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Oatly Group, the world’s largest oat drink company, recently announced a comprehensive collaboration with Deutsche Bahn (DB). From 1 January 2022, the oat drink Oatly Barista became available in the onboard catering of ICE and Intercity trains as its first-ever plant-based milk. The Oatly Barista oat drink will initially be offered as a supplement to Fairtrade-certified filter coffee and Caffè Crema. Deutsche Bahn is one of the largest railway companies in Europe. In total, approximately 9.5 million cups of coffee and coffee specialities were sold in 2019.; of the 9.5 million cups, around 5.6 million were filter coffee and Caffè Crema. As such, the move has the potential to make a large impact on the amount of dairy milk consumed on German trains. “At Oatly, we want to drive a sustainable food system because it is essential not only for human health, but more importantly for the climate. To achieve this, we need to make the transition to a more plant-based diet as easy as possible by making tasty plant-based products available to as many consumers as possible. We are proud that Deutsche Bahn is now introducing Oatly as the first plant-based milk alternative. And we hope that many other large companies will follow this example,” explains Tobias Goj, General Manager Oatly Germany. ...

Vegums, the rapidly growing UK vegan vitamin and supplement brand will make its U.S. debut in January with three of its Ve-ssentials gummy products, Vegan optimized Multivitamins, Fish-Free Omega-3 and Vegan Iron. HOBOKEN, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#plantbased–Vegums, the multivitamin and supplement gummy for vegans and those adopting a plant-based lifestyle, announced today the launch of Vegums USA. Founded by John Rushton and Abdul Sharief, two UK pharmacists in 2018, Vegums was created to address the vitamin and mineral deficiencies associated with rapidly growing vegan and plant-based lifestyles as well as staying passionately committed to sustainability and animal welfare. “As pharmacists, Abdul and I just couldn’t find vitamins for our families that were committed to the true vegan cause, so we created one!” said John Rushton, Co-Founder of Vegums. “We saw the meteoric rise of veganism as well as plant-based diets coupled with the huge concern about the planet and animal welfare and decided there was a great opportunity. We set about using our health, wellness, and pharmacy skills to design vitamins and supplements that not only have completely vegan ingredients – none of this ‘suitable for’ rubbish!” He continued, “The vegan diet can mean that people become deficient in certain nutrients which in turn can lead to health issues, so we adjusted levels to compensate for this. We also care greatly about the planet we live on and animal welfare, so we built the brand to give back for the next generation’s future. We feel that our whole ethos is best summarized ...

UK-based Asian fusion chain Wagamama has launched a new dish — plant-based Japanese-inspired fish and chips. The “fish” is made from battered soy, pea, and rice protein, in the style of the Japanese dish tempura. Accompanying the fish is roasted sweet potato and red onion, along with Japanese style mushy peas made with edamame beans and katsu curry sauce. Other garnishes include chilli, a lemon wedge, waga tartare with Japanese pickles, and Wagamama’s firecracker sauce. The dish is called Tempura F-ish + Bang Bang Yaki-imo, and will be available for £12.95 throughout the month of January. 50% plant-based menu Last year, Wagamama launched a new plant-based menu for Veganuary, veganising some of its most popular dishes such as Firecracker Curry, Grilled Duck Donburi, Cripsy Chilli Squid, and Vegan Sticky Ribs. At the same time, the chain announced it would be transitioning its menu to be 50% plant-based by the end of 2021. In October, Wagamama confirmed that half of the dishes on the menu were now meatless, and launched its “Plant Pledge” campaign to encourage customers to help the environment by choosing plant-based options. “We’re so proud of our 50% plant-based menu and we’re committed to encouraging more people to experience our plant-based options for themselves to help make a sustainable difference for our planet,” said Wagamama CEO Thomas Heier. “Which is why we’re focusing on offering dishes that are so delicious, they might even tempt the most uncompromising meat-eater to eat more plants, even if it’s just about making ...

KFC restaurants across the US will begin offering Beyond Meat fried chicken from January 10. The news comes on the heels of the announcement yesterday that KFC’s vegan chicken burger is to become a permanent menu item in the UK. KFC first tested the Beyond Meat fried chicken in Atlanta in 2019, where it sold out almost immediately. Since then, the plant-based chicken has been trialled in several areas, but this is the first time it has been sold nationwide — though initially, it will only be available for a limited time. Beyond Meat stock rose by over 7% following the announcement of the launch. This is a welcome development for the company, whose shares have lost half their value over the past year. Plant-based but not yet vegan However, some vegetarians and vegans will be disappointed to hear that KFC’s new plant-based chicken is cooked in the same equipment as conventional chicken, while none of the three choices of accompanying dipping sauce are suitable for vegans. Burger King and McDonald’s New Zealand have also previously angered consumers by cooking their plant-based burgers on the same grills as meat. While it may seem strange that these chains are alienating plant based consumers, it is important to remember that the target audience is the flexitarian, and it is imperative to put such products into the mainstream so that meat-eaters have access to them, and so that minds can be changed and transitions made. Ethan Brown, CEO of Beyond Meat, insists that ...

Burger King launches vegan nuggets, becoming the first fast-food chain in the UK to do so. Like most fast-food chains, Burger King made its name selling animal products — mainly beef. Two years ago, the company’s entry into the plant-based market got off to a rocky start when it chose to cook the Rebel Whopper on the same grill as meat, making the burger unsuitable for vegans. But things are changing. Last year, Burger King’s UK CEO made the surprising announcement that the menu would be 50% meatless by 2030, with some meat items dropped and new plant-based options added. The pledge was made as part of the chain’s aim to slash its carbon emissions by 41%. The following month, Burger King UK introduced the Vegan Royale, a chicken-style burger cooked on a separate grill from meat. Now, the new nuggets are even certified by the Vegan Society. Now, the company has launched vegan nuggets, confirming it is serious about increasing its plant-based offerings. The new nuggets, developed by The Vegetarian Butcher, are made from soy protein and served with a sweet chilli dip. They are available in boxes of six, nine, or 20. In the US, Burger King has been offering a similar option since October, when it launched Impossible Foods’ nuggets in several cities and states. “Adapting to customer preferences is a key focus at Burger King —- we are committed to helping our guests make good decisions about what they eat and drink and providing them with ...

Handy Seafood, a 125-year-old seafood processor, is releasing the company’s first vegan entree.   The Plant-Based Crabless Cake is made from a proprietary blend of pea and wheat protein, and intended to recreate the texture of traditional crab cakes. Featuring a Maryland-style flavor combined with sweet peppers and onions, Handy states the entree-sized Crabless Cakes are made from responsibly sourced vegan ingredients and contain 10 grams of protein per serving.  Based in Crisfield, Maryland, Handy Seafood specializes in crab cakes and crab meat appetizers. According to a press release, the company’s entry into plant-based products was inspired by the rise of flexitarian consumers, who now make up 42% of the market. To make plant-based eating more accessible, Handy states the new Crabless Cakes will be sold at an affordable price point across grocery retailers and foodservice distributors in the US.  Stunning statistics Handy Seafood now joins Good Catch, Hungry Planet, The Plant Based Seafood Co, Jinka and several other brands in offering a realistic alternative to popular crab cakes. Consumers’ appetites for alt-seafood products are indeed enormous – a 2021 survey by the sustainability platform abillion found 78% of respondents would try animal-free seafood based on descriptions of taste alone. While alternatives to tuna and crab are becoming more common, they represent a tiny portion of the 200-300 seafood species consumed globally, leaving large-scale room for innovation. Regional markets in Spain, Singapore and the UK showed the strongest growth in alternative seafood products.  The launch of plant-based options from industry veterans like ...

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#govegan–VEGANZONE, an indispensable “super app” for those who adopt a vegan – vegetarian lifestyle, completed the Beta Process and started its launch in 196 Countries to grow the Vegan Community. Launched in the World to connect nearly 100 million vegans around the world, VEGANZONE is a super-app platform where plant-based users can enjoy sharing common values, discover nearby restaurants, products, events, news, recipes and people! Vegan & Cruelty-Free Product Scanner, Vegan Calculator, Nutritions, Nearby Restaurants, Recipes, Vegan News are among its most liked features. No Vegan in the world will feel alone anymore! “Veganzone is here to make sure everyone who is interested in a plant-based lifestyle feels at home, can ask questions, can learn easily and share their experience because we want Veganism to be accessible for everyone,” said Veganzone’s Founder & Entrepreneur Murat Aksu. “The app is promoted to vegetarians, too, because so many of them are considering going all-out cruelty-free and turning vegan, and that’s why the numbers of vegans across the world is showing a meteoric rise. Veganzone is available free of charge on Google Play Store and App Store. Come and join us!” he added. #3 Best Product of the Month within 2.880 products on Producthunt.com Veganzone was named the best product of the day, the best product of the week and the third best product of the month, respectively, out of 2,880 products on Producthunt.com in March. Veganzone was founded in New York in March 2021, by Selin Tuyen, Murat Aksu, and ...

Oumph! is back for 2022 with another bold campaign called Adopt a Carnivore, challenging plant-based consumers to adopt a carnivore for Veganuary. “The idea behind Adopt a Carnivore is that it’s more likely that people take on a challenge like Veganuary if they do it in collaboration with a friend”, says Henrik Åkerman, Global Brand Lead at Oumph! and Head of Marketing at LIVEKINDLY Collective Nordics. Åkerman explains, “We would like to invite everyone who’s curious to try a plant-based diet to do so with enthusiasm and encouragement, rather than making demands of them or by pointing guilty fingers. We all know of that one curious colleague that stares into your lunchbox, that sister who’s curious but too lazy to try, or that grandma who wonders what this new plant-based food is all about. Why not adopt them. Or get adopted yourself.” Toni Vernelli, International Head of Communications at Veganuary, comments: “We are excited that Oumph! is part of a growing movement, as supporters of the Veganuary 2022 campaign, to inspire people to move to a plant-based diet as a way of protecting the environment, preventing animal suffering and improving the health of millions of people.” The Adopt a Carnivore campaign follows the huge success of Oumph!’s most recent Halloween Human Meat Plant-Based Burger Campaign, which was praised by marketing publication AdWeek as one of the top 5 plant-based campaigns of 2021. Adopt a Carnivore features a range of advertising campaigns, as well as social media and high-profile celebrity collaborations, and will be ...

Ice cream chain Cold Stone Creamery announced the company’s Silk-crafted vegan ice cream is now available across the USA. The Silk Chocolate Almondmilk Frozen Dessert is Cold Stone’s first plant-based ice cream option and will feature in the Don’t Cry Over Spilled Silk Creation, made with Silk Chocolate Almondmilk Dessert, Banana, Peanut Butter and Roasted Almonds. Known for its signature “Creations” – where customers choose a combination of ice cream and mixed-in toppings – Cold Stone’s dairy-free menu was previously limited to a range of sorbet flavors.  The collaboration with Silk, which is owned by Danone North America, will allow customers who choose dairy-free ice cream to take part in the full Cold Stone experience by adding in treats like apple pie, fruit, nuts, Oreos, pretzels and rainbow sprinkles.   “Cold Stone is delighted to share our very first plant-based flavor,” said Sara Schmillen, vice president of marketing for Kahala Brands, the parent company of Cold Stone Creamery. “We pride ourselves on our high flavor standards. It was important for us to innovate with an equally high quality and well-respected brand like Danone and their Silk Almondmilk product. As a result our new Silk Chocolate Almondmilk Frozen Dessert delivers on a true ice cream experience – but not made with any dairy product. Plant-based has never tasted so good. We know our guests will agree!”  More ice cream shops move towards plant-based Cold Stone Creamery is the latest major ice cream chain to incorporate dairy-free selections. In 2019, Baskin-Robbins, which owns ...

AMSilk GmbH, the biotech-based vegan silk material innovator, has announced a new partnership with German car giant Mercedes-Benz. The collaboration will see the development of novel, sustainable car door pulls, as part of the car manufacturer’s latest technology program. “Amid a fresh wave of ambitious climate pledges, we are proud to be playing a leading role in providing solutions for a zero-waste future” Called the VISION EQXX, the new concept car features organic and sustainable interior materials throughout, including the new door pulls made from AMSilk’s Biosteel fiber. The high-strength, certified-vegan, silk-like fabric is made using AMSilk’s proprietary biotechnology, with the company claiming to be the world’s first industrial supplier of vegan silk biopolymers which are 100% biodegradable, renewable, and zero waste.  The all-electric VISION EQXX will be the most efficient electric vehicle Mercedes-Benz has ever built, with Munich-based AMSilk showcasing its high-performance biopolymers in the vehicle. AMSilk Biosteel fibers are built for textiles and industrial applications and the company has announced further collaborations and partnerships with world-leading brands like Adidas and Airbus. Vegan Biotech in Cars Although the use of this biotech-based and certified-vegan silk fabric marks a first in the automotive sector, many manufacturers are seeking natural replacements to animal- or petroleum-based materials. Mexican firm Desserto, creator of sustainable vegan cactus leather, recently made its debut in the automotive industry with a BMW partnership, while Volvo recently announced plans to phase out leather and only use renewable resources.  “We are extremely proud to partner with Mercedes-Benz on the ...