 (1).png){kind=spacer}
1 week ago
10
Scientists have revealed the real reason why people hate vegans - and claim meat-eaters may simply be envious of them.
In their study, researchers from the University of Vaasa, Finland, set out to understand why the plant-based diet is still so frowned upon in Europe.
The team enlisted 3,600 participants, who were asked who they believe to favour meat-alternatives.
The results revealed a 'conflicting picture'.
On one hand, vegans were seen as environmentally friendly, health-concsious people, worthy of admiration.
But on the contrary, they were also found to arouse fear, envy, contempt, and anger.
'The consumption of meat and meat substitutes is a highly charged social phenomenon,' said Dr Roosa-Maaria Malila, an author of the study.
'According to our research, consumers who prefer plant-based alternatives are perceived as socially different – and not in a good way.'
Scientists have revealed the real reason why people hate vegans - and claim meat-eaters may simply be envious of them (stock image)
On one hand, vegans were seen as environmentally friendly, health-conscious people, worthy of admiration. But on the contrary, they were also found to arouse fear, envy, contempt, and anger
According to Statista, as of 2023, there were an estimated 6.62 million vegans in Europe.
What's more, this figure is expected to grow to a whopping 8.25 million by 2033.
Despite this rise, there's still a stigma around veganism - and the researchers wanted to understand why.
In their study, the researchers asked the participants what they thought of fictional consumers based on their shopping list.
Three different shopping lists were included.
All three included the same five staple foods - pasta, bread, apple juice, carrots, and bananas - but varied based on the inclusion or exclusion of animal and plant-based protein products.
For example, one shopping basket included minced meat, cold cuts, and sausages, while another contained chicken rolls and vegetable sausages.
The third contained solely plant-based products, including vegetable dumplings and vegetable sausages.
According to Statista, as of 2023, there were an estimated 6.62 million vegans in Europe. What's more, this figure is expected to grow to a whopping 8.25 million by 2033 (stock image)
The results revealed that the participants rated the fictional consumers who preferred vegetarian foods as environmentally friendly, heath-concsious and moral.
However, they also found that the participants were more likely to show fear, envy, contempt, and anger towards them.
'People even wanted to act aggressively towards vegetarians or exclude them from social circles,' Dr Malila said.
According to the researchers, these results reflect the 'prevailing climate.'
'The mixed feelings towards vegetarians reflect the prevailing climate in which the need to reduce meat consumption for environmental reasons will certainly no longer come as a surprise to anyone,' Dr Malila added.
'Understandably, changing one's own consumption habits is not so simple.
'This can be reflected in frustration and channeled through those who are already driving change.
'Of course, the fear of giving up the benefits gained also causes similar feelings, even though a vegetarian diet need not really be a compromise, but the image around it may be perceived as such.'
The decline of vegan food: how companies embraced the meat-free boom and lost out
RESTAURANTS
NEAT BURGER
The Lewis Hamilton and Leonardo DiCaprio-backed synthetic meat restaurant group closed four of its eight UK burger venues in December.
The company axed stores in Liverpool Street, Canary Wharf, Oxford Street and Westfield Stratford after it saw losses expand by around 140 per cent in 2022.
V OR V
The restaurant on Cornish Street in Sheffield, which picked up numerous accolades since opening in 2019, announced it closure in November 2023.
HARMONIUM
In April 2023 the Edinburgh vegan bar and restaurant Harmonium shut after an 'incredibly difficult period of trading.
VURGER
The Vurger Co vegan restaurant group appointed administrators after narrowly avoiding collapse in July 2023.
VGN BOULEVARD
The Stourbridge restaurant closed in 2022 due to financial strain.
PLANT HUSTLER
The restaurant in Boscombe made the decision to close in October 2022 after facing financial difficulties
VGN BOULEVARD
The restaurant on Coventry Street in Stourbridge had been voted one of the top 10 vegan restaurants in the country for its decadent take on vegan fast food. But it collapsed under financial pressure in September 2023 as a result of the Covid pandemic.
NOMAS GASTROBAR
The Macclesfield restaurant was forced to start serving meat in January 2024 because it had too few vegan customers.
DONNER SUMMER
The Sheffield restaurant closed in March 2023.
VAD'S
Takeaway that 'paved the way for vegan junk food' closed in July 2023.
FROST BURGER
Liverpool vegan burger restaurant closed in September 2022.
SEITANS CORNER
The top-rated Bristol-based restaurant announced its closure in October 2022. It had planned a refurbishment before making the 'difficult decision to move on'.
V REV
One of Manchester's first and most popular vegan eatery's closed its doors in December 2022.
FOOD PRODUCTS
VBITES
Heather Mills' vegan food company went into administration after being hit by rising costs, despite being one of the UK's leading manufacturers of vegan food products.
VEGAN KIND
The Vegan Kind, the UK's biggest online supermarket dedicated to plant-based products, ceased operations in November 2022 due to the cost of living crisis.
HECK
Yorkshire-based sausage company Heck cut its vegan range from ten products to two — burgers and sausage. Announcing the news, co-founder Jamie Keeble said that 'the public wasn't quite ready. At the end of the day we want to sell products that work on the shelves. These didn't.'
PRET A MANGER
Pret closed all but two of its vegetarian and vegan-only stores, after admitting many customers don't see themselves as 'full-time veggies'.
INNOCENT
The drinks company has scrapped its dairy-free milk range after joking that just five people had brought the beverage.
TOFOO Co
The Tofoo Co — which sells a range of scrambled, smoked and crispy tofu — suffered a 42.9 per cent decrease in range volumes.
PLANT & BEAN
The Lincolnshire based vegan food manufacturing company went into administration in May 2023.
BEYOND MEAT
Beyond Meat, was one of the brightest starts of the alternative meat sector. But its revenue has been falling since last year with annual sales projected to fall to just $330million this year, compared with the 2021 high of $461million.
MEATLESS FARM
Meatless Farm has become the latest victim after the Leeds-based company made its 50-strong workforce redundant in August 2023 and collapsed into administration.
The firm was set up in 2016 and sold £11million worth of plant-based mince, burgers and chicken in 2021 - but has struggled as demand for meat-free products slowed.
It was later rescued by vegan frozen food company VFC.
OATLY
Oatly has withdrawn its dairy-free ice cream in Britain.
NESTLE
Nestle pulled two of its plant-based brands from shops in the UK due to a lack of demand.
The company also announced it was pulling its plant-based Garden Gourmet and Wunda brands from retail in the UK and Ireland in August 2023, following lacklustre sales.
THE VEGETARIAN BUTCHER
Unilever's The Vegetarian Butcher was another big casualty, losing almost a third of its lines, while meat-free classics Quorn and Linda McCartney's lines were down by 6.6 and 6.7 per cent respectively.
