// The Co-op launches new vegan brand, Gro
// Brings total number of vegan and vegetarian products up to 1,000
// Nielsen finds red meat sales fell further than any other supermarket category for 2019
The Co-op has revealed a new meat-free range just in time for Veganuary, as supermarket sales in red meat drop more than any other category.
The Co-op has launched what it describes as its “biggest rollout of vegan products” with new brand Gro.
READ MORE: Sustainable spending reaches £29.7bn, Co-op says
Comprising of 35 meat-free products, Gro will be sold through up to 4,000 independent retailers as well as 2,000 Co-op branches.
The Co-op said the launch extends its total vegan range to around 1,000 products, just in time for the month-long Veganuary campaign, whereby people are encouraged to try a vegan or plant-based diet for the month of January.
“We have to provide fantastic products and services with strong ethics and a purposeful focus on convenience. Our new vegan range taps into the latest consumer trends and our online services meet the growing appetite for fast home deliveries,” said Co-op Food chief executive Jo Whitfield.
Last month the grocer announced it is to recycle plastic film for the first time.
The retailer produces over 750 million pieces of plastic film each year, and will collect used plastic from its own stores to take to a recycler from the summer.
The Co-op believes the market for vegetarian and vegan food is now worth £1 billion and has more than doubles in the last 20 years.
Meanwhile new research from Nielsen found sales of red meat fell more by value than any other category in supermarkets for 2019, down £185 million.
Beef sales declined by 4 per cent and pork by 6.4 per cent.
Sales of meat-free alternatives rose by 18 per cent to £405 million, the highest growth rate of any category.
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