Fifth of Brits buy plant-based meat once a week

Over half (51%) of people in Europe are now actively reducing their meat consumption, representing an 11 per cent growth on 2021 figures, a new report has found.

The survey, funded by the EU’s Smart Protein project, also found that a fifth of UK shoppers buy plant-based meat once a week as they try to reduce their meat intake.

The study – which questioned more than 7,500 people in 10 European countries – found nearly half of UK adults (48%) report they are reducing their conventional meat intake, with 22 per cent buying plant-based chicken or beef products, 19 per cent buying plant-based pork or seafood and 35 per cent buying plant-based milk at least once a week.

But when asked what was stopping them from buying plant-based foods, Brits had the highest levels of concern that they were too expensive (43%) or didn’t taste good enough (37%).

Other findings include:

• More than a third say they wish they could buy more plant-based meat options.
• Nearly three-quarters prefer to buy plant-based products at the supermarket – the highest of any country.
• 57 per cent support measures helping farmers grow crops for plant-based foods.

“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,” Linus Pardoe, UK policy manager at nonprofit the Good Food Institute Europe, commented.

“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.”

Across Europe, the primary motivation for reducing meat consumption is for health reasons (47%), followed by environmental concerns (29%) and animal welfare (26%), the survey found.

“Following the resounding success of the 2021 Smart Protein survey What Consumers Want, this second wave found promising changes in EU consumer preferences and behaviours over the last two years. This new report provides a deeper understanding of the long-term potential of the plant-based sector and offers proven practical recommendations so that further growth can be sustained,” Jasmijn de Boo, chief executive of food awareness organisation ProVeg International, which carried out the survey, said.

“Increasing numbers of people are choosing to reduce their meat intake and policy makers and industry can use this knowledge to make respective decisions on the production and promotion of plant-based foods.”