Europeans are increasingly developing a taste for soy with soyfood categories in retail outlets expanding rapidly across the region.
After a market growth of well over 10 per cent in 2002 compared to the previous year, soya-based drinks and desserts and meat-free and tofu products again showed double figure growth in 2003, reaching a value of €1.5 billion, according to new data from Prosoy. The market analysts expect the market to continue growing like this between 2004 and 2006.
Soya-based dairy alternatives remains the most dynamic category, recording a growth close to 20 per cent in 2003.
“The demand for soya-based milks, yoghurts and desserts is growing as a result of changes in lifestyle, growing food intolerance and allergies, as well as the positive health image of soya,” said Gerard Klein Essink, senior researcher at Prosoy Research & Strategy.
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