Plant-based alternative food consumption may have doubled in UK over ten
years suggests first analysis of its kind

Date:
November 11, 2021
Source:
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Summary:
The proportion of UK people reporting eating and drinking
plant-based alternative foods such as plant-based milk, vegan
sausages and vegetable burgers nearly doubled between 2008 --
2011 and 2017 -- 2019, according to a new study.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
The proportion of UK people reporting eating and drinking plant-based alternative foods such as plant-based milk, vegan sausages and vegetable burgers nearly doubled between 2008-2011 and 2017-2019, according to a
new study in Science of the Total Environment.


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The study was led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
(LSHTM), with partners the University of Oxford. It is believed to be
the first analysis of plant-based alternative foods (PBAF) consumption
trends in the UK.

Trends from more than 15,000 individuals aged 1.5 years and over were
analysed using consumption data from the National Diet and Nutrition
Survey 2008-20191.

The team found that the proportion of people that reported to eat and
drink plant-based alternative foods nearly doubled over the period of
the study from 6.7% to 13.1%.

The largest increases were reported among Generation Y (11-23 years old), Millennials (24-39 years old), and among those that reported low meat consumption. Women were also 46% more likely to report consumption of
plant- based alternative foods than men.

The researchers say their study suggests that alternative plant-based
foods are likely to play an important role in dietary change away from
meat and dairy, and take a considerable place in UK diets. However,
it remains unknown how healthy and sustainable these alternatives are,
so the team call for urgent research to see if the shift to these foods
should be strategically promoted.

Dr Pauline Scheelbeek from LSHTM and study author, said: "A global transformation towards sustainable food systems is crucial for
delivering on climate change mitigation targets worldwide. In high-
and middle-income settings, plant-based meat and dairy alternatives
are increasingly being explored and developed as a strategy to reduce consumption of animal-sourced foods. However, the extent to which these
foods play a role in dietary change remains largely understudied. This
study helps fill that gap." Evidence suggests current global food
systems and patterns of consumption are unsustainable for human and
planetary health. The food system is responsible for roughly 21-37%
of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and agriculture accounts for
around 70% of freshwater use globally.



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To meet the targets set out in the Paris agreements a global transition
to sustainable diets is crucial and being widely promoted. Research has demonstrated that in high- and middle-income settings (with diets that
are typically high in animal-sourced foods) substituting animal products
with plant-based sources of food can substantially reduce impacts on
the environment and improve population health.

As part of its recommendations for achieving a reduction in emissions,
the UK Climate Change Committee (UKCCC) has suggested a 20% reduction in high?carbon meat and dairy products by 2030, rising to a 35% reduction
by 2050, with increased consumption of plant-based products.

However, social facilitation, pleasure, and beliefs about the importance
of meat in the diet are barriers for many to change diets. PBAF present
a potential solution as they are designed to mimic the taste and texture
of their animal-based counterparts and limit changes in meal habits and
cooking skills.

Dr Scheelbeek said: "The willingness to reduce meat intake among
populations in many European countries has increased rapidly over the
past decade.

Unfortunately, this does not always result into actual dietary change. The plant-based alternative foods could be a stepping stone for people that
are willing to reduce meat consumption, but find it hard to fit this
into their daily lives. This study shows that more and more people are
applying this pathway to achieve their goals on more plant-based diets."
In this new study, the team examined plant-based PBAF consumption trends
in the UK by analysing national representative consumption data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey for the years 2008-2019. They found
that from all plant- based alternative foods, plant-based milks were most popular among the UK population with approximately 1 in 13 people (7.4%) reporting to consume plant- based milks in 2018 and 2019 as compared to
2.3% in 2008-2011.



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The consumption of plant-based alternatives for other dairy products --
such as vegan cheese and yoghurt -- showed to be taking off at a slower
pace, with only 1.2% of the respondents reporting to consume such products
in 2018 and 2019.

As well as overall trends at population level, the researchers looked
at age, socioeconomic and geographical sub-groups. Consumption of
plant-based alternative foods were substantially higher among those
with higher incomes, suggesting potential inequalities in affordability
of the plant-based alternative foods across societal groups. Women were
more likely to report plant-based alternative food consumption than men,
and younger generations (13- 39 years of age) more than older generations.

Evidence that plant-based alternative foods are used as a direct
replacement for meat and dairy was further strengthened due to the fact
that those reporting low meat consumption consumed -- on average --
triple the amount of plant-based alternative foods as compared to high
meat eaters.

Professor Alan Dangour from LSHTM and a study author, said: "We are
seeing a revolution in consumer patterns that could have dramatic
impacts on our food systems. Our study shows just how quickly diets
are changing in the UK and how willing the UK public are to adopt new
foods. We must now ensure that as we transition to diets with more novel
foods, the diets enhance public health and have a substantially lower
impact on our planet." The authors acknowledge limitations of their
study, including that while food diaries offer an advantage of accuracy
over recall dietary assessment methods, underreporting can occur. Data
analysis limitations also resulted in exclusion of many food items such
as desserts, baked goods and snacks; therefore, consumption of some food groups, particularly dairy products and milk, is under-estimated.

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by London_School_of_Hygiene_&_Tropical_Medicine. Note: Content may be edited
for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Carmelia Alae-Carew, Rosemary Green, Cristina Stewart, Brian
Cook, Alan
D. Dangour, Pauline F.D. Scheelbeek. The role of plant-based
alternative foods in sustainable and healthy food systems:
Consumption trends in the UK. Science of The Total Environment,
2021; 151041 DOI: 10.1016/ j.scitotenv.2021.151041 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/11/211111130256.htm

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