AGA Digital Magazine

BY TIM LINDEN The adoption curve for plant based foods may have been slow, but now that the category has caught on with consumers, it appears unlikely to slow anytime soon. The Plant Based Foods Association has revealed that the category grew a whopping 27 percent in 2020, doubling the very impressive growth number of the year before. In fact, U.S. retail sales of plant-based foods have grown 43 percent in the past two years, which is nine times faster than total food sales. The category reached $7 billion retail sales last year. And there is no sign of a letup, though it is clear that the pandemic boosted retail sales, largely because the foodservice community experienced a significant downturn due to opening restrictions. Nonetheless, scan data reveals that 57 percent of all U.S. households, which represents more than 71 million units, purchased plant-based foods in 2020, a penetration increase of 4 percent of the nation’s households. Many companies are capitalizing on the trend by growing their product lines and expanding their reach. The industry has many new players as well as established marketers taking advantage of the collective consumer’s desire to eat healthier and cut down on meat. Meat alternatives or products being marketed that way are leading the category. BASED FOODS During 2020 Shine PLANT

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