The protein trend has firmly arrived in the mainstream as meat snacks are added to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) basket of goods and services for the first time.
The ONS today unveiled 2016 changes to the ‘shopping basket’ of items it uses to measure consumer price inflation, with a multipack of meat-based snacks added to reflect rising demand for protein on the go.
Meanwhile, ongoing demand for convenience and prepared foods was reflected in the addition of microwaved rice and coffee pods to this year’s basket.
Sliced cooked turkey was swapped with sliced cooked chicken to reflect the diminishing popularity of the former, which ONS noted was “less available” in UK supermarkets.
Organic carrots and organic dessert apples were removed as separate categories under fruit and veg to reflect the fact organic produce is becoming “less distinct” from non-organic products, said ONS.
And with consumers increasingly choosing nights on the sofa over nights out on the town, bigger chocolate bars and luxurious liqueurs were added to the 2016 basket, while nightclubs were taken out.
“The ONS basket of goods and services offers an interesting snapshot of the modern day British consumer and factors that influence spending patterns,” said David McCorquodale, UK head of retail at analyst firm KPMG.
“Picking up on the latest health crazes, meat-based snacks have been added to this year’s basket as protein-rich diets increase in popularity.
“What’s more, this year sees the removal of the nightclub entry as the number of nightclubs is decreasing, indicating consumers are choosing a night on the sofa rather than a night on the town. With more people choosing ‘indulge at home’, a larger chocolate bar has been added to the basket in addition to the small bar as well as cream-based liqueurs such as Baileys.”
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