Sales of plant-based foods increased 20 percent in the past year, according to new research.
Commissioned by the San Francisco-based Plant Based Foods Association and conducted by market research specialist Nielsen, the research also found that sales of plant-based foods topped $3.3 billion.
“The plant-based foods industry has gone from being a relatively niche market to fully mainstream,” says Michele Simon, executive director of the association. “Plant-based meat and dairy alternatives are not just for vegetarians or vegans anymore. Now even mainstream consumers are enjoying these delicious and innovative options in the market today.”
Plant-based cheese sales were up 43 percent over the year before, and plant-based meat sales rose 24 percent.