In my opinion, there are two options for each group:

Meat: 1. Those who buy from butcher (health conscious) 2. Those who buy packaged products from supermarket.

Vegan: 1. Those who make homemade plant-based alternatives (eg.lentil burgers) 2. Those who buy Beyond burgers from supermarket.

Hence I think most people are trying to compare apples to oranges, which is not the correct comparison to make when weighing up each type.

I think a lot of those here are likely warehouse club buyers- Costco doesn't add anything to their ground beef or frozen patties. Sams 'seasons' some of their patties, but no nitrates.