Based on data from Numerator’s InfoScout OmniPanel, 80% of US shoppers intend to replace some or all real meat with plant-based meat alternatives in the next year. While only 36% say they will replace a “small portion” of animal-based meat with plant-based alternatives, 23% say they will replace a significant portion and 21% say they will replace all. These rates are slightly higher than last year – when Numerator found half of meat eaters ate more alternatives and nearly 40% ate less real meat. According to Numerator, about half of the people who tried plant-based products prefer animal-based meat, with 21% reporting that they strongly prefer it and 28% saying they only slightly prefer it. On the opposite end of the spectrum, 29% said they either slightly or strongly preferred plant-based meat. But this doesn’t mean most people are “dissatisfied” with plant-based alternatives to animal products. Rather, 62% said they were very or extremely satisfied, 83% said they would recommend them to someone else and 81% said they would try other types of plant-based meat alternatives. According to the data, 47% of shoppers consumed more plant-based dairy alternatives compared to last year, while 43% said they were consuming the same amount.
Source: smartbrief.com
Lightbulb Moment: The health halo around plant protein doesn’t hold for all products entering the space. When consumers realize this there will be a shift in the playground. Want to track plant protein trends going forward? That’s where Culinary Tides, Inc. comes in.