The Vegan Flavor Market Is Expected To See Major Growth In 2024

Plant-based eating is on the rise. An international survey by food service provider Sodexo found that 73% of those surveyed felt an urgency to adopt a more sustainable way of eating, and that's driving trends in plant-based alternative meats and milks. The awareness of environmental impact and initiatives to include more plants in all types of diets (not only among vegans and vegetarians) is affecting flavor trends, too. FactMR's market report on vegan flavor profiled 16 international flavor companies and predicts an annual growth rate of more than 5% in this $11 billion market segment.

Vegan flavor trends encompass a broad spectrum of tastes, textures, and aromas derived solely from fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, herbs, and spices. They exclude various hidden animal products such as casein, which is derived from dairy and sometimes used as a binder in processed foods, or the red food coloring carmine, which is made from insects.

In the spice market, we've seen McCormick Spice collaborating with vegan influencer Tabitha Brown on a line of vegan spices and meat-free recipes. Brown's popular spice line amps up vegan taco and burger mixes and recreates umami-rich bacon flavors using vegetables to stand in for the meat. McCormick also provides vegan flavorings for products as diverse as Nona Vegan pasta sauces, Lotao jackfruit meatballs, and Take Two Foods barley milk alternative.

Companies specializing in vegan food technology are continuously exploring novel ingredients and processing techniques to replicate the taste and texture of meat, dairy, and other animal-based products. Meati and Prime Roots are developing meat substitutes based on mushrooms, including deli meat and jerky options. The posh Eleven Madison Park restaurant in New York, which went completely vegan in 2021, features bee-free honey from MeliBio. Expect to see more of these vegan innovations on store shelves and in restaurants as demand continues to climb.