One in five Danes say less workplace meat would make them angry

Just over one in five employed Danes say they would be angry if their workplace canteen served less meat, according to a survey reported by DR. Around 40 percent say they would be irritated by more plant-based food, while about half feel their freedom to eat meat would be restricted or that others would try to decide what they should eat.

Thomas Bøker Lund, a lecturer in food sociology at the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Food and Resource Economics, said the scale of the reactions was somewhat surprising.

The findings may partly reflect Danes’ relationship with meat. Some 63 percent describe themselves as big fans of meat, and 71 percent say they love meals that include meat.

However, the figures do not necessarily mean employees would revolt if their canteens introduced more plant-based food.

At workplaces that already offer more plant-based dishes or vegetarian days, employees are no less satisfied with the canteen food, according to the study. Lund said people may be sceptical when asked whether they want less meat, but that opposition can disappear if they retain a choice and the food tastes good.

“If the vegetarian or more plant-based food is good, the immediate opposition does not have to last, and it does not necessarily mean that people will stop using the canteen,” he said.

The survey is based on responses from 891 full-time and part-time employed Danes aged 18 to 69. Data was collected in November and December 2024 through a nationally representative population survey and weighted by age, gender and region.

The report was produced as part of the Normplant research project, a collaboration between the University of Copenhagen and Jespers Torvekøkken. The project is funded by Plantefonden, the foundation for plant-based foods, and the report was published in August 2026.

The researchers stressed that the satisfaction measurement represents only a snapshot, so the survey cannot establish how satisfaction changes over time. Lund said many workplaces could probably introduce more plant-based food without triggering widespread criticism. Such a move could also reduce their climate impact, as plant-based and vegetarian dishes have a lower climate footprint.