Accounting for $310 million in sales in 1996, the vegetarian market in the U.S. is projected to reach sales of $1.25 billion in 2001, growing 20-40%, annually, during that time. Fueling that success has been a public that is increasingly concerned about its health, as well as a greater awareness of the benefits of a meat-reduced diet. Also contributing to the surge has been a wider distribution of vegetarian products through traditional and non-traditional channels.
Meat consumption peaked in 1999, and has fallen only slightly since. Nonetheless, manufacturers of vegetarian foods should not fret, as major market growth is expected among “occasional vegetarians”—meat-eaters who sometimes substitute animal products with vegetable alternatives. In a 2000 survey, the Vegetarian Resource Group, Baltimore, found that 25% of Americans avoid meat at least occasionally.