With an increasing number of people opting to go green or totally plant-based with their diets, we can safely say that the days of humdrum vegan and vegetarian food are practically over. This week, several supermarkets, specialty retailers, and international food brands announced a number of additions to their vegan and vegetarian product lines.
North American brands go meat- and dairy-free
While Danone is best known for its excellent dairy products such as Dannon and Oikos yogurts, it also owns soy milk producer Silk. The company is also currently in the process of collaborating with biotech company Brightseed to develop a new vegan product line over the next three years.
The company also announced the impending launch of new products under the Silk NextMilk and So Delicious Wondermilk brands. It assured the public that these have improved vastly in taste and texture, the two factors that have put many people off plant-based alt-milk.
For its part, Canadian company Modern Plant-based Foods Inc. just launched its first products for the US market, including vegan versions of regional favorites like Crab-less Cakes and shrimp-free Remoulade. While exact distribution points have yet to be announced, Modern’s brand and relationship manager Chris Parkinson stated that their products would soon be on grocery shelves on the West Coast.
Another Canadian company, Toronto-based Zoglo’s Incredible Food, is set to launch twelve new vegan products into the domestic retail scene, including meat-free versions of shawarma, burgers, and chicken tenders.
UK supermarket chains present more affordable vegan alternatives
If 99p ($1.36) seems to be too good to be a true price for vegan products, think again. Lidl, one of the UK’s leading supermarket chains, has introduced 17 new vegan products. They range from snacks to mains and frozen desserts with an SRP of just 99p.
Not to be outdone, rival chain ASDA now carries vegan dairy brand Violife’s B-vitamin-enriched VioBlog plant-based butter. While a bit pricier at £2 ($2.73), the taste, texture, and versatility are all on par with good dairy butter.
With Halloween coming up, veg-centric chocolatier NOMO has a new treat for kids in the form of monster-shaped chocolate lollipops with a rich and creamy texture. The brand has also added mixed Sharing Bags to its product line, along with a sophisticated Choc Orange Crunch for those who want a fruity twist to their treats.
Australia: Fresh Off the Grill
Aussies are bringing in the star power when it comes to vegan food. With summer and the grilling season coming up, burger experts at Grill’d have teamed up with culinary legend Heston Blumenthal on a line of mushroom-centric vegan grilling patties.
The collaboration has come up with the Japanese-inspired Heston Fable Burger with lightly grilled tofu and a zesty slaw, the Fable Spicy Cheeseburger, and two other variations featuring truffles and American-style barbecue sauce.