Minced meat outsells plant proteins in Finnish shops

Minced meat sales far exceed those of plant-based protein products in Finland, Yle reports. In the S Group’s stores, more than 20 million kilograms of minced meat are sold annually, while plant-based protein products account for less than 1 per cent of that volume, according to Juha Nieminen, a group manager at the retail chain.

The K Group said plant-based meat substitutes made up less than 10 per cent of sales in 2025, compared with more than 90 per cent for minced meat. The figures vary by region, with plant-based products more popular and meat consumption lower in the Helsinki metropolitan area than elsewhere in Finland.

At K-Supermarket Tripla, a grocery store in Helsinki, shopkeeper Petri Miettinen checked his sales data and found that minced meat sells five times more than various plant-based protein products. Five years ago, the gap was considerably smaller.

“The difference has grown year by year in favour of minced meat since the period after the coronavirus pandemic,” Miettinen said.

Minced meat sales have fluctuated in recent years, partly because of the pandemic and availability problems. Sales initially rose during the coronavirus pandemic, then declined before kilograms sold began increasing again in 2023. Last year, sales fell because of supply challenges, while they rose again this spring after availability improved, Nieminen said.

Miettinen said minced meat sales had increased at a considerable pace since 2024. He attributed the trend partly to the fading of the fashion surrounding plant-based protein products and their transition into everyday products.

He did not believe price was the main factor guiding purchasing decisions. The price of minced meat has risen clearly since 2024, he said, while plant-based protein products now cost roughly the same.

According to Miettinen, minced meat is most clearly bought by families with children. Young age groups and young couples form the largest individual consumer group for plant-based protein products.

Nieminen said plant-based products sell particularly well in large university cities and among what he called progressive consumers. Families and shoppers focused on price, meanwhile, tend to buy minced meat.

Products combining meat and plant protein in the same package have also entered the market this year. “Time will tell how consumers will use these in the future,” Nieminen said.

Finland’s new national dietary recommendations, published just under two years ago, encouraged people to eat a more plant-based diet and reduce their meat consumption.