Blended Food that Fits Everyday Habits
Driving progress without disrupting the shopping routine
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Overview
Overview
Many people in the Netherlands want to cut back on meat and dairy but aligning that goal with daily food choices is difficult. One way to bridge the intention-behavior gap is to offer enriched or ‘blended’ animal products with plant ingredients. They taste and look familiar, but are more sustainable and often healthier, incorporating more fiber and less saturated fat.
To guide their roll-out, the Consumentenbond, ProVeg and the GPA have drawn up clear labelling guidelines for retailers. As a consumer organization, the Consumentenbond considers it essential that consumers are provided with accurate information and that all forms of misleading communication are avoided.
The guidelines include:
On the back of the packaging, the product composition should be clearly described on the ingredient declaration label — e.g., “Beef mince with vegetables” or “Cow’s milk with oat drink”.
The percentages of animal-based and plant-based ingredients are listed in the ingredient list, e.g., 60% beef, 40% vegetables or legumes.
On the front of the packaging the plant-based component can be described in a subtle font.
Use at least one single, general communication or press moment to announce that, in the coming years, efforts will be made to reformulate products with a focus on sustainability and health.
Additionally, the Consumentenbond published an article showing consumers how plant-enriched foods help the environment and improve nutrition without compromising on taste.
Supermarkets have embraced the idea. Blended burgers, sausages and other processed meats are already landing on shelves, and sales are rising quickly.
Alignment with the EAT-Lancet Commission
Alignment with the EAT-Lancet Commission
Healthy-diet shift: Blended foods cut animal content and boost plant-based ingredients like legumes, vegetables and plant-based fiber, matching the Commission’s call to “substantially limit animal-source foods” and increase plant consumption.
Key actors
Key actors
Consumentenbond: Dutch Consumer organisation
Proveg Netherlands: NGO promoting plant-based food systems
Green Protein Alliance: An alliance that helps food providers expand their plant-based offerings
Supermarkets: Selling blended meats and other plant-enriched products
Blended meat burger enriched with faba bean protein. The product looks familiar and is transparently labelled on the back.
Lessons Learned
Lessons Learned
Dutch people are open to eating animal products enriched with plant-based ingredients. They are most appealing when they appear similar to traditional counterparts, so consumers don’t feel like they need to change their shopping habits. When enriched products look familiar and are affordable and demonstrably healthier, people are far more likely to put them in their baskets.
Next steps
Next steps
Test more enriched products for taste and nutritional value and publish best examples
Continue to communicate to consumers about the benefits of enriched products for nutrition, sustainability and taste
Stay on top of new product introductions, consumer behavior research and market developments
For more information contact: Petra van der Aa at pvdaa@consumentenbond.nl
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