New study suggests almost 50% of Europeans have cut their meat consumption

Author: Molly Pickering

Read Time:   |  12th November 2021


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A new survey backed by ProVeg has revealed nearly 50% of Europeans have cut meat from their diets and are eating more plant-based produce

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A recent study from Smart Protein reveals almost 50% of Europeans have cut their meat consumption.

The survey backed by ProVeg International sought to discover European attitudes toward plant-based foods with a focus on flexitarians.

More than 7,500 people in 10 European countries were involved in the survey which launched in June 2021.

Moreover, the results reveal a major shift towards plant-based eating habits.

Plant-based eating in Europe

Smart Protein’s survey used participants from Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain, and the UK.

In the study, plant-based eaters represented 7% of participants, while 30% followed a flexitarian diet.

Additionally, just under 40% of Europeans intended on eating less meat.

While 46% revealed that they had minimised their meat consumption, and 30% planned on reducing their dairy intake.

Furthermore, participants also revealed they’d like to see more plant-based fish in supermarkets, particularly tuna and salmon.

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The importance of discount supermarkets

Interestingly, nearly half of the flexitarian respondents believed there was not enough plant-based choice in the supermarkets and 50% found the products too expensive.

43% of consumers said they would purchase their food most frequently from discount stores such as Aldi.

There is a clear call for discount supermarkets to stock more nutritional plant-based produce.

Not only will this allow people to have more choice, but it also makes plant-based eating more accessible for everyone.

Responding to these findings, Christoph Georgius from Aldi Nord: “The survey underlines one of the key trends of our time and confirms us in defining plant-based foods as a relevant topic for ALDI Nord.

“Our aim is to make plant-based food easily available and affordable for everyone.”

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“Tremendous potential for plant-based foods”

In a statement, Jasmijn De Boo, Vice President of ProVeg International, commented: “The survey suggests tremendous potential for plant-based foods in Europe and gives a green light to all relevant players in the field to develop more and better products.

“Consumer demand for alternative proteins is growing at a remarkable rate, with no end in sight.”

It is so encouraging to see Europeans introduce plant-based products into their eating habits. We hope supermarkets listen to the demand for more affordable plant-based products.

Want to kick-start your plant-based journey?

Try our oh-so-simple seven-day vegan meal plan

Written by

Molly Pickering

Molly is the Digital Executive and former podcast host at Anthem's Vegan Food & Living, she also works across other titles including Women's Running and Classic Pop to create affiliate content for the website. Starting out as a Digital Marketing Apprentice at Vegan Food & Living in 2021, within 14 months Molly was shortlisted for ‘Best Editorial Assistant’ at the BSME Talent Awards 2022 and won the BCS Special Recognition award for Digital Marketing Apprentice of the Year in 2022

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