Vegetarianism may not be the largest trend in the food industry at present, but surprising numbers of young people are opting to go meat-free, while an aging population has its own reasons behind avoiding meats.
How much of a market is there for vegetarian products? A 2009 Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG) survey found about 1% of American consumers identify themselves as vegan, roughly a third of the number who regard themselves as vegetarians, but the group’s 2010 survey found a surprising amount of vegetarians among Americans between 8-18.