Researchers surveyed more than 7,500 people in 10 European countries, and found that 48% of UK adults are cutting down on the amount of meat they consume.
In the search for alternative proteins, 22% are purchasing plant-based chicken or beef replicas, while 19% buy plant-based pork or seafood alternatives. Meanwhile, 35% now buy plant-based milk at least once a week.
When asked what was preventing them from shopping for plant-based products, 43% of UK respondents cited price, while 37% said that they don’t taste good enough.
The survey was carried out by food non-governmental organisation ProVeg International, in partnership with Innova Market Insights, the University of Copenhagen and Ghent University, as part of the EU-funded Smart Protein project.
Calls for more information and funding
Smart Protein co-ordinator, Professor Emanuele Zannini PhD, believes that consumers need to be given more clear and simple information about the ingredients that go into plant-based products if they are to become more popular.
Zannini explained: “This will encourage more and more consumers - including the more sceptical ones - to embrace, with more confidence, a shift towards a better diet for their health and for the planet. This is a clear target for food scientists and food ingredient industries.”
Meanwhile, chief executive of the Vegetarian Society, Richard McIlwain, told Food Manufacture: "Its high time that government policy started to mirror consumer behaviour. Strategic approaches to encourage widespread adoption of a plant-based diet could turbocharge behaviour change."
A number of products use the society's vegetarian and vegan trademarks, a process that McIlwain said helps consumers to make informed decisions.
"Given the importance of meat alternatives as 'healthy, tasty and affordable', these are features we focus on," he added.
"Creating positive advocacy, normalising plant-based choices in the mainstream and providing clear labelling for meat free products through trademarks are critical factors to helping people transition and, more importantly, maintain giving up meat.”
Linus Pardoe, UK policy manager at non-profit the Good Food Institute Europe, echoed this sentiment and called on policy makers to put more funding into meat alternatives.
“Despite soaring demand for plant-based food in the UK, consumers here are more likely to say existing products are too expensive and aren’t tasty enough,” Pardoe said.
“The government and British businesses must invest in research and infrastructure to bring prices down and improve quality, making these sustainable foods more appealing and widely available.”
