Proteins
• Egg Replacements 

Market, By End Use

• Food Industry
• Animal Feed
• Nutraceuticals
• Others

Market, By Processing Technology

• Texturization
• Fermentation
• Emulsification
• Spray Drying

The above information is provided for the following regions and countries:

• North America
  • U.S.
  • Canada
• Europe
  • UK
  • Germany
  • France
  • Italy
  • Spain
  • Russia
• Asia Pacific
  • China
  • India
  • Japan
  • South Korea
  • Australia 
• Latin America
  • Brazil
  • Mexico 
• MEA
  • UAE
  • Saudi Arabia
  • South Africa