From wurst sausages to veal schnitzels and German quark, Germany has a long-standing meals tradition wealthy with meat and dairy.
A brand new report produced by ProVeg Worldwide, nevertheless, which leverages information from EU-funded venture Sensible Protein, suggests Germany is dropping its conventional urge for food for meat, and probably dairy.
The survey requested greater than 7,500 individuals in Germany and 9 different European international locations – Austria, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain, and the UK – about their attitudes in direction of the consumption of plant-based and standard meals.
Findings revealed that Germany has the very best share, amongst analysed international locations, of meat reducers, after Romania.
Germany has probably the most plant-based eaters in Europe
Amongst the important thing findings garnered from Sensible Protein’s information is that 10% of German customers are plant-based eaters – that means they comply with both a vegetarian or vegan food plan.
This makes Germany the nation with the very best share of plant-based eaters among the many analysed international locations. A complete of 30% of Germans determine as flexitarian.
For Prof Armando Perez-Cueto from Umeå College’s Division of Meals, Vitamin and Culinary Science, and one of many Sensible Protein collaborators, this discovering is ‘not shocking’. “Germany has been, for some time, the nation with the most important plant-based eaters within the EU, in line with accessible info,” he advised FoodNavigator.
What is probably extra shocking is the share of German customers (51%) who say they’ve lowered their meat consumption previously 12 months. From a dairy perspective, 32% of Germans mentioned they are going to eat fewer milk, yoghurt and cheese merchandise within the subsequent six months.
“It’s attainable that well being consciousness had elevated on account of COVID, but in addition, it is advisable to take into account the holistic contribution of dietary tips, robust campaigns in Germany for more healthy consuming, and in addition the function of social media,” reasoned the professor.
“Plus, from Sensible Protein information, evidently Germans and Austrians expertise obstacles to dietary shift to a lesser lengthen than customers in different EU international locations.”
For ProVeg Worldwide, discount in Germany’s meat consumption may be attributed to rising consciousness of human and planetary well being. “The notice concerning the want for wholesome in addition to environmentally- and climate-friendly diet has elevated in Germany,” Dirk Liebenberg, senior venture supervisor at ProVeg Worldwide advised this publication.
‘Large’ potential for plant-based meals
Of all plant-based merchandise accessible in Germany, plant-based milk was deemed the most well-liked, with 28% of respondents consuming it as soon as per week. Plant-based yoghurt is consumed by 21% no less than as soon as per week, adopted by plant-based poultry and beef (20% no less than as soon as per week).
The marketplace for plant-based dairy merchandise counts among the many largest and quickest rising markets in Europe, however Germans want to see extra choices on-shelf – notably plant-based cream cheese (32%), sliced cheese (32%), and plant-based supermarkets (31%).
In meat analogues, German customers want they may purchase extra plant-based minced meat and burger patties (32%), and hen breasts and sausages (30%) in supermarkets. In plant-based fish, German customers need to purchase extra plant-based fish sticks (27%) and smoked salmon (22%) in-store.
In saying this, the plant-based meat market in Germany was discovered to be the quickest rising among the many analysed European international locations. “During the last three years, meat alternate options have develop into mainstream in Germany,” mentioned the ProVeg’s Liebenberg.
“That’s to say, they’re accessible at low cost shops beneath non-public labels and have slowly reached group class. Germany has thereby caught up in giant components with the entrance runner, the UK.”
From a worth level perspective, respondents mentioned they had been extra prone to pay extra for plant-based meat than for animal-based meat. A complete of 26% mentioned they had been prone to pay the next worth if the plant-based product had the identical style and texture as animal-based meat.
Total, ProVeg Worldwide believes the findings recommend a ‘rising want’ among the many German inhabitants to diversify their food plan away from meat and dairy merchandise and to check out various choices.
“It additionally reveals there may be great potential for plant-based meals in Germany and throughout Europe and we hope corporations might be inspired to develop extra and higher merchandise,” mentioned Matthias Rohra, govt director Germany at ProVeg Worldwide.