VFC, the vegan fried chick*n brand taking the world by storm, has released the results of an independent impact assessment showing the meat-free range to outperform its animal equivalent across every environmental metric. The news comes as the activism-focused brand continues to expand its plant-based fried chicken in the US market.
Laying down a challenge to the meat industry to “come clean and then clean up”, VFC asked Mondra, a body that analyses supply chain data to assess environmental performance in the food industry, to give an independent impact assessment. It found that the conventional chicken product has double the climate impact, uses 24 times more water, and has a 20 times greater impact on biodiversity.
Wrong side of history
Speaking to vegconomist, VFC co-founder Matthew Glover explained the call to action; “What we eat has a profound impact on the world around us, and choosing VFC over meat from chickens has so many positive impacts with no loss of flavour or enjoyment. The meat industry must recognise and acknowledge that they are on the wrong side of history, and put their investment and time into producing high-quality animal-free products.”
VFC was awarded an A grade by Foundation Earth, the non-profit that issues front-of-pack environmental scores, for all three products in its range. The range recently hit shelves across the UK when the largest supermarket in the country Tesco became the first major retailer to list the brand.
VFC in the USA
The vegan fried chicken brand raised $10.3 million this year to fund its rapid expansion into the US market, with the range currently available in online stores GTFO It’s Vegan and Vejii. VFC has revealed to vegconomist that big announcements in both retail and foodservice are due in the coming weeks, with the brand receiving a “phenomenal reception” at the recent Natural Products Expo West in LA.
“We make a big deal about caring for chickens, but of course we care about all animals – both farmed and wild. And so this audit is fantastic news because it shows that we are not only sparing the lives of farmed birds, but we are protecting wild species and their habitats, too,” added Matthew Glover.
