It was “difficult to foresee the future” of dairy alternative products and they would “probably win only a very small market share” in the future, according to a European Commission report from 1991.

The report on the milk market situation by Commission, then called the Commission of the European Communities, was released by the National Archives.

“The number of cheese imitations is increasing rapidly,” it said, and “soya-based products are on the increase in France”.

Total butter consumption in the EEC [European Economic Community] fell by 12.7% between 1987 and 1990

Reports from some member states to the Commission shows that the “names, labelling and positioning in stores of milk products and their competing products continues to be a source of confusion to consumers”.

Butter

While there was an overall upward trend in the consumption of milk products in the years to 1991, the Commission said that the consumption of butter dropped, with the development of “competing products” accentuating this drop in consumption.

“Total butter consumption in the EEC [European Economic Community] fell by 12.7% between 1987 and 1990. In 1990 it fell by 3.1% and it is expected to fall by a further 5.7% between 1990 and 1992.”

Decline

The report highlights that this decline is seen in particular in private households, especially in countries where competing products have developed most.

Ireland which consumed 20,500 tonnes of butter in 1987, consumed only 12,000 tonnes in 1990

“Consumption has dropped most markedly in Ireland, the United Kingdom, France and Germany.

“Ireland which consumed 20,500 tonnes of butter in 1987, consumed only 12,000 tonnes in 1990 (a drop of 41%).”

Margarine and “light butters” were among the products competing with butter at the time.