Italy Plant-based Meat Market Overview, 2026

Traditional Italian cuisine boasts of many vegan delicacies as such it is considered as the most vegan friendly countries of Europe. The staple food of Italy is vegan in every way since ages. The pizza marinara invented in Naples in 18th century is topped with tomato sauce, garlic, dried oregano powder and little basil leaves and most importantly no cheese! And the dough is made with flour, water, salt and yeast. Pizza al taglio is another Italian fast food version that is made in huge rectangular pans and has two varieties. The first one pizza rossa is similar to pizza marinara without garlic. Pizza Bianca is the other variety which is topped with just olive oil, rosemary and garlic. The third is pasta which is traditionally made without the use of any eggs. The third one is risotto, as butter and parmesan cheese are added only at the last stage of cooking that can be easily transformed to a vegan dish. The creamy risotto recipe demands for a good vegetable stock use rather than a meat stock. Lot many vegetables can be added to a risotto. By adding saffron, a distinctive yellow hue can be given to a risotto. The last is polenta that is a staple diet of rural Italy. It is similar to a thick porridge made with coarse grounded cornmeal in water with salt and olive oil. However the modern version has butter and meat broth replacing water.

According to the report title “Italy Plant-based Meat Market Overview, 2026”, the plant based meat market in Italy is expected to grow over 8% during the forecast period ending 2026. Soy as a plant based meat source has been established since its inception and so has the dominance over the meat alternative market. Soy can be easily grown on a poor soil irrespective of climate due to its nitrogen fixing capacity. Since it accumulates oil in its seed it is suitable for human consumption as it is rich in biological value and carbohydrates. However other types of sources like quinoa, hemp and nuts are widely being used to produce more varieties in plant based meat products. Manufacturers are continuously engaged in research & development of different plant based meat products with alternative sources of proteins. Plant based fish products are rapidly being accepted across Italy due to depletion of fish stocks and compounding health problems and environmental issues. The big giants are engaged in large scale R&D activities to bring fish alternatives in broader culinary light. As vegan dishes were first served at hotels, restaurants and cafes across Italy, they have a larger base of customers inclined with over 50% market share.

Quinoa is largely used to prepare meat analogs in Italy and consumers are trying out new protein sources for healthy body. Other sources are fastest growing at a CAGR of 12.99% in Italy. Quinoa is used to make tasty taco meat filling with new flavours. Quinoa is gluten free and accounts for a complete protein with amino acids and iron. Now a days consumers label it as a super food. The meat prepared with quinoa resembles the texture of a hamburger meat Pattie and is soft. It can be used in burritos, salads and even nachos. On the other hand soy is losing its charm due to its allergy property. Turin in Italy is the first vegetarian city with more than 30 restaurants and shops serving vegetarian or vegan food. Milan is another city with 90% of populace going the vegan way. Going meatless in Italy is very easy as the restaurant’s menu always has a vegan list of offerings. With the increasing demand to adapt veganism there are more choices on menu.

Over the years the consumers have become more responsible towards environment. However lately, but they have experienced the hidden costs of meat consumption on large scale. This has made them adapt the plant based meat for a healthy lifestyle. It is further stemmed by social media influencers. Carlotta Perego a vegan chef in Italy is most popular with her channel Cucina Botanica with 370,000 subscribers. She shares vegan recipes that can be easily cooked and enjoyed at home. The book that has vegan food recipes written by her leads the chart since its publication. Silvia Goggi another influencer and a nutritionist by profession have also written many books on veganism. She advocates for a balanced lifestyle that is healthier and sustainable.

Many restaurants serve vegan dishes and some cities have gone fully meatless over the years. Restaurants certified by L'Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (The True Neapolitan Pizza Association) use only flour, water, salt and yeast in their pizza bases. Some restaurants in Rome serve pizza with potatoes and onion toppings. The thought of Italian food brings pasta and pizza to one’s mind but it has lot more to offer. The authentic Italian pizza was earlier prepared without any eggs, butter or cheese. The traditional Italian food is quite different from what consumers perceive from the other side of the world. Italian food is cooked in olive oil and not in butter, oil or ghee.

Italians never eat eggs or beacon at breakfast rather it is a sweet affair. As compared to English counterparts, their breakfast is very light. Italians prefer to drink coffee complimented by cookies or croissants. The coffee and the croissants are devoid of animal milk or any other ingredient.

The first Italian company to bring plant based meat was Joy Foods under the brand name Food Evolution over 40 years ago. Along with established companies in the market, many new vegan startups are popping up in Italy. The new entrants are creating huge sales promotions and marketing campaigns to reach wide audience along with new product launches. They are further expected to dictate consumer trends with growing animal sensitization and environment. However, more research needs to be laid down to develop alternatives to wurstel (pork sausages) and Mortadella (pork meat) that is traditional to Italians menu.

The pandemic forced consumers to reassess their priorities. Health has become the main driver that entails what they eat not only in terms of nutritiousness but also in terms of how the food they choose can impact the planet. Sustainability is the word as plant-based food is produced by using fewer natural resources thus putting less pressure on the environment. Ethics is the other matter that is enabling mindful choices to safeguard animal welfare, which is always been widely debated.

Considered in this report

• Geography: Italy
• Base year: 2020
• Estimated year: 2021
• Forecast year: 2026

Aspects covered in this report

• Italy plant based meat products market with its value and forecast along with its segments
• Various drivers and challenges
• On-going trends and developments
• Five force models
• Top profiled companies
• Strategic recommendation

By Source in the report

• Soy
• Pea
• Wheat
• Others (Quinoa, oats, nuts etc.)

Types of meat products in the report

• Burger Pattie
• Sausages
• Strips & Nuggets
• Meatballs
• Others

By Type in the report

• Beef
• Chicken
• Pork
• Fish
• Other (Lamb, Turkey)

By End-User in the report

• Retail
• HoReCa

The approach of the report:

This report consists of a combined approach of primary as well as secondary research. Initially, secondary research was used to get an understanding of the market and listing out the companies that are present in the market. The secondary research consists of third party sources such as press releases, annual report of companies, analysing the government generated reports and databases. After gathering the data from secondary sources primary research was conducted by making telephonic interviews with the leading players about how the market is functioning and then conducted trade calls with dealers and distributors of the market. Post this we have started doing primary calls to consumers by equally segmenting consumers in regional aspects, tier aspects, age group, and gender. Once we have primary data with us we have started verifying the details obtained from secondary sources.

Intended audience

This report can be useful to industry consultants, manufacturers, suppliers, associations & organizations related to plant based meat industry, government bodies and other stakeholders to align their market-centric strategies. In addition to marketing & presentations, it will also increase competitive knowledge about the industry.