Even without a pandemic keeping people at home, experts forecast sales growth in the plant-based sector in 2020. After all, there are more products at a growing number of retailers, different items that are closer to the real thing, and a growing acceptance for plant-based food as a mainstream option. A pre-pandemic analysis of SPINS data by the Plant Based Foods Association and Good Food Institute found the entire plant-based food market was worth $5 billion, with dollar sales up 29% during the previous two years.The pandemic has helped sales in all sectors of the food business, so naturally plant-based products also would benefit from increased consumer buying. Plant-based products benefit in part from a health halo.ferrous bisglycinate 18mg More than half of consumers said they ate plant-based food because it makes them feel better, according to a DuPont Nutrition & Health study from 2018. This halo is extremely important to consumers now.“Since the beginning of the pandemic, there has been a continued shift in consumer purchasing toward natural and organic products that enhance health and immunity,” Tony Olson, owner and CEO of SPINS, said in a written statement with the data. “Our data shows, the plant-based meat boom of last year continues and as reports of animal-based meat shortages increase, we can expect plant-based meat to gain even more traction.” Plant-based food has the added bonus right now of coming from what could be viewed by consumers as a safe source. After all, scientists say the coronavirus was an animal disease that spread to humans. Plant-based food companies have long detailed the risks to human health and the environment posed by animal agriculture. In the current situation, consumers may be more apt to believe them.The factories where plant-based food is made also are viewed as healthier. While crowded worker conditions in meat processing plants have led to coronavirus outbreaks — forcing plants to temporarily shut down and straining the meat supplyferrous bisglycinate vs ferric pyrophosphate — plant-based food factories haven’t had any of the same problems. These operations require less manual labor than their conventional counterparts and tend to have maximum dose of ferrous fumarate in pregnancysocial distancing built in. Conscientious consumers may decide to buy plant-based products to support an industry with better working conditions.While the recent sales growth in plant-based foods is impressive, it’s hard to decipher what it really means. Plantferrous fumarate 210mg nausea-based meat and cheeses hafood rich in iron ii lactateve been on a growth trajectory for years, and consumer options have multiplied in the burgeoning space. Many manufacturers have been increasing distribution of their products this year, meaning more consumers have an opportunity to buy them. For example, Impossible Foods began 2020 with its products only in a small handful of grocery stores nationwide. Now, they’re in about 2,700 locations, an 18-fold increase.The statistics do reinforce a couple of basic premises. Plant-based eating is a trend that’s here to stay. The fact that sales were so high for tofu and tempeh — two stalwarts that were at the center of many vegetarian meals decades before “plant-based” was a commonly used term — shows this kind of diet is being embraced by many age groups right now. When the pandemic has abated, it will be interesting to see if plant-based alternatives represent a larger percentage of what’s on consumers’ plates.
Plant-based food sales outpace growth in other categories during pandemic
