I would certainly follow this thread with interest if a discussion arises on the topic. In a relatively short time, however, ecological factors, combined with health disadvantages, have turned plant-based food into a kind of “health and responsibility trend.” This, in my opinion, is a good sign for investors, as these factors are much stronger than merely the ethical side of the issue, which plant-based eating seemed to rely on more in the past. Nowadays, products like Härkis and Mifu have gained a lot of visibility, and new creations similar to Härkis will surely increase.
If meat consumption is to be reduced, plant-based foods must also appeal to the “meat-eating-guy” sector. Honestly, some plant-based sausages, pulled oats, pulled jackfruit, etc., are starting to be very close in taste to what the “original” meat solutions are, as mentioned earlier in the thread. On the image side, when more options and diversity emerge, there’s a good chance that plant-based food will grow in popularity, and people will “dare” to try it more openly.
I haven’t invested in companies like Beyond Meat or Tattooed Chef, however, because this doesn’t quite represent my own view of what “optimal” food might be, and I would want a longer-term investment to align more with my own views. What makes this interesting for me, however, is that I cannot deny that such products could have investment potential if the plant-based food trend only strengthens—which I consider a good thing. This year, we’ve seen again what eating a bat can potentially cause 
For a large part of people, food should primarily taste good, and in addition, to some extent, also be “healthy” according to current understanding. Plant-based protein solutions, in my opinion, are in a good light in this regard, as many generally perceive plant-based food as a healthier option, and by seasoning and processing it, it can be made quite easily into very different tastes as needed. When studies (and especially news) focus a lot on “red meat vs. plant-based alternatives” nowadays, it’s quite expected that plant-based alternatives will end up in a better light.
The effect of food on health is extensively researched, and in my own way, I trust that in the long run, essential factors will be found, and people’s awareness will increase regarding what food works best as “fuel for the human body” and which direction should be invested in. This makes me a little cautious, as, for example, margarine was initially a “brilliant” solution when a plant-based spread was invented. Nowadays, however, we know that artificially hardened vegetable oils are not healthy, and people still can’t decide whether regular butter is ultimately healthy or not 
From this perspective, heavily processed plant-protein products (in the category “wanting to make Christmas ham without ham”) might be a better solution compared to meat, but with a high risk of also being viewed negatively at some point. Similarly, another area where I might “stir up a hornet’s nest” is the freshness of food. Preserved, pre-cooked, long-standing in packaging, etc., food does not function in the human body in the same way as raw/fresh food. I believe that at some point, stronger links between poorly digestible food/stressed digestive system and various chronic diseases and malabsorption disorders will be found.
I would summarize the foregoing as follows:
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In the long term (which is, however, difficult to estimate chronologically), there is a danger that research will cast processed ready-meals, including plant-based foods, in a bad light, and this could create a distinct risk if investing in a plant-protein manufacturer over the longer term.
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In the shorter term, there could be a lot of potential if plant-based food becomes more widespread and is favored at many different levels, and if a tasty plant-based food option is sought for as many people as possible. It is also realistic that there will always be users for ready-meals, no matter how strong a “freshness trend” hits.
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If, for example, Apetit as a company generally appeals, one could get a piece of the pie somewhat more diversely, provided that the company invests well in the plant-based side and has good prerequisites to be a popular manufacturer in this field. I would guess that these individual Beyond Meat, Härkis, etc., will, of course, continue to emerge, and they can especially yield good returns if one is up to date on where things are going.
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Companies that could, in addition to diverse plant-based food, offer solutions on how food can be easily obtained relatively locally and fresh for consumers, would be much more interesting targets for me. However, I don’t know if such a train will come. It might be more realistic to find a company whose product strongly enters people’s consciousness and at the same time encourages a shift to plant-based food.
In my long message, I didn’t necessarily offer potential individual companies, related figures, or information about what might be invented next in the laboratory (someone even mentioned hydrogen in this context ). I haven’t honestly researched this type of company, although I find it interesting to follow generally what’s happening in this field. However, I presented my own perspective in case someone wants to reflect it against their own vision on this topic. 
