Studies & Numbers

LikeMeat Chick'n/ Chicken Wings

©LIVEKINDLY.co

Sales of Plant-Based Wings Grow as Americans Expected to Consume 160M Vegan Wings for Super Bowl

A new report by Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) shows that an estimated ten million Americans will consume about 160 million plant-based wings during this year’s Super Bowl. In addition, brands like Blackbird Foods report soaring demand for new vegan wing products as the segment continues to undergo expansion and innovation. Every year, Americans consume an enormous amount of party foods, including pizza, nachos and dips, during football’s biggest night. Perhaps the most popular dish of all is chicken wings – about 1.4 billion wings are eaten annually during the game.  But plant-based wings are steadily gaining ground as more Americans turn to a growing range of vegan wing options.  To estimate vegan wings’ popularity, CIWF estimated that roughly 6% of the U.S. population consider …

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Plant-based sausage

© Redefine Meat

Germany: Half of Consumers Now Flexitarian, Vegan Population Reaches 1.5M

A report by the USDA has found that over half (55%) of Germans now consider themselves flexitarian after reducing their meat consumption. The country’s vegan population has also risen, reaching 1.5 million last year. Titled Plant-Based Food Goes Mainstream in Germany, the report notes that the latter figure is up from just 0.1 million ten years ago. Meat consumption also plummeted in the intervening time, down from 138 pounds per person per year in 2011 to 121 pounds in 2021. Per capita cow’s milk consumption fell 5% in a single year between 2020 and 2021, as milk alternatives grew in popularity. The report suggests that these changes are mostly driven by young people, with many also convincing their parents to make the switch. German politicians …

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Delhaize burger

©Delhaize

Meat Consumption in Belgium: 11% of Belgians Are Non Meat-Eaters & 31% Flexitarian

Last week, the Belgian Association for Research and Expertise for Consumer Organisations published a survey studying the trends and habits around meat consumption in Belgium, revealing that 11 % of Belgians identify as non-meat eaters. In Belgium, meat is traditionally part of the daily diet. In 2020, Belgians ate an average of 82 kg of meat per year, double the global average (OECD-FAO, 2021). 89% of this came from four sources: pork, beef, veal, and poultry (Statbel, 2021). “We wondered whether Belgian consumers are ready to adjust their protein consumption to a more sustainable pattern; to consume less animal protein and more often consume alternative proteins,” said the study’s authors. The survey revealed a twofold scenario. Firstly, most consumers (56-65%) intend to keep their meat consumption …

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Irish consumers go plant-based

© Oatly

A Third of Irish Consumers Are Buying More Plant-Based Products, Oatly Study Suggests

A survey conducted by Opinions Research on behalf of Oatly has found that a third of Irish consumers are buying more meat and dairy alternatives than they were three years ago. 25% of these consumers said they were motivated by concern about climate change (though only 13% were aware that the food system generates a third of global emissions). Another 25% were cutting back to improve their health, and 30% of the 1000 respondents said they would buy even more plant-based products in 2023. Plant-based foods were most popular among consumers under 50, with 42% of 18-24-year-olds and 48% of 25-34-year-olds likely to consider swapping animal products for a vegan alternative. On the other hand, those over 65 were reluctant to make the change, with …

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Waitrose vegan

© Waitrose

UK: Price of Vegan Products Rising Faster Than Average, Says Evening Standard

An analysis by The Evening Standard has found that the cost of meat, dairy, and egg alternatives rose by an average of 18% over the past year, while the average increase across all categories was 14.6%. The newspaper looked at the price of vegan products from supermarkets Tesco, Asda, and Iceland. It found that meat alternatives had gone up by 23% on average, and plant-based cheeses by 28%. Milk alternatives were up 25%, while vegan pizza rose the most at 42%. The Standard noted that certain brands had seen particularly large increases, with Asda’s own-label soymilk up 35% and a three-pack of Magnum Vegan Almond ice lollies rising by 40%. With inflation on the increase internationally, research has found declining sales across many plant-based categories, …

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Impossible Burger School Lunch

©Impossible Foods

Report Says State-Run Institutions Should Be Required to Serve Plant-Based Meat

A report by Systemiq and the University of Exeter, UK, has called on governments to require institutions like schools, hospitals, and prisons to serve plant-based meat. According to the report, increased availability of plant-based foods at institutions would make the public more familiar with alt proteins, while also helping the sector scale up and reduce costs. The proposed move was identified as a “super leverage point” — in other words, a seemingly small action with a disproportionately high environmental impact. Researcher Tim Lenton told New Scientist that if 20% of meat sold globally was replaced with plant-based alternatives, as much as eight million square kilometres of land could be freed up and used for rewilding and reforestation. The reduced land use would lead to a …

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Vegan Society USA market port cosmeticsre

© Vegan Society USA

Vegan Society’s First US Market Report: 90% Consider Vegan-Verified Cosmetics Important

More than half of US consumers want more vegan-verified labelling on beauty products, according to the Vegan Society‘s first US market report. As the Vegan Society continues to expand its global reach, the organisation is keen to understand perceptions of veganism and vegan products around the world. For this reason, the UK’s Vegan Society has produced a report entitled “The Vegan Beauty Takeover: US Edition” in collaboration with its American offshoot, the American Vegan Society. The results of a survey conducted as part of the report mirror earlier findings from a UK survey that looked at consumer demand for vegan cosmetics and analysed whether shoppers understand the differences between vegan and cruelty-free labelling. In the cosmetics industry, the term “cruelty-free” refers either to products that …

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Image: Simply Almond

Report: Cost of Living Hits Some Plant-Based Categories, But Alt Milk Sales Remain Strong

Data from Evergi, a consumer wellness and emerging foods data platform by Brightfield Group, has spotlighted several new trends in the US plant-based market. An important finding is that although sales of some plant-based foods have slowed, this is largely due to the cost of living. 80% of people who have switched back to eating red meat and chicken say they still believe plant-based foods are healthier and better for the planet, meaning they will likely begin purchasing them again if their financial situation improves. Bacon and ready meals continue to rise While many plant-based categories — such as creamer, cheese, and burgers — are seeing falling sales, others — including bacon and frozen ready meals — are on the increase. Furthermore, many of the …

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Quorn & Sodexo

©Quorn & Sodexo

Caterer Sodexo UK&I Reports Rising Demand for Meatless Meals in Workplaces

Caterer Sodexo has reported a significant increase in demand for vegetarian and vegan dishes at workplaces in the UK and Ireland. Data shows that from January to November 2022, 15% of meals sold in Wales and the North West of England were meatless, along with 11% in London and 10% in Scotland. These figures vary widely between sectors, with vegetarian and vegan dishes making up 17% of sales at Health & Care sites and, surprisingly, just 5% at schools and universities. Meanwhile, Energy & Resources workplaces have seen a huge surge in demand, with meat-free dishes rising from 2% to 12% of sales. In the Republic of Ireland, 21,000 meat-free meals were bought at Sodexo sites in 2022, increasing from 5% to 8.5% of dishes …

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Turkey Submarine Sandwich

©Only Plant Based!/ Unreal Deli

US Consumers Are Choosing Vegan Over Keto, While 56% Want More Verified Vegan Cosmetics

Two new studies have revealed that US consumers are increasingly turning towards vegan diets and cruelty-free cosmetics. Research by Chef’s Pencil found that veganism has become more popular than ketogenic diets, which previously topped the rankings for four consecutive years. Two more plant-forward diets — vegetarian and Mediterranean — also made the top ten, according to Google Trends data from 2022. However, there are wide discrepancies between regions, with veganism most popular in coastal states and keto diets still in the lead in many inland areas. The most vegan-friendly states are Oregon, Hawaii, New York, New Jersey, and California. Demand for vegan cosmetics Meanwhile, a survey by The Vegan Society has examined demand for ethical cosmetics in the US, along with consumers’ understanding of the …

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CEO Stefan Klebert. © GEA

GEA Chef Survey Predicts a Quarter of Meals Will Contain Alt Proteins by 2040

A survey by GEA, a supplier of systems and components to the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries, has found that chefs believe a quarter of meals could contain alt proteins by 2040. Of the 1000 chefs surveyed, 43% said that between 26 and 50% of meals would be prepared with alt proteins by this date, while almost a quarter of participants believed the figure could be over 50%. 90% said they were already using alt proteins, and a third were using them to a significant extent. High growth in demand Additionally, 90% of chefs had seen growing interest in meat and dairy alternatives, with over 40% saying demand was high. 95% believed diners would demand more plant-based options in the coming years, and 45% expected …

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red raw meat on old wooden table

©Mara Zemgaliete - stock.adobe.com

New Study Finds Climate Impact Labels on Menus Encourage Less Red Meat Consumption

A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) finds that climate impact labels on fast food menus are an effective strategy for promoting sustainable food consumption.  When presented with high-climate and low-climate impact menu options, more participants ordered a sustainable (ie non-red meat) fast food item compared to the control group. According to researchers, these findings suggest such labels offer an effective strategy for reducing red meat menu selections in favor of more eco-friendly choices.  As the authors state, animal-based food production, especially beef, is estimated to be responsible for 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and reducing red meat consumption could lower diet-related emissions by as much as 55%. Since about one-third of Americans consume fast food every day, the …

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ProVeg NFH

Image courtesy ProVeg International

Key Statistics for Plant-Based Businesses

Whether you’re new to plant-based business or not, it’s essential that you A) understand the market and B) understand consumers. This involves getting to know the latest innovations, whitespaces, growth predictions, opportunities, and challenges of the plant-based marketplace and becoming acquainted with ever-evolving consumer behaviours, preferences, and drivers. ProVeg International has recently published an infographic that brings together some of the most important statistics related to the plant-based market and its consumers. With these insights, you’ll be well-positioned to enter a new year of plant-powered business. One statistic from the infographic uncovers that only 38% of flexitarian consumers are very likely to eat plant-based cheese instead of conventional products, compared to 53% of flexitarians likely to eat vegan meat products. While research shows a high …

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SCiFi Foods Cultured Beef Burger

©SCiFi Foods

SCiFi Foods Says First Sustainability Study of Cultivated Beef Proves Climate Benefits

Cultivated beef startup SCiFi Foods announces it has conducted the first-ever Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of cultivated beef products. According to SCiFi, the study, which was conducted by Ohio State University, substantially proves that cultivated beef benefits the climate more than traditional beef. The study has been published in Sustainability, a peer-reviewed, open-access academic journal. For the LCA environmental impact study, researchers looked at a SCiFi burger consisting of cultivated beef cells and plant-based ingredients (such as water, soy protein isolate, etc.) and compared it to traditional animal-based beef. In all areas of consumption, including GHG emissions, energy, land and water usage, SCiFi says its burger emerged as a more sustainable product compared to a traditional beef patty.    Unit SciFi Burger Beef patty % …

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upside foods cultivated chicken on a plate with veggies

© UPSIDE Foods

Study Reveals Preferred Terminology for Cultivated Meat & Seafood in USA

A study by Chris Bryant of the University of Bath and Marlana Malerich of the University of Edinburgh has examined US consumers’ preferred terminology for cultivated meat and seafood products. Whereas the standard as put forward by Bruce Friedrich and the GFI accepts usage of “cultivated” as a term to be used within the industry and media, this research aimed to establish which terms perform best amongst consumers with regard to clarity, consumer appeal, and communication of safety and allergenicity. The clear winners were “cell-cultured” and “cell-cultivated”, with terms that sound less natural — such as “lab-grown” and “artificial” — performing poorly. However, there was some confusion about allergenicity even with the most popular terms. As a result, the researchers conclude that the packaging of …

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