When it comes to reducing meat consumption, sustainability takes a back seat in the face of the cost-of-living crisis. According to a new study by Mintel, the perceived financial benefits of eating less meat will increase in 2022.
When asked about the benefits of eating less meat, a new Mintel survey of UK consumers shows that the percentage of consumers who believe eating less meat is “a good way to save money” increased from 27% in 2021 to 43% in 2022. The view that reducing meat consumption is “good for the environment” has decreased from 47% in 2021 to 41% in 2022, due to a lower perception of the environmental benefits of abstaining from meat consumption in 2022.
Overall, one in ten Britons (10%) are non-meat eaters, including 14% of 16-24-year-olds and just 5% of over-65s. Almost half (47%) of adults either do not eat meat/poultry or have reduced their intake. Another 14% have not yet reduced their meat consumption but would be interested in doing so.
The vegan trend continues to be “overwhelming” at NPD
With less than 2% of Britons saying they follow a vegetarian or plant-based diet, according to the Mintel Global New Products Database (GNPD), the vegan trend continues unabated in new product development. A quarter (27%) of all packaged food and drink products in the UK will be declared vegan or without animal ingredients in 2022, compared to one in six (16%) in 2018.
Alice Pilkington, senior food and drink analyst at Mintel, said: “Public awareness of the role of meat and dairy in the climate crisis expanded between 2018 and 2021, contributing to the widespread perception that eating less meat is good for the environment. It surpasses weight management and money savings as the most commonly perceived benefits of eating less meat. In 2022, however, perceptions of the environmental benefits of reducing meat consumption took a hit, reflecting how sustainability in general has become less important given the current pressures on household budgets.”