Special Report: The Rise in “Flexitarian” Lifestyles

07 Mar 2017 --- There are approximately 375 million vegetarians worldwide and that number is continuing to rise. There has been a huge trend towards consumers who are cutting back on their meat consumption, for health and sustainability reasons, the so-called “flexitarian” is expected to further grow and drive development of new products in the vegetarian category, which is showing strong growth already. These flexible vegetarians can be more discerning than vegetarians or vegans, and want better tasting products that are more reminiscent of meat, further driving innovation in the food sector.

Meat substitute product launches accounted for almost 14% of all new “meat” launches tracked in West Europe by Innova Market Insights in Q3 2015, compared to 6.3% tracked in Q3 2011. There are a number of widespread reasons that are encouraging consumers to cut back on meat, or rule it out together. These include personal health worries and concerns about animal welfare and practices being employed by the meat industry. The trend towards reducing meat intake in the diet has led to the emergence of new opportunities to target vegans, vegetarians and non-meat eaters.

“This trend represents a growing opportunity for high-quality meat alternatives, which is also being reflected in the 24% average annual growth in global meat substitute launches recorded between 2011 and 2015,” explains Lu Ann Williams, Director of Innovation at Innova Market Insights.

As plant-based milks, meat alternatives and vegan offerings rapidly moved into the mainstream, consumers are looking for innovative options to take the inherent benefits of plants into their daily lives. Even dairy companies are now leveraging the functional and technical benefits of plants in new product development, driving more variety and excitement into their category. Innova Market Insights has reported CAGR of +63% for new product launches with a plant-based claim from 2011-2015. “Disruptive Green” is listed as Trend 2 in Innova Market Insights Top Ten Trends for 2017.

All things plant-based are both appealing to consumers and there have been some interesting innovations in meat free products. But what are the key drivers for this change in consumer attitudes towards meat? FoodIngredientsFirst takes a closer look. 

Health
The high profile study by the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer, which concluded that each 50 gram portion of processed meat eaten daily, increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 18%. The study drew widespread news coverage, with meat groups stressing that no single food causes cancer and that the health benefits have not been taken into consideration. 

A study published on JAMA Internal Medicine found that swapping meat protein for more plant protein can lead to a healthier and longer life. The research shows there was an increased death risk primarily associated with red meats, eggs and dairy, not found among those with a healthy lifestyle.

The largest study of its kind to examine the effects of different sources of dietary protein found that a high intake of protein from animal sources, particularly processed and unprocessed red meats, was associated with a higher death rate. This was compared with a high intake of vegetarian protein from plant sources, including food like breads, cereals, pasta, beans, nuts and legumes, which was associated with a lower risk of mortality. The study was carried out by researchers from a variety of institutions in the US and Italy including Massachusetts General Hospital.

Trust
Beyond health, distrust is another reason for why consumers may cut back on meat. The 2013 European horsemeat scandal dented consumer confidence in the meat industry, but the issue of deceptive labeling has not entirely disappeared either, as a new report from EU consumer watchdog BEUC shows. The findings revealed frequent cases of failure to declare percentage of meat in ‘meat’ products, fraudulent use of meat substitute, such as turkey being sold as veal and undeclared mechanically-separated meat. “With the 2013 horsemeat scandal still fresh in many minds, European consumers should be able to trust the labels on the meat they buy. But if they are to be able to do so, public authorities must tighten their checks to guarantee that food manufacturers abide by EU food laws,” the group stated. 

It's not just meat products coming under the firing line for consumer trust. Just earlier this month, Quorn Foods Ltd recalled their Quorn Meat Free Mince because the product may have contained small pieces of metal. The affected product was only on sale at Tesco, UK from 27 February 2017 to 1 March 2017. The FSA issued an updated Product Recall information Notice. Even issues around vegetarian friendly products can dent trust from consumers. Following a vegan or vegetarian diet means less processed, more natural foods, and thus allowing the customer to be in more control over what ingredients they are consuming. 

Animal Welfare
Animal welfare concerns are another reason to forgo meat consumption, with some common industrial practices drawing widespread consumer disgust. For example, in October 2015, Germany became the first country to outlaw the controversial practice of “chick shredding. The practice is commonplace across both caged and free range egg producers all over the world, and around 45 million chicks are killed after birth in Germany alone. But after pressure from animal rights activists, the German government teamed up with scientists to come up with an alternative. From now on, new technology will be used to determine the sex of each fertilized egg before the chick inside develops. 

Sustainability from an animal welfare perspective is a key message being pushed by manufacturers in recent months. For example, as part of its ongoing dedication to corporate responsibility, Kellogg Company recently announced that it plans to build on its commitment to animal welfare by sourcing only cage free eggs for its foods and eliminating gestation stalls from its pork supply chain by the end of 2025. In addition, Kellogg will consider the “Five Freedoms” of animal welfare, an internationally recognized set of humane treatment principles: “as part of its process to continuously improve its supply chain in the future.” 

Need for Sustainable Protein
The flexitarian trend is also relevant due to the world’s growing demand for protein in general, which has been a key development in Innova Market Insights Top Ten Trends list for several years. As is often noted, the world’s population is estimated to reach 9.6 billion by 2050, according to the World Health Organization, leading to increased demand for proteins. 22% of the world’s population is estimated to be older than 60 years by 2050, so protein is also required to combat concerns about gradual muscle decline through sarcopenia. 

Strong Product Development
In terms of meat substitutes specifically, what is most interesting is the breadth of products now available, providing consumers with a lot more choice and convenience. Vegetarian friendly products are highly prevalent in today’s markets, with many traditional meat companies venturing into the vegetarian/vegan space; effectively admitting that a growing market exists and can no longer be ignored. The trend towards reducing meat consumption and increasing meatless meals creates opportunities for alternative products.

While the majority of meat substitutes are still soy or wheat based, products are evolving with alternative ingredients such as egg, pea, ancient grains, nuts and even fruits. A look at the top protein ingredients as a percentage of meat substitute launches tracked in 2015 found that wheat protein (27.2%) and soy protein (26.6%) dominated, but egg protein (7.1%), pea protein and mycoprotein [used in Quorn] (4.1%) are also trending in these products. 

One of the biggest success stories from the US market is Beyond Meat, whose extensive product line features The Beast – a 100% plant based, protein packed, nutrient dense burger, which includes pea protein isolate. Completely free of animal fat and cholesterol and with 23 grams of protein and its blend of antioxidants, iron, calcium, vitamins B6, B12, & D, potassium, and DHA & ALA omega 3s, Beyond Meat is an example of one of the many start-up companies that is driving innovation in the vegetarian space, with investors including Bill Gates, Twitter co-founders Biz Stone, and Evan Williams.

Daiya Foods, a manufacturer of dairy free products, teamed up with Beyond Meat to extend its frozen pizza lineup. The new “Supreme Pizza” offering combines Daiya’s dairy free Mozzarella Style Shreds with Beyond Meat’s gourmet meatless sausage on a gluten free crust.
 
“With over 22 million vegetarians, a third of the population who is dairy sensitive, and an ever increasing number of people now following a plant-based diet, we are fortunate to cook up our latest creation with industry leader Beyond Meat, who is well known for revolutionary and great-tasting, plant-based products that offer the same taste and texture of meat. This enhances the taste appeal of our latest Supreme Pizza offering and helps us truly deliver on Daiya’s goal of providing healthier versions of everyday foods people love to eat,” said Michael Lynch, vice president of marketing at Daiya.

Last month, FoodIngredientsFirst reported a political stir in Germany after environment ministers went ahead with their decision to ban meat and fish from official functions due to its potential environmental impact. Germany’s infamous sausages and traditional meat-heavy food options were nowhere to be seen at a recent buffet as part of the German government’s “exporting green technology” symposium.

Taking with The Guardian about the decision for the vegetarian spread, German environment ministry spokesperson Michael Schroeren said: “We decided to take the symbolic step to ban meat and fish at external events because we want to practice what we preach.” 

The lack of meat seems to have caused a disturbance though with Germany’s food minister and member of the conservative Christian Social Union (CSU), Christian Schmidt, hitting back. 

“With us there won’t be a veggie day through the back door. Instead of paternalism and ideology I stand for variety and freedom of choice,” he said. 

His comments also related to 2013 before the last German elections when the Green Party suggested a weekly vegetarian day where canteens across the country do not serve meat. However, this part of the campaigns was generally considered to backfire and was partly responsible for the Party only gaining 8.5% at the election.

It seems the meat debate is rearing up again ahead of Germany’s next elections in September.

It’s not just a rise in flexitarianism that is happening around the globe, consumers are looking to veganism as another dietary option. Veganuary 2017 saw almost 60,000 people from around the world shun animal products throughout the month of January. Participants have been polled, and the numbers have been announced by the campaign founders. 

Some key findings from the results:
88% of those who took part were female 
44% were meat-eaters
32% cited health as their reason for taking part
97% report they feel healthier after one month as a vegan
14,012,825 animals were spared as a result of Veganuary 2017
5 million vegan were meals eaten during Veganuary 2017
99% recommend taking part in Veganuary

And even bigger figures revealed:
67% say they will remain vegan in the future
(59% of omnivores, 64% of pescetarians and 75% of vegetarians)
And of those not staying vegan:
95% say they will reduce or stop eating meat from cows
92% say they will reduce or stop eating meat from chickens

Veganuary was launched four years ago and participation has risen year on year, both reflecting and driving the trend away from consumption of animal products. A London Underground advertising campaign, along with the engagement of many of the UK’s high street restaurants and supermarkets, meant that 2017 was a bumper year for changing the nation’s eating habits. 

Clea Grady, Marketing Manager at Veganuary said: “Not only have we seen the largest number of people taking part to date, but participants have been so engaged and positive that it’s been an absolute pleasure to introduce them to the world of animal-free eating. The recipes and food pics created and shared have been just fabulous, and the wealth of vegan food available on the high street has made veganism accessible to all.”

The flexitarian diet trend is tipped to be one of the most popular for 2017 – and you can see why. With supermarkets shelves regularly adding new lines of meat free ranges it has never been easier for today’s health conscious and experimental consumers. The meat free space has exploded over the past few years and it’s not looking likely to slow down. 

by Elizabeth Kenward