Meatless, Dairy-free Products Growing in Popularity
- The Earth & I Editorial Team
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
Plant-based Food Manufacturing on a Roll
Vegetarians, vegans and others who don’t eat meat or dairy remain a growing market for food producers. A 2025 market report finds that this consumer group—which also includes those who don’t eat eggs or seafood—is starting to steer away from processed (“artificial”) substitutes and move to fully plant-based products. Here are additional highlights about the global plant-based food market:
The global plant-based food market was valued at about $64.56 billion in 2025 and projected to reach around $109.86 billion by 2029.
Future Market Insights reports that the plant-based market is growing due to consumer interest in “healthier, climate-friendly, and ethically sourced diets.”
Supermarkets occupy 39% of the plant-based market share.
The US plant-based food market is expected to grow at 12.6% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2025 to 2035, followed by South Korea at 12.2% and the EU at 12%.
Those three nations, together with the UK and Japan, are driving the development of the plant-based food market, says Future Market Insights.
Market forecasts emphasize plant-based offerings as part of mixed diets. For instance, about 25% of US consumers describe themselves as flexitarian. Only 3% say they are vegetarian—with 2% being vegan.
Food manufacturers are using a larger variety of plant protein. Pea, soy and wheat are the top three ingredients in plant-based food, but fava bean, lentil, flaxseed, sunflower, and algae (and other aquatic plants like seaweed) are entering innovation pipelines.
Pricing concerns remain: In a 2024 survey by Innova Market Insights, 38% of participants cited “price or value for money” as a barrier to adopting plant-based options.
Branded plant-based sales dropped by 8.3% between 2022 and 2024. However, private label sales increased by 6.8% across six plant-based categories during the same period, according to Vegconomist.