People Love Seitan So Much, the Global Wheat Market is Soaring

People are eating so much plant-based protein that the global wheat market value is rising, says a new analysis report.

The new report details the fair forecasted growth of the global wheat market between the years 2017-2023. The report analyzes the wheat market in country sections (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Rest of the World) and is also segmented into type, application, and form. It noted that North America is leading the wheat market, followed by Europe. Companies producing plant-based protein products in the North American and European region are focusing marketing efforts towards promoting wheat protein among national consumers. Seitan is a common vegan meat made from wheat gluten.

The Asia Pacific market showed the fastest-growing wheat market. Additionally, India and China were accredited as major contributors to the Asia Pacific region as a consumer awareness for health grows and the populations strive towards healthier, vegetable-rich diets.

The report compared wheat gluten, wheat protein isolate, and textured wheat protein sales spikes. Despite the growing number of consumers seeking out gluten-free options in recent years, wheat gluten was said to be dominating the market. Wheat gluten, also known as vital wheat gluten, is a key ingredient in making seitan, a food that is reputable for having a striking resemblance to the texture and appearance of meat; when flavored similarly seitan can even take on a meat-esque taste.

Seitan contains 72 grams of plant-based protein per cup, hence many people following a vegan diet opt to consume the food for its high protein content, accessibility, and versatility. That’s also why many vegetarian and vegan meat products are based on seitan.

Companies like the Minneapolis-based Herbivorous Butcher are putting vegan meat and seitan front and center as a growing number of consumers seeks to integrate more plant-based options. Herbivorous Butcher was the nation’s first vegan butcher, but a number of other vegan meat shops have opened across North America in an effort to meet the growing demand for plant-based protein options.

Within the U.S. alone, there has been a 600 percent rise in the vegan population over the past three years, echoed by a 700 percent rise in vegans in the U.K. during the last two years.

Image Credit: The Herbivorous Butcher