The International V-Label Awards has unveiled its shortlisted finalists for 2023, with 15 companies or products chosen in each of three categories (Sustainability, Innovation, and Marketing & Branding) by a panel of experts.
Sustainability
In the Sustainability category, companies are recognized for products that replace traditionally animal-based products, have a low carbon footprint, conserve water, are sustainably sourced, and have a positive social impact. The judges are Catherine Coward, co-founder of The Good Crowd; Enric Urrutia, director of Bueno y Vegano; Réka Szöllősi, freelance food sustainability consultant; and Sonalie Figueiras, founder of Green Queen. The shortlist features cactus leather by DESSERTO, VEGDOG‘s complete vegan dog food, and meatless bacon by Plenty Reasons, among others.
Innovation
The Innovation category recognizes several forms of innovation, such as novelty, technical complexity, and manufacturing innovation. It has been judged by Albrecht Wolfmeyer, international director of the ProVeg Incubator; Renato Pichler, founder of V-Label; Sagar Tandon, partner at Beyond Impact; and vegconomist’s own head of customer relations, Vera Oswald.
Finalists include Planted‘s Filet Natur chicken alternative, WASTEA’s leather alternative made from upcycled tea waste, and Jooma’s almond-based yogurt.
Marketing & Branding
The Marketing & Branding category is new for 2023, highlighting the effective marketing strategies used by many plant-based companies. Overall brand image, social media marketing, customer experience, and more have all been taken into account. The judges are Abigail Stevens, marketing director at Plant Based World Expo Europe; Paula González Carracedo, founder of The Vegan Agency; Vikas Garg, founder of abillion; Dr. Toni Vernelli, international head of communications and marketing at Veganuary; and James Pryor, co-founder and creative director of Touch. Among the finalists are TiNDLE, Lidl’s Vemondo range, and Natur All’s vegan coffee pods.
Spain’s Heura is a finalist in all three categories, with its F’sh Fillet shortlisted for both Sustainability and Innovation and its entire product range recognized in the Marketing & Branding category. The full shortlist for all categories can be found here.
Winner announcements
Five winners for each category will be announced online in November, along with the winners of the Consumers’ Choice Award (determined by public voting). The successful companies will be introduced in two presentations at Plant Based World Expo Europe, which takes place in London on November 15-16.
“From upcycled mayonnaise to leather made from tea or olive waste and everything in between, the diverse range of plant-based products submitted to this year’s Awards proves yet again that the plant-based landscape is flourishing with innovation,” said Awards Program Manager Nikolett Konkoly.
