UK overtakes Germany to become world’s leader for vegan food launches

From the UK at the forefront global vegan new product development to a sharp rise in UK meat-free consumption - all helped by the rise in popularity of initiatives like Veganuary - UK vegan new product development (NPD) is flourishing.
 
As many as one in six (16 per cent) food products launched in the UK in 2018 had a ‘vegan’ or ‘no animal ingredients’ claim, doubling from just 8 per cent in 2015, Mintel reveals.
 
According to the research, Germany has seen numbers of vegan food NPD drop, with the total share of food launches classified as ‘vegan’ falling from 15 per cent in 2017 to 13 per cent in 2018.
 
Overall, one in 10 (9 per cent) food products launched in Europe in 2018 had a vegan/no animal ingredients claim, doubling from 5 per cent in 2015.
 
Edward Bergen, global food and drinks analyst at Mintel said, “For a number of years Germany led the world for launches of vegan products. However, 2018 saw the UK take the helm. Germany has certainly plateaued, likely driven by a flooded market with little room to grow further.

“The UK, by contrast, has seen a huge promotion of vegan choices in restaurants and supermarkets. The most poignant of these is the expansion of supermarket own-label options with dedicated vegan ranges in mainstream stores. Additional space is also being freed up by UK supermarkets in the on-the-go aisles and small format stores to help promote vegan food and drink, making it easier for meat-eating consumers to try these new concepts out.

“Meanwhile, initiatives like Veganuary and meat-less Monday allow consumers to flirt with veganism without the long-term commitment.”