In the UK, interest in vegan products is fading

In comparison, 96.4% of households bought MEAT, fish or poultry (MFP) in the first three weeks of the year, according to a new AHDB report. IGD research shows that 7% of shoppers started buying animal protein-free products early last month. However, this rise appears to have been short-lived, with seven out of 10 failing to break the two-week mark. Of those who stopped, 40% said it was because real animal protein alternatives were too expensive, and another 40% said they couldn't find food or drinks they liked.

Grace Randall, Retail Manager at AHDB, said that despite new product development and strong promotions from retailers, the taste and price of meat-free products remain major barriers to shoppers.

“A small part of the market remains without meat, maintaining a share of 2% in volume, which it has observed over the past four years,” she explained.

“This decrease in the number of buyers means that the total cost and volume of non-meat products have decreased, with volumes down 12.9% and value down 6.3%.”