Forty percent of Europeans plan to eat less meat

A recent survey has found that high levels of European consumers plan to reduce their meat consumption.

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In a European survey conducted across 10 countries, almost 30% of respondents said they planned to substantially increase their consumption of plant-based dairy and meat products. (dropStock | iStock.com)
In a European survey conducted across 10 countries, almost 30% of respondents said they planned to substantially increase their consumption of plant-based dairy and meat products. (dropStock | iStock.com)

Almost 40% of respondents to a survey conducted in more than 10 European countries last year said they intended to eat less meat in the near future. However, not all consumers are satisfied with the range of plant-based protein products, or with information available about those products, and not all plant-based alternatives are winning the same level of consumer trust.

What consumers want; a survey on European attitudes towards plant-based foods, with a focus on flexitarians," published in November, contains the results of a survey of European consumers carried out in June 2021. The survey was conducted on behalf of the European Union-funded Smart Protein project; and conducted by ProVeg International, an organization that wants to see the replacement of animal-based products with plant-based and cultured products; market intelligence company Innova Market Insights; and the universities of Copenhagen and Ghent.

More than 7,500 people were surveyed on their attitudes toward the consumption of plant-based foods, their trust in relation to such products, their current consumption habits, and the key drivers of their food choices, among other areas.

In the consumer sample, 30% followed a flexitarian diet, i.e. primarily vegetarian but eating meat and fish occasionally, while vegans and vegetarians accounted for 7% of respondents.

The Netherlands and Romania were found to have the highest share of flexitarians, with 42% and 40%, respectively, while Germany had the highest share of plant-based eaters, with 10% being vegetarian or vegan.

Stated reduction in meat consumption

Some 40% of consumers said that they intended to consume less meat in the near future, while 46% said that they had already reduced their meat consumption. Around 30% stated that they intended to reduce their daily consumption of animal-based products. The share of flexitarians that had strongly reduced their meat consumption was even higher at 73%.

Almost half of European meat eaters said they now eat less meat compared with a year ago, while 40% of respondents stated that they intend to consume fewer meat products in the future. Almost 30% said they planned to substantially increase their consumption of plant-based dairy and meat products.

While the survey found that omnivores and vegetarians had followed their dietary lifestyles the longest, the opposite was true for vegans and flexitarians. Some had been following the lifestyle for a long time, while others had recently switched to these types of diets.

Nearly half of flexitarians believe there are not enough plant-based choices in supermarkets and restaurants, while 50% perceive plant-based options as being too expensive and would like more information about such products.

Sixty-one percent of respondents said they felt that plant proteins are safe, while 60% believe that they are accurately labeled. Flexitarians were found to prefer ingredients that are familiar to them, such as potatoes and rice, while plant-based proteins are the most trusted by flexitarians, followed by fungi- and algae-based proteins.

Search engines were found to be the most common channels where European consumers search for information on plant-based food, followed by health and nutrition websites.

 

What lies behind declining Dutch meat sales?

The total consumption of meat and cold cuts per capita in the Netherlands stood at 75.9 kg, based on carcass weight, in 2020, a decrease of 1.9 kg compared to 2019. The figure, based on calculations made by Wageningen University and Research and animal welfare organization Wakker Dier, is not only the biggest decrease since records began in 2005, but takes meat consumption to its lowest level over the period.

Poultry, pork and beef were the meats most affected, and the decrease was almost as high as for the whole of the period between 2010 and 2016.

But what lies behind this decrease?

The researchers note that during 2020, due to the pandemic, there were fewer opportunities to eat meat outside the home. Retailers may have sold more meat during the year, but this was insufficient to compensate for the overall decline.

While Wageningen notes that the continued growth in plant-based meat substitutes may be remarkable, it adds that the market remains relatively small, meaning that the impact of plant-based meat substitutes is still limited.

The study concludes that the decline in meat consumption in the Netherlands in 2020 was more to do with fewer practical opportunities to eat meat rather than the emergence of a new preference for plant-based foods.

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