Nestlé made its plant-based debut in China today with the launch of its Harvest Gourmet brand, which already distributes around Australia, at an event in Beijing. It also states today that there are plans to invest $3.59 billion over five years in order to achieve climate goals including halving emissions and achieving net zero.
This May the multinational conglomerate announced its first plant-based production site in Tianjin, China, with an investment of 100 million francs to be split between various projects including pet meat brand Purina, dairy confectionery brand Nestlé Chengzhen Wafer, and plant-based manufacturing of products such as the Harvest Gourmet range.
Either way, this new facility in Tianjin is said to be already fully operational and Nestlé says today that it will provide a wide range of products Harvest Gourmet brand adapted to Chinese consumers, including burgers, sausages, nuggets and mince, as well as plant-based alternatives to kung pao chicken, braised meatballs, pork belly, and spicy wok.
“The brand will open an online store on Alibaba Group’s Tmall marketplace this month, and will gradually start offering products for sale from Alibaba’s Hema supermarket chain by the end of 2020,” says Reuters.
Rashid Qureshi, CEO of Nestlé Greater China Region said in a statement: “Nestlé wants to make plant-based food part of everyone’s everyday life, which is why we’re excited to offer our delicious and nutritious products in China. We see China leading the trend towards a new generation of plant-based food in Asia, as people look for options that are good for them and good for the planet.”
