First consumer research results from Hungary about plant-based foods

Guest writer:
Réka Szöllősi
food policy analyst
elelmiszervilag.hu

More and more consumers care about the environmental footprint of the food they eat, but even they have little knowledge and motivation for making their diets more sustainable. The majority of Hungarian consumers frequently eat meat, and half of the respondents are aware of the fact that meat’s environmental footprint is big. Still only a very small proportion of Hungarians are familiar with concept of flexitarian diet, and the proportion of vegans is also only a few percent.

About one third of Hungarian consumers regularly eat plant-based groceries, and another third occasionally consumes these foods and drinks. Those who enjoy plant-based foods on a regular basis are typically young, high-income consumers. It turned out that the “enjoyment factor” of eating meat is more important for Hungarians than environmental considerations. Still, the market of meat and dairy alternatives is growing dynamically in Hungary.

What conclusions can plant-based food manufacturers draw from the results of the survey? First and foremost they should communicate more and back what they are saying with credible facts, speaking in a modern way and in the most popular channels to consumers about the environmental aspects of the topic. Hungarian consumers need to be convinced that the meat alternatives available today deliver almost the same meat experience as real meat.

Although consumers lack deep and profound knowledge on healthy and balanced eating, many consider plant-based food to fit in healthy diet

Consumers are worried about whether they can have enough protein and other nutrients if they start substituting meat with plant-based foods. At the same time the majority of people would be willing to eat less meat because of health reasons. People simply don’t know enough about healthy and balanced diet. Companies should educate them about protein intake, fortified foods, etc. At the moment only a few people are concerned about the ethical side of meat consumption, and there is no dialogue about this – neither in society, nor in trade circles.

The consumer base of plant-based brands is mainly made up of younger age groups and higher-income members of society

However, the animal welfare regulations of the European Union and certain market trends make it necessary to start talking about these issues in Hungary as well. As a conclusion, we can say that the first task is to get the message through to consumers: we can do the most for the environment and for a sustainable future by changing our food consumption habits, and one of the directions to go can be eating more plant-based foods. //