Plant-based food is standing up to the traditional in a whole generation that is mobilizing for the future of the planet and social conscience. According to a new study, plant-based eating is growing at a frenetic rate and such is the success that many multinational traditional food companies have jumped on the bandwagon.
Every day it is more common to see vegan food, that is, food that is not of animal origin, but nevertheless it promises to be the same. Good examples of this are hamburgers, “chicken”, bacon, cheese, yogurts, etc. This has led to a debate that has reached the European Commission where it was voted whether or not vegetable food could be called the same as animal food.
Many companies have created a division with plant-based products and maintain their meat and dairy factories. This situation means that many vegans do not want to consume these products, since they know that it is a mere diversionary maneuver and a marketing strategy to supply the enormous demand that is being created and that will continue to grow, but in the Fund that money continues to go to the meat and dairy industry.
Plant based, a car that everyone can get on
Companies like Unilever, Nestlé or Danone have taken a step forward and created plant-based food. In fact, some multinationals, only in Spain, have grown almost 50% in the last 24 months.
The plant food sector is booming, and everything indicates that its trend will continue to rise . Companies that previously only offered meat, dairy and eggs have now expanded their catalog and are launching plant-based foods exclusively for vegans or more flexible foods for vegetarians.
Let’s not forget that, whether or not we are vegan and vegetarian, we can also eat these plant-based products without any problem.
The value of plant products has grown exactly 48% in the last 2 years in Spain, that translates to 448 million euros. If we break down that figure, we see that the main income comes from vegetable milk with an annual figure of 318 million euros, followed by the 87 million euros that vegetable meats already leave.
Vegetable meat vs. animal meat
Without going any further, Heura, the Spanish leader in vegetable meat, closed the year 2020 tripling its sales, reaching 450% of revenues compared to the previous year. The case of Heura is one side of the coin, on the other side you can see the anger of the meat sector that, although having the support of the European Union, have opposed plant-based food products being called same as those of animal origin.
The Provacuno Organization has collected more than 1,500 names to refer to plant products and they intend to present them to Europe.
The same Europe that recently voted on whether plant-based products could be named in the same way as animal-based products. After a long collection of signatures, visibility on social networks and other pressure campaigns on both sides of the coin, Europe had the last word with its famous Amendment 171 .
In the end the amendment was rejected and plant-based food products can still be called milk, yogurt, sausage, hamburger, bacon, salami, steak, etc. even if there is not a milligram of animal abuse inside.
