Tofu Goes Mainstream as U.S. Sales Soar
The plant-based protein is becoming a staple in American households, with sales up more than 60% on last year.
Business analysts have reported the soaring sales figures for tofu in America, as consumers continue to choose plant-based alternatives to meat.
The latest figures show that during March of this year, the start of lockdown, tofu sales increased by 66% over the same period in 2019. Post-lockdown sales continue to flourish, with figures for May showing that tofu sales were still up by 32%, according to data from Nielsen.
This shift in consumer habits has led industry experts to declare tofu as the latest household staple, with Bloomberg reporting that ‘Tofu Is Going Mainstream in U.S.’.
The pace of sales is so fast that Kroger, with nearly 3,000 supermarkets nationwide, have said tofu sales over the past three months alone have increased almost 9%. Similarly, sales have almost doubled at Wegmans, since last year.
This is good news for manufacturers in the U.S., as tofu plants try to keep up with the demand.
Hodo Foods, which makes all of its tofu in Oakland, California, plans to increase manufacturing capacity over the coming year, while tofu brand Pulmuone says three of its U.S. plants are running six days a week.
Dasha Shor, global food analyst at Mintel, told Bloomberg that tofu is “a viable alternative for price-sensitive, health-conscious consumers seeking to add more protein to their meals”.
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