The world is going in a plant-based direction, but Hungarians are meat eaters

Growing popularity of plant-based eating

Global demand for cutting down on meat and dairy consumption is strengthening, and from the 12 main global food industry trends monitored by Ipsos, four are directly connected to plant-based diet: 1. the development of the organic food segment, 2. increasingly popular free-from products, 3. shoppers wanting more meat alternatives and plant-based protein, 4. consumers becoming environmentally conscious.

From a mixed diet to plant-based eating

Switching to a plant-based diet can only happen gradually. The starting point is typically when only a relatively small group of people follow a vegetarian or vegan diet. In the second phase this trend is spreading, shoppers become more conscious, and stores begin offering more plant-based food products. The third phase is when the term “flexitarian” appears and parallel to this, consumers are starting to realise the benefits of a partially plant-based diet. In the next phase of development eating less meat is more and more accepted. Finally the majority of people are eating plant-based foods.

A few years from now, two from ten Brits will be vegetarian or vegan

A good example of the conquest of plant-based eating is how the British market is developing. Research by Ipsos in the United Kingdom has found: more than one third of adults plan to reduce their meat and dairy consumption. 68% of flexitarians said they are very likely to eat even less animal-based food in the future. In the years to come, 7% of meat eaters are expected to become flexitarians, 10% of flexitarians will go vegetarian, and 1% of vegetarians will become vegan.

Hungarians still love their meat

What is the situation in Hungary, one of the top 3 meat eating countries? Ipsos says the number of Hungarians who claim they would like to eat less meat or dairy is growing in Hungary too. Although nearly 3 million Hungarians follow a special diet, this doesn’t always affect meat consumption. 10% of Hungarians are on a lactose-free diet – this proportion is even bigger, 17% in Budapest. 7% of Hungarians say they are flexitarians, 2% are vegetarian, and another 2% are vegan.

Young people eat plant-based food much more often

18-29 year old Hungarians are much more open to eating plant-based foods than other age groups. Which groups plan to eat less animal-based food in Hungary? This proportion is the highest, 31% among consumers with a university or college degree. They are followed by “A” status consumers (30%), and 40-49 year old Hungarians (29%). In general we can say that Hungary is lagging behind the international trends, but plant-based eating is more and more popular here as well. //