The market for vegetarian foods grew significantly in value from 1999 to 2002 but 2003 saw a fall in growth from 16.6% to 7.9%.

The market for vegetarian foods grew significantly in value, by around 15% each year, during the period 1999/2000 to 2001/2002. In 2002/2003, growth fell from 16.6% to 7.9%, although this is still substantial in food market terms.

(PRWEB) September 21, 2003 --Research and Markets have announced the addition of the "Vegetarian Foods Market Assessment 2003" report to their offering.

The market for vegetarian foods grew significantly in value, by around 15% each year, during the period 1999/2000 to 2001/2002. In 2002/2003, growth fell from 16.6% to 7.9%, although this is still substantial in food market terms. The main growth has historically been in the chilled sector, which now accounts for the majority of the total market by value.

In recent years, continued growth in vegetarian food purchases has been attributed more to increasing numbers of meat reducers in the population than to greater consumption by true vegetarians. Figures from the Realeat survey bear out the fact that the number of vegetarians (the majority being young females) has become static, while the number of meat reducers and red-meat avoiders is increasing.

This characteristic has appeared simultaneously with the switch of vegetarian foods from a niche to a mainstream market. Included in this report are vegetable-based versions of meat and fish products, such as vegetable fingers and grills, as well as soya and texturised vegetable protein (TVP) based items and those made from the fermentation product Quorn.

The move to vegetarian foods has been chiefly driven by health and ethical issues. The Government and other bodies have been advising the public for many years of the need for a balanced, lower-fat and higher-fibre diet, exemplified, in part, by vegetarianism. The consequent reduction in red-meat eating over recent years has been accelerated by the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in beef issue. This threat was at its peak in 1997/1998, but confidence in the beef market had significantly returned by 2001, when the foot-and-mouth crisis struck.

Various campaigning bodies are still active in bringing to the public's notice the ethical issue of animal cruelty and the environmental problems resulting from animal farming. These are more often cited by true vegetarians as reasons for vegetarianism.

The four largest segments of the chilled vegetarian foods market are pastry products, ready meals, potato-based products and snacks/accompaniments. Others are meal centres, sausages/burgers/grills, delicatessen products and ingredients. The chilled market is predominantly held by retailer own-label products. The largest segment in the frozen sector is recipe dishes, with other segments being grills, minces and pieces, burgers, sausages, pastry products and snacks/accompaniments, etc. The frozen market is held mainly by brands.

Major manufacturers of brands are Marlow Foods, with its Quorn range, Heinz Frozen & Chilled Foods, with the Linda McCartney range, and Unilever, with its Birds Eye products. Marlow and Heinz are the major advertisers of vegetarian foods. Other manufacturers, some of which also make for own-label products, are Cauldron Foods, Dalepak, Haldane Foods, Tivall and Goodlife.

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REPORT DATA SUMMARY:
Vegetarian Foods Market Assessment 2003
Category: Food
URL: www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/36351

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