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According to Food & Wine, the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA) is launching a Certified Plant Based seal for brands to put on their packaging so conscientious consumers can easily identify vegan products.
Vegan meat company Tofurky and oat milk brand Oatly will reportedly be the first two companies to receive the certification and seal. The PBFA said its new seal was “the first and only plant-based food certification.”
Michele Simon, the PBFA’s executive director, said in a statement:
The launch of the Certified Plant Based seal is an exciting next step for the fast-growing and innovative plant-based foods industry. As consumers are looking to purchase more plant-based options, this new seal ensures confidence in what plant-based means.
To receive the seal, products must be vegan alternatives to existing foods, such as plant-based meats; egg substitutes; and plant-based milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, and ice cream.
The PBFA launched in 2016 and works to bring together like-minded companies and promote their products.
Another industry group devoted to promoting plant-based foods, Plant-Based Foods of Canada, was founded earlier this year.
Promoting vegan foods and ensuring that companies making meat, dairy, and egg replacements have a prominent voice is very important, especially considering that the factory farming industry spends millions on lobbying each year.
Fortunately, veganism is booming. A recent report from leading market research and consulting firm Coherent Market Insights found that the global vegan meat market was set to surpass $6.5 billion by 2026. The report projected rapid growth in the vegan meat market, with a compound annual growth rate of 7.6 percent between 2018 and 2025.
What’s more, GlobalData reported there were six times as many vegans in America in 2017 as in 2014, 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.
And a recent study commissioned by the PBFA and The Good Food Institute revealed that the plant-based foods market had topped $3.1 billion in sales.
More people enjoying vegan food is 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.
Sounds terrible, right?
Join the millions who are taking a stand for animals, the environment, and their own health by switching to a vegan diet. Get a copy of our free Vegetarian Starter Guide today. And check out our Pinterest page with hundreds of vegan recipes!