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Better for you, not best for you: Consumers want better-for-you alternatives that offer taste and nutrition at the same time
The power of plants: Consumers are turning to plant-based alternatives as they look to reduce their intake of animal produce
Across Asia Pacific, a growing proportion of consumers are actively looking to eliminate their intake of meat and dairy. This is because consumers are becoming more conscious about how healthy and environmentally friendly their diets are. As a result, the popularity of meat analogues and plant substitutes are growing in the region.
Consumers can be conscious about the environmental implications of cattle farming, such as the amount of greenhouse gas that is created, and in the wake of COVID-19, consumers have also become more conscious about animal welfare issues. In addition, consumers can also question the healthiness of animal produce. For example, excessive meat intake is associated with health problems such as hypertension, whilst dairy is associated with being high in dietary evils such as fat and sugar. As a result, consumers are actively looking to substitute certain food and drinks with plant-based alternatives that are deemed to be better for them as well as the wider environment.
It must be remembered that consumers can often struggle to stick to better-for-you dietary plans in the long-term. This explains why the prevalence rate of diet-related health problems continue to rise in the region, despite consumers saying they are making greater efforts to improve eating and drinking habits. Irrespective of health and sustainability concerns, consumers will continue to prioritise indulgence when choosing products. Some consumers in the region can voice concerns about the sensory appeal of plant alternatives from a taste and texture perspective, something that will impact on willingness to purchase products. As such, it is important that plant-based alternatives are seen to mimic animal produce from a taste, texture, and juiciness perspective.
Proportion of consumers who say that they describe themselves as flexitarian (2020)
34%
33%
30% 30%
Australia
Source: Meat and plant-based protein survey, Q2 2020 (5,000 respondents)
Source: COVID-19 survey, Q1 2021 (9,000 respondents)
