Tofu, Tempeh and Seitan Sales Jump Almost 30% in Germany and the Netherlands

Europeans are falling in love with tofu. GFI Europe's latest data shows that sales volumes of tofu, tempeh and seitan grew by almost 30% in both Germany and the Netherlands in 2025, as the price gap between plant-based foods and their animal-based equivalents narrowed in most categories.

The Good Food Institute Europe, a nonprofit working on alternative proteins, analyzed Circana retail sales data for six of Europe's leading markets: France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK. Its overview of the 2025 figures came out on June 9, 2026.

In Germany, Europe's biggest plant-based market, shoppers bought 14 million kg (30.9 million lb) of tofu, tempeh and seitan, up 30% on 2024, according to GFI Europe's German report. In the Netherlands the category grew 27.1%.

Price clearly helps. Tofu in Germany averages €6.57 per kg (about €2.98 per pound), less than half the €14.35 per kg of plant-based meat, while Dutch private-label tofu costs just €5.11 per kg, roughly a third of the price of branded plant-based meat. GFI Europe says the trend "may reflect consumer interest in less processed foods".

The wider market is growing too. Across the six countries, plant-based sales reached about €4.75 billion in 2025, up 3.3%, Green Queen reports. Sales volume rose in France (by more than 13%), Spain (6.6%), Germany (6.2%) and Italy (5.8%). In France, plant-based meat was the fastest-growing category, with volume up 16.8% as prices fell.

Plant-based milk keeps leading the way. It now makes up between 7% and 10% of all milk sold in Germany, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands. In Germany, private-label plant-based milk is now cheaper than private-label dairy milk, even though it's taxed at 19% against 7% for dairy.

Not every market moved forward. Total volume slipped 1.3% in the Netherlands and 2.5% in the UK, and plant-based meat fell 7% in Spain, where it costs more than twice as much as conventional meat. Shoppers in all six countries still bought significantly more plant-based meat than tofu, tempeh and seitan combined, a sign, GFI Europe says, that products replicating the taste, texture or format of meat reach a wider audience.

Helen Breewood, Senior Market and Consumer Insights Manager at GFI Europe, said:

Across leading European markets, we're seeing clear evidence that consumers are interested in plant-based foods, but price and taste continue to shape purchasing decisions. While the price gap with animal products is closing in many categories, affordability alone is not sufficient for growth: a good eating experience is also crucial to reach larger audiences.

The stakes go well beyond the checkout. A 2020 study in Science found that emissions from the global food system alone could put the 1.5°C and 2°C climate targets out of reach, and GFI Europe cites research suggesting the EU's plant-based market could be worth €45.5 billion by 2040 and support 350,000 jobs. For anyone training hard, tofu, tempeh and seitan are also some of the most protein-packed foods in the supermarket.

It's the latest sign that more people are choosing whole plant proteins. In August we reported that UK shoppers are swapping meat for beans as tempeh sales soar 71%, and earlier this year Oatly celebrated its first full year of profit as European sales jumped 11%. Germany's production of meat alternatives has more than doubled in five years, Lidl Germany cut the prices of its vegan range to match meat, and just this week a Dutch dairy farm that chose to evolve to soy yogurt won the first-ever Plant Based Leadership Award.

Prices still matter, though: a new European Vegetarian Union report finds plant-based foods are taxed more than meat and milk in 12 EU countries.

Pass the tofu. The future is looking tastier.