Shun NagaiIf plant-based pet food and human food can become more affordable while avoiding overprocessing and artificial ingredients, their growth may continue steadily.
Plant-based proteins were used in 52% of pet foods in the U.S. market in 2024. According to NielsenIQ data, this segment had posted annual growth of 7.8% over the previous four years, although year-over-year growth slowed to 1.8%.
Demand also appears to be rising for products that contain no animal protein, or that are mostly plant-based, such as vegan dog food. In Europe, sales of vegan dog food increased by about 12% in 2024, according to Future Market Insights. In addition, the British Veterinary Association withdrew its long-standing opposition to vegan dog food in the fall of 2024.
However, these positive trends do not necessarily guarantee that vegan pet food, or plant-based food more broadly, will become mainstream. In fact, in a 2024 survey of 1,000 pet owners conducted by Dr. Lonnie Hobbs and Dr. Alex Shanoyan of the Department of Agricultural Economics at Kansas State University, vegan and vegetarian ranked last among the major attributes currently associated with pet food, with only 2.6% of respondents selecting it.
Market Snapshot
| Item | Data |
|---|---|
| Share of U.S. pet foods using plant-based proteins (2024) | 52% |
| Average annual growth over previous 4 years | 7.8% |
| Year-over-year growth in 2024 | 1.8% |
| Increase in vegan dog food sales in Europe (2024) | About 12% |
| Pet owners selecting vegan/vegetarian as a key pet food attribute | 2.6% |
The Current State of Plant-Based Products
In the human food and beverage sector, plant-based products have been on the market and in trend for at least 10 years. Even so, Lu Ann Williams, Global Insights Director at Innova Market Insights, said during a webinar in November 2024 that “this category is still one that everyone is trying to figure out.”
In another interview, Williams shared data from Innova Market Insights with Missy Green of FoodIngredients First, showing that around 25% of consumers worldwide hesitate to buy plant-based products that they perceive as overly processed.
In fact, the perception that these products are overly processed and artificial ranked as the third most commonly cited purchase barrier. Williams also noted during the webinar that many products “do not meet expectations for taste and texture.”
More recently, similar concerns were highlighted by GlobeScan, an insights and advisory firm. Its report, Grains of Truth, based on responses from more than 30,000 consumers across 31 countries, identified price, taste, and limited retail availability as key barriers to plant-based product purchases.
As a result, while 68% of these consumers said they would like to eat more plant-based foods, only 20% reported eating them regularly in 2024, down from 23% in 2023.
At the same time, data from Innova Market Insights shows that the category continues to grow when it comes to truly natural and organic products. From 2020 to 2024, vegan and plant-based foods marketed as “natural” recorded an average annual increase of 23%.
Consumer Barriers to Plant-Based Foods
| Barrier / Indicator | Data |
|---|---|
| Consumers worldwide hesitant to buy overly processed plant-based products | About 25% |
| Consumers who want to eat more plant-based foods | 68% |
| Consumers who ate plant-based foods regularly in 2023 | 23% |
| Consumers who ate plant-based foods regularly in 2024 | 20% |
| Average annual increase in “natural” vegan/plant-based foods (2020–2024) | 23% |
Could the Word “Natural” Be the Key?
The word “natural” is an extremely broad and vague term used to sell many pet foods—and probably many human foods as well—often with little specificity, transparency, or regulatory clarity.
Even so, the term appears to resonate strongly with pet owners. According to the survey by Hobbs and Shanoyan, “naturalness” was the attribute pet owners valued most in the pet food they currently feed, with 33.2% selecting it.
Other highly ranked attributes included the absence of artificial colors and flavors (22.6%), no additives (21.4%), organic ingredients (17.9%), and non-GMO (15.6%). These may offer clues as to what pet owners actually mean when they think of something as “natural.”
GlobeScan’s report also emphasized that health is the main reason consumers choose plant-based foods—or at least try to reduce meat and other animal-based foods. Health was cited by 41% of respondents, while financial concerns, the second most common reason, were cited by 17%.
What “Natural” Means to Pet Owners
| Attribute | Share of Pet Owners |
|---|---|
| Naturalness | 33.2% |
| No artificial colors or flavors | 22.6% |
| No additives | 21.4% |
| Organic | 17.9% |
| Non-GMO | 15.6% |
| Vegan / Vegetarian | 2.6% |
Reasons Consumers Choose Plant-Based Foods
| Reason | Share of Respondents |
|---|---|
| Health | 41% |
| Financial concerns | 17% |
Reference: The future of plant-based foods for pets and people | PetfoodIndustry