Innovación plant based

Food and drink brands are responding to the growing adoption of plant-based diets across Europe, with a 358% increase in the use of plant-based claims over the last five years (2017- 2022)*.

In Spain, growth has been somewhat lower, at 191.4%. In 2022, 3.1% of all launches had the claim “plant-based”, 8.8% the claim “vegetarian” and 14.3% “no animal ingredients”.

Spain is the sixth most active European country in plant-based product launches, accounting for 6.9% of all plant-based launches registered in Europe in 2022.

Furthermore, according to MINTEL data, Spain is the sixth most active European country in the launch of plant-based products, accounting for 6.9% of the total number of plant-based launches registered in Europe in 2022.

The European ranking is as follows:

  1. United Kingdom (19%)
  2. Germany (10.9%)
  3. Netherlands (10.6%)
  4. France (10.5%)
  5. Poland (8.9%)
  6. Spain (6.9%)

The most active companies in plant-based innovation

In 2022, 1.1% of the total number of launches registered by Mintel GNPD in the Spanish market corresponded to plant-based products formulated with vegetable protein (compared to 0.90% in 2021).

The 10 most active companies in the launch of plant-based packaged products in the last five years to June 2023 (Mintel GNPD) were:

  • Nestlé (Garden Gourmet, Herta Le Bon Végétal, Hälsans Kök…)
  • Grupo Danone (Alpro…)
  • Naturli’ Foods
  • Unilever (Magnum Vegan, Ben & Jerry’s, The Vegetarian Butcher…)
  • Vivera
  • REWE Group (con marca propia)
  • Marks & Spencer (marca propia)
  • Upfield (Rama, Flora…)
  • Foods for Tomorrow (Heura)
  • Iglo Group.

These 10 companies account for only 19.5% of the total number of launches, demonstrating the high fragmentation, with smaller brands still helping to drive growth in the category.

Among the companies most active in launching new plant-based alternatives in the Spanish market are, among others:

  • Nestlé
  • Foods for Tomorrow (Heura)
  • Soria Natural
  • Unilever
  • Teresa Carles (Flax& Kale)
  • Triballat Noyal
  • Campofrío
  • Danone

*13 Mintel GNPD: Global New Products data Base