Vegan fish sauces launched
London-based start-up Sozyë has launched a range of allergen-free, soya-free, and plant-based alternatives to fish sauces, soy sauces, and oyster sauces.
Made from seaweed sourced off the Scottish coast, Nish, Noya and Noyster (plant-based fish sauce, soya sauce and oyster sauce respectively) are made with sustainability in mind.
Only the tops of the leaves from organic seaweed are collected to enable it regrow within a few weeks. This method ensures that the environment is preserved while the world's cravings for soya sauces are met, according to founder Jacob Thundil.
The vegan fish sauce brand has secured listings at retailer Planet Organic both in store and online during January.
Ginsters expands vegan range
Savoury bakes and slices manufacturer Ginsters has expanded its vegan offering with the launch of its new Vegan Creamy Garlic Mushroom Slice.
Available nationwide, the limited edition slice is aimed at flexitarians who are interested in trying a vegan diet during Veganuary.
The new slice joined the manufacturer’s meat-free range and followed the success of its trio of Plant-Based Pasties, the company said.
Commenting on the launch, Sam Mitchell, Ginsters’ managing director, said: “As consumers look to a healthier start to the year, and interest in reducing meat heightens, we want to ensure we’re offering something that meets every meal occasion.
“Our latest vegan launch responds to the demand for more choice, while reinforcing to shoppers that Ginsters is the category leader, harnessing trends and bringing new flavours and formats to the category.
Plant-based chocolate to meet surging demand
Plant-based chocolate brand LoveRaw is launching three new products into its M:lk Choc Bar range to help meet demand during Veganuary 2022.
Smooth Choc, Caramel and Orange bars will initially launch through the brand’s ecommerce platform, before a wider retailer rollout this month.
According to the manufacturer, the bars use a new vegan recipe formulation to give an even smoother texture. They are also gluten-free and free-from palm oil and artificial ingredients.
LoveRaw co-founder Manav Thapar said: “By making these gluten-free as well as plant-based we’ve opened up the brand to a whole new audience, which allows us to continue our mission to make great tasting chocolate available to all.
“We are confident that the new bars will be a big hit with consumers, whether they’re extremely vegan, sometimes vegan, ‘unvegan’ or just vegan curious.”
Candy Kittens goes full vegan
Confectionery brand Candy Kittens has now made its full product range completely vegan, with the reveal of a new formula for its Eton Mess flavoured sweets.
The confections are now free-from beeswax, making then completely vegan like the rest of the products in the range.
In addition to this, Candy Kittens is working to lower their emissions across its business and supply chain, with the production process now entirely carbon neutral and has been positively lowering the brand’s footprint since 2020.
Co-founder and managing director Ed Williams said: “Eton Mess was the final piece in the puzzle, and I'm delighted that we've reached this 100% vegan milestone.
“More than simply removing an ingredient, we've redeveloped the entire process to ensure our Gourmet Sweets give consumers the very best sweet without any compromise on quality - sweets don't need meat.”
‘Next step’ in plant-based milk
Plant milk brand Mighty is set to launch a new range of plant-based milks that aims to close the gap between dairy milk and its non-dairy alternatives.
Dubbed plant milk 3.0, the MLKology range uses fermentation – a first it claimed – to add the 'dairy' factor without the dairy, resulting in a plant-based milk that tastes, looks and feels like dairy milk.
Currently, there are a handful of companies pioneering fermentation in this way: Israel’s Imagindairy and California-based Perfect Day both use precision fermentation.
Yorkshire’s MIGHTY is set to be the first to launch a similar product into UK supermarkets from early 2022 using biomass fermentation technology.
A spokesman for the manufacturer said: “This development is key to a step change in the industry in two ways – the familiarity of the end product, which will see adoption increase as some of the hard to reach dairy stalwarts are tempted to convert and don’t have to explore a new aisle in the supermarket to do so.
“And from a B2B point of view, enabling other food and drink manufacturers and providers (restaurants, coffee shops, etc) to use a mainstream “not milk” option without comprising the taste and appeal of their products.”
Sports nutrition goes plant-based
Sports nutrition brand Juice Plus+ has announced the launch of the latest addition to its plant-based nutrition portfolio, Juice Plus+ Perform.
Suitable for vegans and its gluten and dairy-free, Juice Plus+ Perform contains 25g of soy protein per serving – the only source of vegan protein that gives you the same benefits as animal protein by containing all nine essential amino acids.
Stuart Kronague, chief executive of The Juice Plus+ Company, commented, “We know that protein shakes are a growing trend in the market, and with so many people now opting for plant-based products, there has never been a better time to launch this amazing new product.
“The Juice Plus+ Perform food supplement shake offers a unique mix of plant-based protein, plus vitamins and minerals that support multiple aspects of athletic performance.”
