Vegan Products Taking Over The Free From Section in Supermarkets

[Evenstar]

Anyone else gluten free and fed up of vegan products taking over all the space in chillers and free from sections, even the freezer cabinets? I don’t object to anyone being vegan, but I feel they always destock ordinary gluten free ranges to fit it in and for most people gluten free is for health reasons not a choice. I looked everywhere for a gluten free pie this morning as a weekend treat, even the frozen section had only “handmade artisan vegan pies” at £3.50 each as a gluten free option 😢

Yep in restaurants too! I have a couple of allergies but do eat meat, over the last year or so supermarkets and restaurants seem to pile allergens and vegan together so they tick all boxes with one product. Makes life easier if I am in a rush or don’t want to flick through those huge allergen folders but sometimes I just want some chicken or lamb with my meal!

Good that there is more choice. My allergic child might actually get a free from choice for her allergies.

In my experience there is a large choice of gluten free, and very little choice for other allergies. If it becomes more balanced that will be good.

Gluten free dominated the free from section at the expense of nut free for years. Aside from the minority who genuinely do need gluten free it was a fashion statement from many who self diagnosed gluten intolerance, Veganism is the latest food fad which people are jumping on, some of whom are merely virtue signalling and will be back on their steaks when the next food fashion comes along.

We have a dairy allergy here and feel like gluten free takes a precedence over everything.

So I guess we can't win.

I'm vegan and have been annoyed at the proliferation of GF items when I was struggling to find something vegan I guess if we all feel the other lot have too much, then maybe it's actually balanced!

I'm allergic to dairy so quite handy for me, it means a lot more choice, especially when eating out.

I'm GF (not by choice), and I've noticed this too. Or that the gluten free choice is now also vegan - I'm no avid meat eater, but gf is difficult enough as it is to make texturally good without removing dairy and eggs too

I think the balance is just being redressed. My son is milk and egg allergic and it used to be that the free from section was most all "gluten free" with only a tiny amount that was milk and egg free.

The supermarket I work in has doubled its vegan range. I quite like a lot of vegan food, so I took a look at the ingredients and was HORRIFIED at the sheer calorie content! What are they replacing meat and dairy with, pure oil?

What are they replacing meat and dairy with, pure oil?

It'd be interesting to see if the sugar and palm oil content is higher. Solving one problem (the environmental impact of meat eating) and causing others.

I sometimes choose to eat vegan meals, I don't need to buy anything in the supermarket that is special - we had a vegan meal last night and all from the fresh vegetable aisle plus some chick peas. It's easy to be a vegan if you don't want to buy processed food. Even if I'd wanted dumplings I'd have just used vegan margerine which has been easily available for years and soya milk. Once you do vegetarian meals regularly making the step to home cooked vegan food is fairly easy.

No because I'm vegan and guten free 😂

That's funny, because when I go to the supermarket to buy things for my vegan niece, all I can see is free from stuff...

No. People who don't have allergies can eat anything in a supermarket. Vegan people can't. I'm vegan and have to be gluten free and I love how much choice there is!

GF used to be quite popular and trendy as a PP pointed out so it dominated the free from sections which was frustrating for anyone with dairy/egg allergies or intolerances plus also vegans.

I’m not a vegan anymore but used to be and I’m happy that the balance has been readdressed. I used to have to shop in Holland&Barrett for a lot of my free from stuff, it just didn’t exist in supermarkets. This was only 7/8 years ago.