Research by the manufacturer found 60% of people aged 18 to 44 expected a plant-based offering, versus 43% of respondents aged 45 to 75 – Generation X and Boomers respectively.
It also found that one third (34%) of global consumers were prepared to pay extra for a plant-based option – rising to 42% for Gen Z and Millennials, but dropping to 25% for older generations.
Plant-based confectionery
Focusing on the confectionery market, two thirds (67%) of 18 to 44 year olds said they were interested in a broader offering when it came to plant-based milk chocolate, with its use in biscuits (33%), bakery (36%) and ice cream (36%) coming out on top.
Key drivers for consumers wanting to try plant-based treats were health (43%), liking the taste (41%) and bringing variety to their diet/trying something new (34%). These all came before concerns about climate change and animal welfare.
Barriers to eating plant-based chocolate were concerns over taste (28%), the price being too high (25%) and just not knowing enough about plant-based alternatives (19%). In the UK, price is the top concern (34%) even before taste concerns (30%).
Growth in interest
Sofia Popova, marketing director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Barry Callebaut, said: “Various consumer research show plant-based chocolate is receiving more interest. Consumers today simply expect every brand to offer a plant-based option and they welcome a variety of flavours and textures.
“For a lot of brands across food categories the journey only starts now. A confectionery or biscuits shelf today is very far from yogurts, milks or ice-cream in terms of choice of plant-based offers.”
Meanwhile, plant-based burgers could soon ‘bleed’ like their meat counterparts, thanks to a new development from food tech start-up Yemoja.
