In 2022 more and more people are following a meat-free diet. The awareness of vegetarianism and veganism is increasing more than ever.
Adopting a meat-free diet has now become much easier and accessible for everyone.
The Demand for meat-free food increased by 987% in 2017 and going vegan was predicted to be the biggest food trend in 2018.
There are around 1.6 million people in the UK who are currently vegan in 2022.
The number of vegans in the US has increased by more than 500% since 2014.
In 2021, it was estimated that the plant-based meat industry is worth $939 million due to its rising demand in restaurants around the world.
3% of the population of Great Britain are vegan in 2022. For comparison, just 1.16% were vegan in 2019. This is an increase of 87.5% in just 3 years.
Currently, 14% of adults in the UK (7.2 million) are following a meat-free diet.
There are different reasons consumers decide to switch to vegan diets. The main reasons are: taking a stand against the mistreatment of animals, health reasons in order to increase the number of fruits and vegetables they consume to stay healthy.
This new vegan demand impacts the food industry professionals throughout the supply chain. Restaurants, grocery stores, food manufacturers, cooking utensils producers, ingredients, and processes have been altered so they can better cater to vegan consumers.
The significant increase in vegan demand causes people to consume more fruits and vegetables. This increase has also a direct impact on the demand for kitchen gadgets and tools that allow people to make special dishes and decorative salads such as julienne peelers and vegetable slicers.
