Plant Based Market Netherlands Taiwan Trade Center Rotterdam 1 1. Meat Consumption Habits Meat consumption According to the annual research conducted by Wageningen Economic Research, the meat consumption in the Netherlands rose in 2019, for the second year in a row. The total consumption of meat and meat products (based on carcass weight) per capita in the Netherlands in 2019 is 77.8 kg. In the research of 2018, the total consumption per capita was 77.3 kg. The increase is mainly in the consumption of poultry meat, and a small part in the consumption of pork (1). Meat consumption 2019, Wageningen university (1) The amount of meat consumed per person per year, can be estimated at around 39 kg. The thumb rule for calculating the consumption level, is half of the carcass weight. Dutch people mostly eat pork meat, with a consumption level of 18.5 kg per person per year. Second on the listing is chicken meat, with a consumption level of 11.5 kg. Beef consumption level was around 8 kg per year, and other meat types such as veal, goat, sheep and horse meat are less popular. Together they counted for 1 kg per person per year (1). RIVM (National Institute for public Health and Environment), stated in their annual research that Dutch men eat an average of 117 grams of meat per day and women 82 grams. Young adults consume 102 grams daily (2). 2 Even though the meat consumption seems to have risen with 0.5 kg in comparison to last year, studies try to explain this rise due to eating out and tourism in the Netherlands. Both eating out and consumption by tourists have been included in the figures. Especially in the catering industry, meat is often chosen. Recent scientific research confirms this. Flexitarians, for example, who regularly opt for a vegetable burger at home, do often choose meat when they eat out (1) (3). Purchase and consumption habits According to a research conducted by the KNS (Association of Dutch Butchers), 84% of meat was bought in supermarket chains, and 16% was purchased in one of 1.818 (number not updated since 2017) butcheries in the Netherlands (3) (4). The research from RIVM also showed that warm processed meat, such as schnitzels, meatballs, burgers and sausages are being consumed the most, and meat or meat products are usually consumed around diner (2). This can be explained by the Dutch cuisine, which primarily consists out of vegetables, potatoes as a staple, and a piece of meat on the side. Some popular dishes of the Dutch cuisine are: Stamppot (mashed potatoes, mashed vegetables, piece of meat or sausage) Erwtensoep (pea soup with pork and roasted sausage) Meat stews with mashed potatoes and vegetables. 3 Erwtensoep, (5) Besides the dishes mentioned above, Dutch fast food is also meat based. Often French fries accompanied by diverse deep-fried meat- based snacks are being consumed. Snacks like kroketten 可樂餅, bitterballen 荷蘭炸肉丸, frikandel 肉末熱狗, chicken nuggets are just a few of them. According to studies of the Dutch snack producer association, Dutch people consume 25 kroketten and 35 frikandellen per year. They are often purchased in restaurants and bars as a side snack, served at get togethers, or consumed during dinner. Left: Bitterballen Right: kroketten, frikandellen, other meat- based snacks Google Images 4 Furthermore, duet to colonization, the Dutch cuisine has been enriched with Asian and Arabic food, primarily Indonesian, Surinamese and Turkish. All mentioned cuisines are known for their meat rich dishes such as durum, sate, Surinamese chicken and roti. 5 2. Development of plant-based meat The Dutch have been pursuing a general healthier lifestyle for several years, in which more fruit, vegetables, less sugar and less meat are being consumed. The sale of plant-based meat substitutes such as vegetable burgers, sausages, soy products and other vegetarian options sold in supermarkets, has increased by 51%. A report of Dutch bank ING backs up In every Dutch supermarket one can find plant-based meat substitutes. Majority is from Dutch brands, but super-markets have also introduced their own product range. Local plant-based meat brands that one can find in a Dutch supermarket are as followed: De vegetarische slager (Dutch company, brand of Unilever) Product range includes plant-based schnitzel, chicken pieces, burgers, chickenburgers, sausages, meatballs, chicken shoarma, bacon, minced meat, tuna, sandwich spreads and luncheon meat, kroketten, bitterballen, chicken nuggets. Vivera (Dutch company) Product range includes plant-based chicken schnitzel, chicken pieces, minced meat, kebab, meatballs, bacon, vegetable burgers, burgers, shoarma, falafel, chicken nuggets, chicken tenders, fish sticks, sausage, steak. Garden Gourmet (Dutch company, brand of Nestle) Product range includes plant-based rondos, burgers, grilled meat pieces, falafel, meatballs, luncheon meat, pate, sausages, chicken nuggets, bacon, schnitzel, minced meat. 6 Valess (Dutch company) Project range includes stir fry meat pieces, crispy sticks, burgers, schnitzel, steaks, sausages, stir fry pieces. BOON (Dutch Company) Product range includes burgers, nuggets, baozi (包子). 7 3. Sales Channels Overview Supermarkets The main sales channel for plant-based meat and dairy substitutes in the Netherlands, is sale through supermarket chains. Supermarket chains that sell various local and foreign brands of plant-based meat substitutes are: 1. Albert Heijn With 852 chains around the Netherlands and 132 plant-based meat products 2. Jumbo With 615 chains around the Netherlands and 120 plant-based meat products 3. Coop With 314 chains around the Netherlands and 49 plant-based meat products 4. Plus With 263 chains and 81 plant-based meat products 5. Dirk With 123 chains and 71 plant-based meat products Some of the plant -based meat substitutes in supermarket Albert Heijn 8 Super-markets also promote vegetarian weeks and Veganuary (Vegan January), where all plant-based products are heavily discounted, or other deals are applied (buy 1, get 1 for free). Special markets Besides the regular supermarket channels, special stores selling all natural, biological food also offer a wide range of plant-based meat substitutes. The biggest one in the Netherlands is EKOPLAZA , with 70 stores throughout the country and a product range of 125 plant-based meat substitutes. Asian supermarkets also started to introduce plant-based meat products in their product range. The biggest Asian market in the Netherlands is Amazing Oriental , with 21 stores. Their website only distributes 15 plant-based meat and fish products, but in store they have even more. Amazing Oriental web-shop plant based products Online channels Purchasing groceries online is not yet that popular in the Netherlands. However, almost all supermarket chains that have previously been mention, offer their full product range online as well. One platform that is solely an online supermarket, is Picnic. Picnic offers a wide product range of plant-based meat as well. 9 Restaurants In some cases, restaurant and fast-food chains tend to work together with local plant- based meat producers. A great example is McDonald’s Netherlands for instance. They introduced their vegetarian, plant-based crispy chicken burgers in 2019, in collaboration with the Dutch brand Valess. The original chicken burger is being replaced with the one Valess is producing. Valess is also being used by McDonalds in Austria since 2015, Belgium since 2017 and Croatia since 2018 (7). Furthermore, more and more vegetarian and vegan restaurants and cafes open their door in the Netherlands, offering fully plant-based menu’s. Website VegaVega keeps an overview of all plant-based restaurants in the Netherlands. The most popular one would be Vegan Junk Food Bar. 10 4. Sales growth opportunities Besides the brands mentioned above with a fully plant-based product range, many non-fully plant-based brands started offering their popular products in plant-based versions as well. All super-markets also have created their own plant-based range of products, often a little more affordable. Quorn , a UK based company and a brand of Marlow Foods, recently entered the Dutch market as well. Their project range includes plant-based fish fillets, burgers, stir fry meat pieces, peperoni, fish sticks, chicken nuggets, meat luncheon, bacon, steak, sausages. The American producer of plant-based sausages and burgers, Beyond Meat, opened two production factories in the Netherlands in 2020. This in cooperation with a Dutch meat importing company Zandbergen. These two newly opened factories will produce plant-based meat alternatives for the entire region of Europe, Middle East and Afrika. Reasons to choose the Netherlands. According to Chuck Muth, director at Beyond Meat, Dutch consumers are aware and informed about the advantages of plant-based meat and fit well with those products. They understand the global concerns about health, sustainability and animal welfare. Furthermore, the strategic location of the Netherlands in Northern Europe is also an advantage. It is close to the UK, Germany, Scandinavia and the business climate and regulations are good (8). 11 Sources 1.https://www.wur.nl/nl/nieuws/We-eten-opnieuw-meer-vlees.htm 2.file:///C:/Users/Alexa/Downloads/Consumptie%20van%20vlees%20in%20NL%20RI VM.pdf.pdf 3.https://www.knsnet.nl/vleesconsumptie 4.https://www.rtlnieuws.nl/economie/business/artikel/5101476/luxe- boodschappen-coronacrisis-speciaalzaken-delicatessen-slager 5. Erwtensoep Recipe and Image https://www.leukerecepten.nl/recepten/erwtensoep/ 6.https://www.aksv.nl/feiten-en-cijfers 7. Iconic McChicken and successful HomeStyle Crispy Chicken available now with Valess https://www.valess.nl/nieuws/nieuw-bij-mcdonalds- nederland/#:~:text=Met%20het%20Veggie%20concept%20is,de%20melkvezel%20aan %20Valess%20geeft. 8.Beyond Meat opens not 1 but 2 factories in the Netherlands https://www.rtlnieuws.nl/economie/artikel/5149146/beyond-meat-niet-een-maar- twee-vegafabrieken-nederland. 12 .