An EU-funded project has reported 49 % growth in Europeans’ consumption of plant-based foods in 2 years.
Plant-based options are no longer a novelty on the shelves and in the fridges of supermarkets and discount stores across Europe. But just how big is the market for these foods? A new report published by the EU-funded SMART PROTEIN project analysed retail data from 11 European countries to reveal exactly how much plant-based consumption increased in the region from 2018 to 2020. The report offers valuable insight into European consumer habits that could help food producers and retailers to identify promising market segments.
According to the research results, Europe’s plant-based food industry grew an astonishing 49 % overall in that 2-year period, amounting to a total sales value of EUR 3.6 billion. The plant-based categories analysed were meat, milk, yoghurt, cheese, ice cream and fish, depending on the availability in each country.