Supermarket Plant-Based Products Cost More Than Animal Products, Research Shows

According to research, customers are paying almost 200 percent more for plant-based products in comparison to animal counterparts.

The study, which was commissioned by sports insurance brand, Insure4Sport, assessed prices across major UK supermarkets. The results concluded four in five plant-based products cost more than the meat options.

Plant-based meat alternatives

The analysis looked at seven supermarkets, including Waitrose and Marks & Spencer’s.

For example, M&S’s Plant Kitchen No Pork Sausage Rolls sell for £2.25. Yet, the pork version costs 80p, making the plant-based product £1.45 more expensive. This was despite both products bearing the same weight.

In addition, differences in the prices of milk at Waitrose were compared. Semi-skimmed cow’s milk costs customers 89p whilst the supermarket’s own brand of oat milk is priced at £1.55.

Moreover, Waitrose’s Vegan Chilli costs £3.75 whilst the meat version is both cheaper and a smaller portion.

Increasing demand in supermarkets

Despite record-breaking support from supermarkets over Veganuary this year, the research showed buying vegan products was more costly in general.

Buying a vegan supermarket product twice a week would cost an additional £35 a year, an Insure4Sport spokesperson told The Times.

Is it always the case?

Despite this, many people on plant-based diets argue that it is, in fact, cheaper to avoid animal products. For example, a British mother shared the secrets to feeding her family-of-seven entirely plant-based meals for just £25 a week.

Plant-based products require ‘complex processing methods’, M&S told The Times. Waitrose added that it hopes prices decrease in line with growing demand.