Vegan products are “stagnating”, according to new data and brands are being encouraged to ditch their production of meat-free foods as a result.
New figures from NIQ reveal that in January this year, known by some as “Veganuary”, sales of chilled meat alternatives dropped 16.8 per cent, while plant-based milk alternatives saw growth of just 0.9 per cent.
Brands are often having to branch out when marketing their vegan products, as the number of people following a plant based diet in the UK is reportedly considerably low.
The Vegan Society estimates it is about 700,000 people based on surveys showing the proportion of vegans is around one per cent of the UK population.
Davinia Taylor issues a warning over plant-based products
PA / GB News
Brands are often having to branch out when marketing their vegan products, as the number of people following a plant based diet in the UK is reportedly considerably low.
The Vegan Society estimates it is about 700,000 people based on surveys showing the proportion of vegans is around one per cent of the UK population.
Ex-Hollyoaks actress Davinia Taylor believes meat alternatives are “glorified carbohydrates” and blames them for her past instances of weight gain.
Speaking on GB News, she said: “As soon as you start consuming it, it mixes with your saliva and it turns to sugar, so you pile on the weight and you become lethargic.
Bear Grylls said he was 'wrong' to think veganism was good for the environment
PA“It’s quite addictive. Vegan food is what I call greenwashing and if you’re great grandmother didn’t eat it, I suggest you step away from it.
“It’s a con, an absolute con, if anyone thinks a vegan lifestyle doesn’t kill animals, just watch Watership Down, where all the bunnies get chopped up, that’s just what combine harvesters do.
“If you shop local, cut out the supermarkets and factor farming, you can rest assured the animals have died with dignity.”
Hamish Renton from HRA Global says while there has been a dip in the vegan market, there is still strong potential.
He told The Guardian: “There has been a gold rush followed by a cull. There were too many products on the shelf for the volume of sales.”
The Vegan Society said: “The plant-based market is still in its infancy and periods of ebb and flow are to be expected as the industry continues to innovate and the market stabilises.
“The whole market has a huge number of products, having seen an incredible boom in recent years.”