In the past, the term "vegan food" conjured up a variety of responses ranging from “it’s bland, tasteless food for hippies” to meat-eaters exclaiming they’d rather commit hari-kari than swap their chicken fried steak for tofu. But all this is changing due in part to an overall consumer emphasis on healthy eating and living; mainstream markets adding “faux meats” to their SKUs; and niche vegan eateries popping up in major U.S. cities, providing skeptical eaters a chance to sample tasty vegan cuisine. Additionally, dietary concerns and allergies are leading many consumers to the category, noted Jay Orris, director of marketing, Van’s International Foods. “The primary reason consumers were drawn to vegan products in the past was because of animal welfare concerns, but today foods in the vegan category are also appealing to those who are allergic to eggs, dairy, poultry and fish,” he said. “Health-oriented consumers seeking to lower their cholesterol or the amount of fat in their diet are being drawn to vegan food options as well.”
This health conscious demographic doesn’t necessarily follow the vegan or vegetarian lifestyle; but, instead is known as flexitarians, or individuals who eat three or more meatless meals a week. According to Seth Tibbot, founder of Turtle Island Foods, manufacturer of Tofurky meat analog products, flexitarians make up about 40 percent of Americans and are driven mostly by nutritional concerns such as cholesterol, obesity and heart health. This demographic combined with vegetarians who represent about 2.5 percent of the
Since 2001, the value of the U.S. vegetarian foods market, which are products positioned as analogs (such as seiten, tofu, textured vegetable protein) to meat and dairy products, has grown 44 percent and is a $1.17 billion market in 2006, according to the Vegetarian Foods (Processed) U.S. June 2007 report by Mintel, a leading market research company. The report added that the category’s growth slowed between 2004 and 2006, leaving it up to non-vegetarians and flexitarians to keep the market thriving. But that doesn’t mean vegans are not important in adding to category growth. "Vegans want healthful products that taste really good,” said Steve Warnert, director of sensory, Amy’s Kitchen. “Vegan doesn’t mean ‘I’m on a diet’ but, rather, it is a choice not to eat certain types of food. They are not signing up for poor quality or flavor, and expect to find all the things they enjoy in a form that suits their needs.” Warnert added: “We expect the vegan community to grow over many years to come. We hear all the time from customers who have shifted to a vegan lifestyle; many for different reasons but dietary health and ethical values seem to be the most common.” Interestingly, many of Amy’s best-selling products are vegan, such as the Roasted Vegetable Pizza, Tofu Vegetable Lasagna, Black Bean Enchiladas, Non-Dairy Bean & Rice Burrito and several of their Indian meals. Warnert noted that most consumers don’t even realize or perhaps don’t care that a product is vegan; instead it’s the taste that makes them return purchasers.
“Vegans are usually the most vocal when demanding a vegan product,” said Mark Roth, president, El Burrito Food Products. “With their direction, we developed products they accepted; however our challenge was creating a product that a meat-eater would eat.” It took two years for El Burrito’s showcase product, SOYRIZO, to be created. The company strived to create a chorizo that would mimic the taste, the texture (mouthfeel) and the appearance of a real meat product. Roth, noted that the inspiration for the product came when he had by-pass surgery and didn’t care for the meatless choices available, so he developed a soy chorizo that he would enjoy.
What separates vegans from vegetarians is primarily the consumption of dairy. While vegetarians opt for the real deal, vegans have omitted or replaced conventional dairy offerings with casein-free vegan cheese slices, sour cream, cream cheese, ranch dressing and mayonnaise from brands such as Follow Your Heart, Galaxy Nutritional Foods and Toffuti. These items have also become staples for those who are lactose intolerant. “Terms like dairy-free have inadvertently become connected with the vegan since it excludes dairy ingredients, which is appealing for those who cannot consume dairy,”
Steve Fabos, founder and president of Fabes Natural Gourmet, manufacturers of vegan desserts, added that creating vegan sweets without the use of eggs, dairy, sugar and artificial sweeteners was a challenge nearly 20 years ago but finding replacements for eggs, dairy and using alternative sweeteners such as agave, fruit juice, barley malt and chicory has made healthy, tasty, vegan baked goods a reality. “The idea of vegan desserts is not appealing to the everyday consumer because they don’t understand it, and they associate great taste with eggs and dairy,” he said. “However, taste is appealing to the everyday consumer. This is how we win over our consumers—by getting them to taste our products. In-store sampling is a big marketing tool for us.” Fabes’ products have garnered quite a following; especially among parents who are looking to give their children “healthy sweets” that do not send them into sugar shock.
Vegan has come a long way since its early days and continues to evolve especially as more individuals rely on such vegan options to deliver taste and a healthier product. This means cleaner ingredients. “Besides quality and taste, vegan consumers really want clean ingredients,” Fabos said. The move toward a pure ingredient profile continues to be an ongoing challenge for manufacturers. “Nearly every flavor manufacturer in the
For the retailer wanting to provide more vegan products and move them off the shelf, they must be prepared to offer samplings. “The hardest obstacle to overcome with people trying vegan food is that they often associate vegan with tasteless offerings—that perception changes when they taste our food or other great vegan and vegetarian offerings,” Moore said. Oriss added that consumers can be educated about the great taste associated with vegan products by trying them. “In the end, even the most health conscious or strict vegan consumer purchases food that meets their needs but tastes good too,” he said. “By placing these products prominently on the shelves alongside mainstream products, retailers can increase awareness of these vegan options and close the taste gap among the healthy alternatives available.”
SIDEBAR:
Vegan Romance
According to the American Vegan Society, vegans exclude all foods of animal origin and by-products such as dairy (animal milk, butter, cheese, yogurt), eggs, honey and animal gelatin from their diet, and often avoid the use of leather, wool, fur and silk in clothing, shoes, accessories and household goods.
In addition, the demand for no animal testing or animal oils and byproducts in everyday products such as soaps, cosmetics, toiletries has become a burgeoning concern for not only vegans but cruelty-free supporters. But a new social group coined vegansexuals are vegans who reject meat-eaters as intimate partners. A study called, “Cruelty-Free Consumption in New Zealand: A National Report on the Perspectives and Experiences of Vegetarians and Other Ethical Consumers” explored the challenges, habits and decisions of 157 New Zealand volunteers who practiced “cruelty-free” consumption. Researcher Annie Potts, a researcher at the University of Canterbury's Centre for Human-Animal Studies told ABC News.com that these vegansexuals prefer not to do the deed with carnivores for personal reasons: “They're attracted to people with similar interests"; ideological reasons: "they see meat eaters' bodies as being composed of the lives of others"; and sexual reasons: "they didn't want to engage in intimate sex ... because of the smells and tastes of their body fluids."