Price parity and climate concerns challenge adoption of plant-based meat in UK, flags The Food Foundation

04 Sep 2024 --- While demand for plant-based meat alternatives continues to expand as consumers inch toward healthier and environmentally friendly food choices, Rebecca Tobi, senior business and investor engagement manager at The Food Foundation, says the UK “lags behind” European countries in terms of price parity between plant-based meat and regular meat, which affects adoption rates.

Food Ingredients First sits down with Tobi to understand the potential of the UK’s meat alternatives industry and the need for consumers and F&B businesses to diversify protein sources.

The organization recently released a report finding that the vast majority of plant-based meat alternatives significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and require less water compared to meat.

However, many new alternative meat products are over 73% more expensive than conventional meat, notes the UK-based charity.

“Price parity is a really important part of the puzzle, and UK companies are currently behind their European counterparts in this respect. Coop committed a few years ago to price their plant-based range at parity with meat but dropped this commitment from subsequent CSR commitments and reports,” she says.

“Including more plant-based options within meal deals could be another way for retailers and quick service restaurants to tackle the price premium we currently see on most plant-based meat alternatives.”

For its report, the foundation compared the most commonly eaten types of meat with three categories of plant-based meat alternatives. These were the “new-generation” processed plant-based protein alternatives offered in the UK by brands such as Beyond Meat, THIS, Quorn, Linda MacCartney, Vivera and retailer own-brand plant-based burgers in Tesco.

The second category included traditional processed food items eaten as plant-based meat alternatives, such as tofu, tempeh and seitan. The third comprised less processed plant protein alternatives like beans and grains, including some tinned brands.

Climate change and inflation

Statistically, global meat consumption is expected to increase by 50% by 2050. According to the UN Environment Program, beef production remains the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions.

However, Tobi says the link between food and climate change isn’t clear among the public. She identifies an opportunity for F&B companies to make plant-based meat alternatives more affordable for consumers as the climate crisis rages on.

Tobi says people shifting to a plant-forward diet can find iron in foods containing fortified flour, beans, nuts and seeds etc.“All plant-based alternatives fare better than meat regarding their environmental impact. Marketing, promotion and the claims and labeling used by food companies could all be better used to encourage people to eat for the planet.”

Previous research has shown that despite advanced innovation in the plant-based meat space, price impedes consumers’ switching to plant-based products. Inflationary fluctuations and the cost-of-living crisis particularly hinder the sector.

The government needs to respond with policy measures that make plant-based alternatives to meat “more affordable, available and appealing for everyone.”

“Quick wins could include strengthening government procurement rules for schools, hospitals, prisons and other public spaces where food is served through a review of the Government Buying Standards for Food.”

“Secondly, the government needs to support the production and increased consumption of UK-grown fruit, vegetables and legumes. Specifically, each devolved nation should have a strategy for an expanded, vibrant and thriving edible horticulture sector.”

Meeting nutritional requirements

Meat is considered a rich source of iron and Vitamin B12. However, the Food Foundation study flags that only a third of the more processed plant-based meat alternatives are fortified with these nutrients.

However, Tobi says people shifting to a plant-forward diet can find iron in foods containing fortified flour (like bread and cereals), beans, nuts and seeds, tofu and leafy green vegetables.

However, B12 remains “trickier”.

“If people are simply reducing rather than eliminating animal foods from their diets, micronutrient deficiencies are less of a concern. Dairy foods are a good source of B12, but for those switching away completely from animal foods, then a B12 supplement would be recommended.”

The report highlights that beans and grains perform strongly against several nutritional indicators, containing significantly lower amounts of saturated fat, calories and salt and the highest fiber per 100 grams among all three categories compared to meat.

“Beans are a triple win for health, the environment and affordability objectives. In the UK, the main barriers to people eating more beans are a lack of familiarity with beans and not knowing how to prepare or use them in meals. Price isn’t the main barrier to getting more people to eat more beans — rather, beans aren’t seen as appealing enough.”

“So getting UK households inspired and motivated to cook with beans, increasing confidence in using beans in meals, and making sure convenient, tasty and ready-to-eat bean options are available would help,” Tobi concludes.

By Anvisha Manral