spreads

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Company News

Bunge Agrees to Sell European Margarines and Spreads Business to Vandemoortele

Global agribusiness and food company Bunge has announced an agreement to sell its European margarines and spreads business to Vandemoortele, a family-owned food group in Europe with a strong presence in margarines and plant-based fats. Through the agreement, Vandemoortele expects to acquire Bunge’s margarines and spreads business in Germany, Finland, Poland, and Hungary, along with its related manufacturing sites and a portfolio of 20 consumer brands. Bunge’s Margarines & Spreads activities in Europe represent a turnover of over €450 million and employ more than 800 people. Vandemoortele says the acquisition reinforces the commitment of its Plant-Based Food Solutions business line to supporting the European food sector’s transition to sustainable plant-based foods. The company hopes to be a frontrunner in plant-based cheese, creams, sauces, and dressings, …

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Nutella Plant-Based

© Ferrero
Products & Launches

Ferrero Announces Launch of Nutella Plant-Based in European Supermarkets

Ferrero has announced the launch of a plant-based version of its much-loved chocolate hazelnut spread, Nutella, in select European markets. In the new spread, milk has been replaced with plant-based ingredients such as chickpeas and rice syrup, reportedly providing the same taste and texture as the original Nutella recipe. With the launch, Ferrero is targeting the increasing number of consumers choosing to cut down on or completely avoid animal products. Nutella Plant-Based has been certified as vegan by The Vegetarian Society. “We welcome Ferrero’s efforts to meet the needs and expectations of the millions of consumers following plant-based and vegan diets,” said Vanessa Brown, Head of Trademarks at the Vegetarian Society. “We are pleased to announce that the new Nutella Plant-Based meets the Vegetarian Society’s …

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Good Good first vegan lemon curd with no added sugars

© Good Good

Products & Launches

Better-for-You Leader GOOD GOOD Brings “First” No Added Sugar Vegan Lemon Curd to US Market 

GOOD GOOD, the leading better-for-you brand in the low-sugar category, recently launched what it describes as the first-of-its-kind, no-added sugar, vegan lemon curd (usually non-vegan due to the traditional recipe including eggs and butter) on the US market. The new product contains just five calories – 93% fewer calories than its traditional equivalent – and zero sugar, targeting the 84% of consumers who are actively avoiding or reducing their dietary intake of sugar. Founded in 2015 in Reykjavik, Iceland, as a natural sweetener company, the brand first arrived in overseas markets back in 2017. GOOD GOOD states that it now has a retail presence in 36 countries and is available online and in-store at over 10,000+ locations. Growing preference for low and no-added sugar products …

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Ferrero to launch plant-based Nutella

© Ferrero/Nutella
Products & Launches

Ferrero to Launch Plant-Based Nutella in Italy

Italian multinational confectionery company Ferrero has revealed that it will launch plant-based Nutella in Italy this autumn. The announcement comes as Ferrero celebrates the 60th year of the iconic chocolate hazelnut spread. According to askanews, the new spread was presented to retailers earlier this month at the NielsenIQ event Linkontro in Sardinia. The recipe is reportedly very similar to the original, aside from the fact that milk powder has been replaced with an as-yet unconfirmed plant-based ingredient. Original Nutella will remain available. The plant-based Nutella is said to be aimed at flexitarians and lactose-intolerant people, and will reportedly be certified vegan. However, it appears that the spread will still contain palm oil, a controversial ingredient among ethical consumers. “We like to be a partner of …

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© Flora
Company News

Flora Makes All Its Spreads Vegan and Palm Oil-Free

In 2019, UK spread brand Flora announced that it was making its product range fully plant-based. However, the change was short-lived; the following year, the company added buttermilk back into its Flora Buttery spread, citing consumer complaints about the recipe change. The move attracted backlash from many customers who wanted the spread to remain dairy-free, including a petition that gained thousands of signatures. But there have been hints that change is coming for some time, with Flora’s parent company, Upfield, recently announcing plans to make its entire product portfolio fully plant-based within three years. Now, in what may be the first step towards this goal, Flora has announced that all its products are suitable for vegans once again. “We have been continuously working to deliver …

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Argentina's URV launches Dulce de Leche Plant Based

© Un Rincón Vegano (URV)
Sweets & Snacks

Argentina Responds to Growing Vegan Demand with Plant-Based Version of South America’s Iconic Dulce de Leche

Un Rincón Vegano (URV), an Argentinian company that claims to have introduced the country’s first vegan alfajor (traditional pastries) in 2015, recently launched its latest creation: Dulce de Leche Plant Based. Dulce de leche, or caramelized milk, is a sweet delicacy well-loved in Latin America, made by slowly heating sugar and milk for several hours. It is an icon of Argentina’s gastronomy, present in many desserts and pastries, including alfajores, where it’s sandwiched between two cookies. Described as golden, and creamy, at the same time delivering the flavor, the new vegan dulce de leche promises to satisfy traditional palates and consumers looking for animal-free alternatives. The new product comes in a 1 kg or 10 kg format to offer an option for individual consumers and …

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Palm oil-free spread by The Flower Farm

© The Flower Farm
Milk- and Dairy Alternatives

Palm Oil-Free Spread by Dutch Brand The Flower Farm Launches at Sainsbury’s

Netherlands-based The Flower Farm has launched at Sainsbury’s, marking the first major UK supermarket listing for the brand’s vegan and palm oil-free spread. The spread is made with shea butter, which has similar properties to palm oil but does not contribute to deforestation. The other ingredients include sunflower oil, lemon juice, carrot juice, and sea salt. The Flower Farm estimates that it has already saved 726,000 kilos of palm oil and over 1.85 million square metres of palm oil plantation. 17.6 million products have been sold to date. Previously, the spread launched at Booths, a supermarket chain in the north of England. In the Netherlands, the product is widely available at major retailers, including Albert Heijn. “We are delighted to have Sainsbury’s endorsement as we …

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flora

©Upfield
Company News

Upfield to Acquire Violife For €500 Million?

Various media have reported that spread manufacturer Upfield (Country Crock, Rama, I Can’t Believe it’s Not Butter, Lätta, Flora) is holding takeover talks with Violife, a Greek manufacturer of vegan cheese products. A takeover amount of €500 million is circulating. Upfield is the former bread spread division of Unilever which was taken over by the financial investor KKR for almost seven billion dollars. The deal would create one of the world’s largest manufacturers of plant-based foods; Upfield operates in just under 100 countries, although its business with magarines is not considered to be very profitable. Update: Upfield has just informed us that it is not possible to comment on this at this time.

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