Vegan grilling becomes suitable for the majority

With the sunny temperatures, the weather is bustling on terraces, by fireplaces by the river and in mobile food trucks: no neighborhood party or trip to the forest can do without the simple bratwurst with sandwiches and mustard. Today, grilling enthusiasts often turn to plant-based sausages — even if they’re not strictly vegetarian or vegan.

Because the openness to plant-based food has grown. According to Swissveg’s latest market report, five percent of people in Switzerland gave up meat altogether last year. The number of vegetarians or vegans has increased by about 14 percent annually since 2017.

Young women with a university degree in German-speaking Switzerland are especially fond of vegetarians: according to Swissveg, more than 60 percent of vegetarians and more than 80 percent of vegans are women.

But according to the report, a broad mass of people can also become increasingly comfortable with plant-based products: in 2022, 57 percent of both sexes bought meat substitutes for the first time. Two years earlier, less than half of the men could bring themselves to consume meat alternatives.

Retailers feel the increasing willingness to consume: according to the Coop Plant Based Food Report, plant-based schnitzels, meat products and hamburgers were the most important sales in 2022. The latter even accounted for a fifth of all hamburger sales. Sausage alternatives followed in fourth place.

On the Swiss market as a whole, meat substitutes achieve an annual market turnover of CHF 87.5 million. Vegan sausages alone bring in CHF 10 million.

However, compared to the sale of animal products, plant-based alternatives remain a niche market. Substitute products currently account for almost 3 percent of sales of meat and meat substitutes.

With an annual turnover of CHF 500 million, animal sausages continue to bring in much more money. In the meat retail sector, their share of sales is as much as 11 percent.

While the market for plant-based alternatives initially grew at a rapid rate – namely between 10 and 20 percent per year – it is now in the normalization phase in this country, a Nestlé spokesperson said when asked by the AWP news agency. Since the beginning of the year, total Swiss sales of sausage alternatives have increased by 4 percent.

From a health point of view, plant-based sausages may offer benefits: Meat products are often high in fat, including saturated fatty acids, which raise blood cholesterol levels, according to the Swiss Nutrition Association (SBU).

In a conventional bratwurst from St. Gallen, for example, pork and veal, bacon, ice cream, salt and spices are mixed and filled into natural casings. To meet market standards, the sausage must have a protein content of at least 11.2 percent. For example, an Olma bratwurst contains 13 grams of protein and 20 grams of fat per 100 grams.

Vegetable sausage alternatives, on the other hand, often consist of more protein and less fat: The Planted brand bratwurst alternative provides about 17 grams of pea protein and 14 grams of fat. Nestlé’s Garden Gourmet variety contains 14.6 grams of soy protein and 10.4 grams of fat.

However, the amino acid patterns of animal foods are best absorbed by humans. Therefore, according to the SGE, the usefulness of vegetable protein is less good than that of animal protein.

Also, not all vegetarian sausages are created equal: The version from the Green Mountain Coop line contains just 5.8 grams of plant-based protein—much less protein than a meat sausage.

However, there is agreement about the environmental potential: the production of meat and dairy pollutes the environment through the formation of large amounts of greenhouse gases and ammonia, according to the current environmental report of the Federal Council. A more plant-based diet can help to significantly reduce this environmental impact.

In fact, the raw material balance of sausage replacement products is significant: According to the company, Planted’s plant-based alternative saves up to 71 percent CO2 and up to 79 percent water compared to a conventional bratwurst.

WWF Switzerland also calculates that the footprint of an average Swiss person is reduced by 24 percent with a vegetarian diet and by as much as 40 percent with a vegan diet. Enjoying a simple sausage can have a big impact. (saw/sda/awp)