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The Hershey Company has jumped into the plant-based fad and announced the launch of its newest vegan chocolate. The company revealed it created a plant-based version of its popular Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.
Hershey's said that this is made from oats instead of milk, and it will be the company’s first vegan chocolate offering. Fox Business reported that the new plant-based Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are set to be released across the country this month.
It was mentioned that Hershey’s is dropping another plant-based chocolate bar in April as a follow-up to its vegan selections. Customers can look forward to the arrival of Hershey's Plant-Based Extra Creamy with Almonds and Sea Salt chocolate bar next.
The chocolate and candy maker has been experimenting with vegan versions of its well-known chocolate bars. In fact, it already released an oat-based chocolate bar called Oat Made for a test in 2021. In any case, the new vegan chocolate options are set to be sold in the United States first, and Hershey’s may also bring them to other regions later.
It was noted that there is a growing demand for vegan food options as people, especially the younger generations, are choosing healthier and sustainable food alternatives. More and more people are also becoming conscious of their health and the environment. Thus, they are choosing plant-based food.
In fact, according to the Precedence Research market research company, the global vegan food market size was recently estimated to be $26.83 billion in 2021 and predicted to earn about $65.4 billion worldwide by 2030. Moreover, some of Hershey's rivals, such as Cadbury and Nestlé, have also produced vegan chocolate options that are being marketed in the U.S. and Europe already.
"We are excited to introduce these delicious, plant-based options," The Hershey Company’s brand manager of Better For You, Teal Liu, said in a press release. "Our purpose is to create more moments of goodness for consumers. Those moments are now more accessible for chocolate lovers looking for plant-based alternatives."
