Plant-Based Food Sales Since 2018 + The Semantics of Voluntary Food Recalls

While the plant-based food industry has experienced rapid growth in recent years, how much have sales in the sector grown since 2018? In this episode of the Xtalks Food Podcast, Sydney talks about the massive growth of plant-based food sales in the US, which hit $7.4 billion in 2021, growing by a whopping 54 percent since 2018. This data was released in a report from the Good Food Institute (GFI), which also pointed out that dollar sales of products in categories including plant-based milk, meat and eggs, outpaced sales of the animal products they aim to replace. The team discusses the wider market for plant-based food beyond vegans and vegetarians and wonders whether this exponential growth of the industry will continue in the coming years. 

Also, in this episode, Sydney discusses the semantics of the term “voluntary recall” when it comes to food safety recalls. Hormel Foods, for example, recently issued a voluntary recall of over 9,000 cases of Skippy peanut butter over concerns that a limited number could contain stainless steel fragments. So, was it Hormel’s choice to issue the recall or was it mandatory, despite being a “voluntary” food recall? Sydney explains that even though the term “voluntary” is used throughout the industry, this Class 1 recall, and others like it, are not optional nor are they unnecessary. A recall is only mandatory from the FDA if the business refuses to issue one on its own. The team agrees the term “business-initiated” recall is more appropriate and discusses the use of the term “voluntary recall” in other industries. 

Read the full articles here:

Here’s How Much Plant-Based Food Sales Have Grown Since 2018

Are Voluntary Food Recalls Truly Voluntary?

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