People’s diets are changing quickly, according to new researcg (Photo: Adobe. Do not use without permission)
People across Europe are reducing their meat consumption ‘much more rapidly than thought’, according to new research published by New Food Magazine.
Dutch firm ingredients firm Griffith Foods has undertaken a Pan Europeansurvey looking into consumer behavior, polling around 4,000 people in the U.K, Germany, France, and the Netherlands.
The organization says the emerging flexitarian market – of people who actively want to reduce their meat intake and try alternative proteins – is larger than previously thought.
Demand for meat-free food
The survey found that consumers want more ‘adventurous’ vegan and veggie options made available – with different cuisines including Asian and Mediterranean on offer rather than just standard veggie burgers.
When it comes to meat alternatives, flexitarian shoppers are seeking products with a more meat-like texture than many of the options currently available.
Many flexitarians want meat alternatives to mimic the texture of meat more closely than traditional alternatives
‘Much more rapidly than thought’
“Our research findings may come as a surprise to many, especially as it identified a new class of casual consumer who are reducing their meat consumption much more rapidly than thought,” said Wim van Roekel, president, Griffith Foods, Europe & Africa, said.
“That has major implications for food retail manufacturers and producers, and their response to capture and cater to this newfound mass market.
“It’s exciting for our customers as this new demographic, still in its infancy, has a big appetite for choice and change.”
