US Consumers
Love Plant-Based

Man standing against white wall holding vegetables

US Consumers
Love Plant-Based

three friends sitting on a picnic blanket — Image by Amplitude Magazine

Plant-Based Lifestyles

Barry Callebaut recently launched its new virtual platform BC LIVE. In our first event series, we offered a three-day webinar giving insights and knowledge on consumer groups and their lifestyle choices: Who are Gen Z and Millennials? What lifestyles are they exploring? What role can chocolate play in addressing these lifestyles?

One big takeaway from our series and audience feedback is that we have hit the pulse with our lifestyle approach towards ingredients. There was eagerness and curiosity for the topic. Consumer goods companies see these different lifestyle choices and often are challenged on how to best engage with them. Plant-based consumption was particularly a hot topic and we want to use the opportunity to share some key insights on the vegan or plant-based lifestyle with you.

What are the experts saying?

Well-timed, the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) also just released its 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s final scientific report this month. This scientific report, generated by a group of health experts who review the latest research, is the basis for the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are published every 5 years and give recommendations on what to eat and drink to promote health and prevent chronic disease. The main message from the recently published report identifies these important watch-outs among others: Added sugars, saturated fats, increase in plant-based consumption/reduction of red meats. While dairy is not specifically addressed, dairy plays a critical role in saturated fats and its avoidance is key in plant-based nutrition.

two vegan cakes that are purple with flowers on top — Image by Maddi Bazzocco

So what does the plant-based consumer landscape look like?

US consumers embrace the vegan lifestyle. The US vegan following is double the global average and looking at dairy-free specifically – every 10th American lives dairy-free, and even more so millennials and centennials standing at 15%. This is also reflected in new product launches: Vegan launches surpass vegetarian launches at this point.

Vegan claims in food, drink, vitamins and dietary supplements have grown rapidly over the last five years. However, there is certainly a range of vegan followers, from strict following to consumers who would just like to cut back on animal products.

Consumers that are more flexible in their vegan diet and allow meat or dairy in moderation are categorized as Flexitarians. In fact, every fifth American identifies as flexitarian.

Whether a consumer is a strict vegan or a flexitarian, they look for plant-based options that allow indulgence and nutritious consumption alike. Vegan options are no longer limited to milk or dairy product alternatives. Plant-based items are widely available, and expected on both food menus and in grocery aisles - from frozen desserts to bakery treats and chocolate.

a blue plate with scrabble letters on it spelling out "vegan" — Image by Liftz

Veganism is often more than just a special diet, for many followers it is a lifestyle. The vegan claim is not only important on food packaging, but also in all other consumption decisions as animal welfare and sustainability have taken a bigger stage in society. Brands that appeal to the vegan population can count on a higher customer loyalty than non-vegan brands as consumers continue to actively seek the former out.