Vegan KitKat to launch in UK
The product will be certified vegan and features smooth chocolate blended with plant-based ingredients and a crisp wafer base. The exact timing of the launch has not yet been disclosed. The announcement follows intense speculation in consumer titles aimed at vegans about an imminent launch of the vegan variant. This announcement follows Nestlé's disclosure last month that it was shifting all its Smarties products globally to recycled paper packaging.
The product was developed by chocolatiers and food scientists in Nestlé’s research and development centre in York.
“Taste was a priority when developing the plant-based chocolate for our new vegan KitKat," said Louise Barrett, head of the Nestlé Confectionery Product Technology Centre in York. "We used our expertise in ingredients, together with a test and learn approach, to create a delicious vegan choice for KitKat fans.”
Vegan Fruit Pastilles
Alex Gonnella, marketing director for Nestlé Confectionery said: “We have seen an incredible response to our vegan friendly Fruit Pastilles since their launch last year, so we know how much people want to enjoy alternative versions of their favourite treats.
“The most common request we see on social media is for a vegan KitKat, so we’re delighted to be able to make that wish come true.”
Aside from plant-based food, Nestlé has also launched dairy-free coffee mixes and last year introduced Carnation Vegan condensed milk.
100% sustainable cocoa
Like the rest of the KitKat range, KitKat V is made from 100% sustainable cocoa, sourced through the Nestlé Cocoa Plan in conjunction with the Rainforest Alliance.
In the meantime, fans not following a plant-based diet can enjoy the new dark and white chocolate KitKat Zebra, which is available now.
The number of vegans in Great Britain quadrupled between 2014 and 2019. In 2019 there were 600,000 vegans, compared with 150,000 in 2014. That's according to Ipsos Mori surveys commissioned by The Vegan Society in 2016 and 2019 and The Food & You surveys organised by the Food Standards Agency and the National Centre for Social Science Research.
