5 vegan and vegetarian trends for 2025

The world of vegan and plant-based food has been a tricky one to navigate in recent years, with a significant shift in shopping habits and buying patterns forcing manufacturers, and retailers, to take stock.

There are two big challenges facing the vegan and plant-based sector going into 2025, explains Matthieu Bertoux, Ingredion’s global savoury lead. “First, inflationary pressures have increased the price of plant-based products, affecting consumer adoption rates. Second, some products still struggle to fully meet consumer expectations regarding flavour and texture authenticity. The focus has shifted purely from merely providing alternatives, to delivering products that can stand on their own merits, with improved nutritional profiles and cleaner labels.”

Despite difficult times the outlook, say analysts, looks positive for the vegan market – provided producers continue to listen and respond to what it is that shoppers demand.

If those in industry make the right moves, said Ingredion, the global market for vegan food looks set to grow from $7.17 billion in 2023, by an incredible 19.4% by 2030.

There’s high merit, said Matthieu, in tapping into consumers’ growing environmental awareness, as many plant-based meat alternatives generate lower greenhouse gas emissions and require fewer resources than conventional meat production. “However, the most promising opportunities lie in addressing the growing flexitarian demographic, which now represents a significant portion of consumers in major markets. These consumers are interested in products that deliver authentic meat-like experiences whilst offering clear environmental and health benefits. There’s also an emerging opportunity to develop products that don’t necessarily mimic meat but instead celebrate their plant-based origins.” Matthieu said this approach attracts younger consumers, who don’t necessarily have the same attachment to traditional meat products as older shoppers.

5 vegan trends for 2025

1. Clean labels rule

Ingredion’s senior marketing manager, Constantin Drapatz, said clean labels will lead the way in plant-based and vegan food manufacturing in the next two years, making up 70% of what’s available to consumers, compared to 52% in 2021.

“The rise supports consumer preference for transparency and simplicity in ingredients, which is a key trend across the European food and beverage industry today,” he explained.

“Our research has also found that 99% of European manufacturers see clean label products as essential to their business strategy, with 87% already incorporating these into their products. This reflects the industry’s commitment to transparency and simplicity in ingredients, in line with increasing consumer demand for recognisable ingredients.”

Gary Allison added he thinks mycoprotein (protein derived from fungi) will see a rise in popularity as an ingredient shoppers feel they can trust. “Plant proteins are increasingly being utilised not just for their nutritional value but also for their natural gelling properties,” he said. “Clean label starches and fibres are gaining prominence as texture enhancers and binding agents, offering manufacturers the ability to create appealing products with shorter, more consumer-friendly ingredient lists.”

2. Reformulation

Manufacturers are reformulating products to ‘clean up their act’. Gary said an ingredient long used in the vegan and plant-based sphere, methylcellulose, is one that’s gradually being taken out of production as better alternatives come to the fore.

“It’s perceived to be an unnatural ingredient by consumers,” he said, adding that methylcellulose-free solutions are now helping businesses to achieve a meat-like texture, using more desirable plant proteins, fibres and starches instead. “Importantly, these developments are scalable and compatible with conventional manufacturing equipment, making them particularly attractive for producers looking to expand their plant-based offerings, without the expense of retooling.”

3. Sustainability

Delivering vegan and vegetarian eating choices that are better for the planet is absolutely essential, said Constantin. “Consumers are increasingly scrutinising sustainability to decide which ingredients they will accept, prompting manufacturers to look for holistic clean label solutions.”

4. Better nutrition

Alongside addressing concerns around sustainability and clean labels, companies, said Matthieu, are taking a holistic approach to nutritional improvement, focusing on both what they add, and what they remove.

“One enduring trend is the need to enhance protein quality, moving towards complete protein sources that provide all essential amino acids while maintaining clean label status. Manufacturers are trying to attract health-conscious consumers by increasing fibre, whilst simultaneously working to reduce saturated fat content. Another key focus area is the fortification with essential micronutrients like iron, zinc, and vitamin B12, addressing common deficiencies in plant-based diets.” This is being achieved through innovative ingredient combinations rather than the addition of synthetic substances, maintaining the clean label appeal that consumers demand. Reducing additives also helps to shorten the ingredients list overall, as the very long lists found on some meat alternatives today, deter a growing number of consumers.

5. Next generation pulses

Pulses and beans are the future, said Matthieu, both in their whole form, and as a natural additive for flavour, bulking, and adding nutrition to recipes. 

“Recent technological developments have enabled the creation of plant-based alternatives using recognisable ingredients that support nutritional profile and deliver both functionality and clean label appeal. These ingredients support high protein content while maintaining low saturated fat levels, without the plant flavour, bitter taste or uncontrolled microbial levels inherent in dry-milled pulse products.”