‘Plant-based meat alternative consumption doubles in UK’

Plant-based meat alternative foods (PBAF) are likely to take a considerable place in UK diets as shown by a recent report which claims that Britons opting for PBAF have doubled in the last few years.

As per first-of-its-kind analysis by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), along with the University of Oxford, proportion of UK people reporting eating and drinking PBAF such as plant-based milk, vegan sausages and vegetable burgers have nearly doubled between 2008–2011 and 2017–2019.

For the study, eating habits of more than 15,000 individuals aged 1.5 years and over were analysed using consumption data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey 2008–20191. The team found that the proportion of people who reported to eat and drink PBAFs have nearly doubled over the period of the study from 6.7 percent to 13.1 percent.

The largest increases were reported among Generation Y (11-23 years old), Millennials (24-39 years old), says the report, adding that women were also 46 percent more likely to report consumption of plant-based alternative foods than men.

“A global transformation towards sustainable food systems is crucial for delivering on climate change mitigation targets worldwide. In high- and middle-income settings, plant-based meat and dairy alternatives are increasingly being explored and developed as a strategy to reduce consumption of animal-sourced foods,” said Dr Pauline Scheelbeek from LSHTM and study author.

The UK Climate Change Committee (UKCCC) has suggested a 20 percent reduction in high‑carbon meat and dairy products by 2030, rising to a 35 percent reduction by 2050, with increased consumption of plant-based products.

Designed to mimic the taste and texture of their animal-based counterparts and limit changes in meal habits and cooking skills, plant based alternatives present a potential solution. However, social facilitation, pleasure, and beliefs about the importance of meat in the diet are barriers for many to change diets.

“The plant-based alternative foods could be a stepping stone for people that are willing to reduce meat consumption, but find it hard to fit this into their daily lives. This study shows that more and more people are applying this pathway to achieve their goals on more plant-based diets,”  Scheelbeek said.