A new report from the Food Foundation confirms that plant-based protein products cost significantly more than their meat equivalents, creating a serious obstacle to people wanting to switch to more plant-forward diet. 

The Food Foundation’s latest Broken Plate report shows that the price disparity is largest for bacon, with plant-based options on average costing nearly three times the amount per calorie (£1.69 versus £0.60 per 100 calories). Looking at  average price difference across these meat and plant- based products, the report finds that plant-based options are on average 56% more expensive per calorie. The most affordable plant-based alternative product was ‘chicken’ nuggets, followed by plant-based sausages, which is true also for the meat-based equivalents.

The Food Foundation points to research evidence showing that increasing consumption of plant-based protein is associated with improving population health and critical for environmental sustainability. Specifically, the charity says, supporting this dietary shift will support efforts towards meeting net zero targets.

The new report says that while wholefood meat alternatives (beans, nuts and tofu) offer the “largest number of co-benefits for both health and the environment”, in the short term “like-for-like like-for-like meat substitutions can offer a more realistic and feasible transition pathway for many”. 

The Food Foundation is campaigning for structural changes and industry action to reduce costs and increase the availability of plant proteins. It would also like to see retailers adopt pricing strategies where plant-based options are made the same price, or cheaper, than animal-sourced foods. Such strategies have played a key role in closing the price gap between plant-based foods and their animal-based equivalents seen in European grocery markets.