According to an article in Reuters, the
world’s largest food producer, Nestlé, is actively working to introduce vegan
items in an attempt to stay ahead of the competition.
The maker of iconic brands such as Kit Kat,
Hot Pockets, and Lean Cuisine has seen slower growth over recent years and is
reworking some of its departments to lift the company into a better position.
Stefan Palzer, Nestlé’s chief technology officer,
said:
Big trends are embraced by smaller companies a bit more actively than the big companies. We are adjusting our portfolio, doing many innovations and renovations to make the portfolio more relevant and to address those trends, but smaller companies are more agile.
Exactly what it is cannot be confirmed, but Palzer
told Reuters that a new vegan product is “in the global pipeline. Considering
how fast veganism is growing worldwide, introducing more vegan products is a
wise business move.
All over, people are ditching meat, dairy, and eggs in record numbers.
In fact, a recent survey by comparethemarket.com and Gresham College
professor Carolyn Roberts found that the number of vegan U.K. residents has
spiked over the past two years.
Similarly, Australia is seeing an increase in plant-based diets.
The number of food products launched in Australia carrying a vegan claim rose
by 92 percent between 2014 and 2016. But nothing compares to Germany, one of
the fastest-growing places for veganism. A 2016 study based on 2008–2011 data
estimated that 4.3 percent of Germans between 18 and 79 identified as
vegetarian, with the majority between 18 and 29. Compare that to 3.3 percent of the U.S. population.
The wave of people ditching animal products in
favor of a healthy, sustainable, and compassionate vegan diet is impossible to
ignore. The research firm Global Data reports that veganism in America increased by 600 percent
between 2014 and 2017, and Allied Market Research predicts that the meat substitute market will grow 8.4 percent
from 2015, potentially reaching $5.2 billion globally by 2020.
Over the past few years Nestlé has made
strides in animal welfare. After a Mercy For Animals investigation at a dairy
supplier, the company announced in 2014 that it would eliminate many of the cruelest forms of institutionalized
animal abuse from its supply chain across 90 countries.
While there is still plenty of work to be
done, the introduction of more vegan products is certainly another step in the
right direction. More plant-based options are great news for the billions of animals who suffer at factory farms.
Cows, pigs, chickens, and fish raised and killed for food are subjected to
unthinkable cruelties: tiny, filthy cages; horrific mutilations; and violent
slaughter.
Watch.
The best way to help spare these animals is
simply not to eat them. Fortunately, with more and more delicious plant-based
products hitting the market, there’s truly never been a better time to switch
to a compassionate vegan lifestyle. Click here to get started. And check out our Pinterest
page for thousands of recipe ideas!