According to a new study, the Netherlands eats more meat substitutes than any other country in Europe, eating an average of 15 million kilograms per year.

Europe's meat substitute market

An investigation commissioned by the non-profit organisation ProVeg looked into the shopping habits of the 11 European countries with the largest meat substitute markets over the past three years. The study found that the market had grown by 49 percent over the last three years across Europe, now totalling 3,6 billion euros in the 11 countries surveyed. 

According to the research, Germany has the largest meat substitute market in Europe, where almost one billion euros are spent on meat and vegan substitutes. The Netherlands came in sixth place, which ProVeg spokesperson Pablo Moleman explained was very high considering the small population size. 

The Netherlands buying more plant-based meat and dairy substitutes

When the data is looked at in relation to population size, ProVeg revealed that the Netherlands actually comes first, with the people of the Netherlands spending the most money on vegetable substitutes - approximately 17 euros per person per year. Moleman also explained that the population ate around 15 million kilograms of meat substitutes per year.

The investigation also found that there was a growing market for plant-based dairy products, as 62 million euros are spent on plant-based milk products every year, and 43 million euros are spent on yoghurt substitutes. The range of plant-based cheese products has also increased over the past year.

Sales of plant-based products in Dutch supermarkets have really taken off in recent years, growing by 50 percent to 291 million euros per year over the past two years. Moleman said he was surprised by the results: “We already knew that the Netherlands is one of the leaders, but not that we also eat the most meat substitutes in Europe per person.”