Workers eat less plant-based foods despite efforts from Dutch catering
Workers in the Netherlands are eating slightly fewer plant-based products during lunch, despite efforts by caterers and employers to increase their share, according to new industry data. The data show resistance to imposed vegetarian options and a modest but notable decline in plant-based protein purchasing across major catering operations.
The findings, reported by Het Financieele Dagblad (FD), indicate that caterers and employers attempting to encourage plant-based eating have had limited success, with customers rejecting what they perceive as forced vegetarian options. A measurement conducted across five national catering companies found that the share of purchased plant-based proteins fell from 42.8 to 41.8 percent. Although the decline is small, it reportedly runs counter to industry expectations and sustainability goals.
The measurement was developed by ProVeg Nederland and the Green Protein Alliance. It shows that proteins derived from meat, fish, eggs, and dairy are gaining market share within workplace and institutional catering.
Industry caterers have set an ambition that by 2030 at least 60 percent of purchased proteins will be plant-based. However, the current trend moves away from that target rather than toward it, FD reports.
Supermarkets and catering companies alike are facing similar difficulties in increasing plant-based sales. In workplace cafeterias, including those in companies, healthcare institutions, and schools, guests are not responding positively to efforts to steer them toward vegetarian meals.
