Nestlé has announced that its new plant-based version of KitKat will launch in the United Kingdom, Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania from mid-June.
KitKat V will be available through the KitKat Chocolatory and select retailers.
Nestlé added that it would also launch the product in Australia and Brazil shortly.
Chocolate experts developed KitKat V at Nestlé's confectionery research and development centre in York, UK – the original home of KitKat.
The company has described the product as a 'no-compromise vegan version of KitKat'.
'Vegan-Friendly KitKat'
Louise Barrett, head of the Nestlé Confectionery Product Technology Centre in York, said, "Our challenge when we set out to create a vegan-friendly KitKat was to recreate this iconic product using plant-based alternatives.
"To achieve this, we worked very hard to get the right balance between the milk alternative and the cocoa. The result is a vegan chocolate that we're very proud of, and I hope all KitKat fans will love it as much as we do."
KitKat V has acquired vegan certification and is made from 100% sustainable cocoa, sourced through the Nestlé Cocoa Plan in conjunction with the Rainforest Alliance.
The milk has been replaced with a rice-based alternative, which gives the product its texture and flavour.
Alexander von Maillot, head of confectionery at Nestlé, added, "KitKat continues to surprise people with new flavours and ingredients. One of the most common requests we see on social media is for a vegan KitKat, so we're delighted to be able to make that wish come true. This is for everyone who wants a little more plant-based in their life when they treat themselves."
More Plant-Based Options
Nestlé is adding more plant-based options across its food and beverage portfolio, following an increased interest in vegan food across different categories.
The company has already launched plant-based alternatives to dairy made from rice, oat, soy, coconut, pea and almonds.
These include non-dairy ice cream, coffee creamers, rice- and oat-based drinks, pea-based beverages, plant-based cappuccinos and lattes, a vegan condensed milk alternative, as well as a range of non-dairy cheese to complement plant-based burgers.
Recently, Nestlé's said it would update the health credentials of its range, following the admission that a sizeable number of its products do not meet 'a recognised definition of health'.
