Meat-free sales up but only 1pc of us are vegan

ALMOST A quarter of all new UK food products launched last year were labelled vegan, while nearly two-thirds of Britons chose to eat meat substitutes, figures show.

Over the past two years, the number of Britons who have eaten food containing meat substitutes has risen from 50 per cent in 2017 to 65 per cent, analysts Mintel said.

It found sales of meat-free foods have grown 40 per cent to an estimated £816m between 2017 and 2019.

The proportion of meat eaters who have reduced or limited the amount of meat they consume has risen from 28 per cent in 2017 to 39 per cent in 2019, it said.

Despite the increasing popularity of flexitarian diets – consisting of predominantly plantbased food with some meat and fish – Mintel found 88 per cent of Britons will still eat red meat or poultry. And while new UK food product launches labelled vegan have risen from 17 per cent in 2018 to 23 per cent last year, those following a vegan diet still only make up around one per cent of the UK population, the figures show.

When asked about the benefits of eating less meat, 25 per cent of consumers cited improving the environment, while 32 per cent said it helped to improve health and 31 per cent said it saved them money.

Kate Vlietstra, Mintel global food and drink analyst, said: “The rising popularity of flexitarian diets has helped to drive demand for meat-free products.

“Many consumers perceive that plant-based foods are a healthier option and this notion is the key driver behind the reduction in meat consumption in recent years.”