For many the new year may include a health focused diet resolution, and in recent times, ‘Veganuary’. According to a YouGov poll consisting of 2129 adults surveyed between 18-19 August 2022, 9% of adults in Great Britain have participated in ‘Veganuary’ since the first pledge in January 2014. 46% of participants gave personal health as one of the reasons for signing up. 12% of participants had maintained a vegan diet since taking part, whereas 85% of non-vegan past participants had reduced their consumption of animal products.
According to V-Label’s ‘Key Consumer Insights on plant-based dairy in 2022’ (December 2022) there is a growing flexitarian tend across the globe, with 31% of global consumers identifying as flexitarians in 2022. This is the second largest consumer segment after those that regularly consume meat/dairy products:
According to V-Label, 82% of consumers that eat meat substitutes believe that meat substitutes are healthier. Aside from sustainability, health was a key reason for consumers purchasing vegan products. Owing to the number of flexitarians, it is no surprise that vegan brands are seeking to position products as healthier in order to appeal to this segment.
Notable brands in this space include the plant-based meat brand ‘Huera’. One of Huera’s key aims for 2023 is to offer 100% plant-based foods that are superior from a nutrient-density stand point. Plant-based brand ‘Huel’ targets health conscious consumers that may not have the time to select, buy, prepare and/or cook a meal made with whole foods.
Huel markets its products as containing a balance of 26 essential vitamins and minerals, protein, essential fats, carbs, fibre and phytonutrients in a single product. ‘MyVegan’ is a fitness focused brand that sells, among other things, vegan gym and training supplements including protein powders and snacks.
The health focused marketing message isn’t the only thing that Huel and MyVegan have in common. Both brands have secured a licence from ‘The Vegan Society’ to use the Vegan Society’s certification trade mark on products that meet the stringent criteria that enable the product to be acceptable to vegans.
In 2021, V-Label published the outcome of a consumer survey which found that 23,000 consumers internationally found that 91% of those surveyed preferred products with an independent stamp guaranteeing that the product is vegan, without having to read all of the ingredients list or spend time comparing and looking for alternatives.
Having the Vegan Society’s stamp of approval may be a useful tool for consumers that are switching to meat and dairy alternatives for Veganuary and beyond, whether on a permanent or a flexi basis. The Vegan Society work with manufacturers and suppliers across a range of fields. The requirements include, among other things:
- The manufacture and/or development of the product and its ingredients must not involve or have involved the use of any animal product, by product or derivative
- The development and/or manufacture of the product, and its ingredients, must not involve or have involved, testing of any sort on animals conducted at the initiative of the company or on its behalf, or by parties over whom the company has effective control
- The development and/or production of genetically modified organisms must not have involved animal genes or animal-derived substances
Having a certification mark on a product can add credibility and promote consumer confidence, particularly among flexitarians or consumers signing up to Veganuary and beyond, who may not be accustomed to purchasing vegan products.
