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Nestle is getting deeper into the plant-based business as it is releasing new food items that will substitute eggs and shrimp. This new menu will be expanding the company’s entrance into the vegan market that has been growing really fast.
According to Reuters, the egg alternative from Nestle is going to be sold in the market under the Garden Gourmet vEGGie brand in Europe. This can be cooked in any way, including scrambled, and can be used in baking cookies and cakes. For its nutritional value, it boasts of omega-3 fatty acids and protein from soy.
For the plant-based shrimp, Nestle named this product “Vrimp,” and this is the next seafood alternative after launching tuna last year. The company’s new vegan products were said to have successfully duplicated the taste and nutrition content of their original counterpart.
“We want to be as close as possible to the animal-based version because then it’s much easier for people to switch to these types of products,” Nestle’s chief technology officer, Stefan Palzer, said in an interview. He added that they were able to produce new items in less than a year using the company’s expertise in plant science and managed to make every product taste like the real ones.
At any rate, the Vevey, Switzerland, headquartered food and drink company said that its plant-based product line had been fast gaining popularity. In fact, it is now seeing a double-digit sales growth for its vegan burgers and sausages.
Nestle’s chief executive officer, Mark Schneider, revealed that last year, they only made 200 million Swiss francs or around $216 million for the sale of the plant-based items. He stressed that this is just a fraction of the total sales now that has already reached 84 billion francs.
“We’re the first ones to say that we did not invent the plant-based hamburger, we also didn’t invent the plant-based chicken,” the CEO said with regards to what Nestle has achieved in the vegan market so far. “But I’m also obviously proud to say ours right now will beat everyone around the world when it comes to taste, mouth appeal, and especially nutrition.”
The Financial Times reported that aside from the other rivals such as Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat, Nestle will also have to compete with Unilever now as it is also currently building its plant-based product portfolio. Meanwhile, Nestle’s plant-based eggs and shrimp will initially be released in the European markets.
