Great Britain replaces Germany as front-runner for vegan product launches
Although Germany has been a leading force in the development of vegan food introductions for many years, the latest data from the Global New Products Database (GNPD) of market research company Mintel shows that the UK has beaten the German market to second place in the last six months. Overall, the proportion of vegan award-winning food products in the UK has doubled from eight percent in 2015 to 16 percent in 2018.
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Even though nearly 47 percent of German consumers say they will do without red meat for the sake of the environment, the German market for vegan products now seems saturated - new product development for vegan foods fell by two percentage points from 15 percent in 2017 to 13 percent in the following year.
However, most Britons do not follow a strict vegan diet: almost one in three (34 percent) stated that they had reduced their meat consumption in the last six months as part of a flexitarian diet. In comparison, the figure for the previous year was just 28 percent.
What is particularly striking in Germany is the reduced consumption of meat replacement products: In July 2017, 15 percent of German consumers still stated that they had bought such products within the last three months before the survey; in 2018, only 10 percent bought meat alternatives during a similar period. Furthermore, 52 percent of those surveyed in Germany last year wanted a larger selection of healthier fresh convenience and ready-meal options.
Julia Büch, Food & Drinks Analyst at Mintel, comments:
"(Flexi-)veganism has been booming in Germany for years. However, after years of strong growth in vegan product launches, growth is now expected to slow. Consumers are becoming increasingly sceptical about the sometimes long lists of ingredients, as well as the use of additives and preservatives, such as meat substitutes. For vegan products of the next generation, the focus is therefore clearly on quality and clean labels. In the long term, however, the market for vegan and vegetarian products continues to show great potential".
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