Nestlé has announced that it plans to roll out the vegan version of KitKat across Europe, following a successful pilot in the UK and a number of other countries.
KitKat V will be sold in 15 countries across Europe, including Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Austria, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Greece, Portugal, Poland, Hungary, and the Netherlands, the company noted.
KitKat V is a certified vegan product developed by chocolate experts at Nestlé's confectionery research and development centre in York, UK.
The product combines Nestlé's expertise in chocolate innovation and non-dairy alternatives.
Louise Barrett, head of the Nestlé Confectionery Product Technology Centre in York, said, "Last year, we took the decision to produce KitKat V in our R&D production facilities so we could bring the product to the shelves much faster and test with our consumers. The response from consumers was overwhelming, and we are now excited to launch it at a much wider scale."
Sustainably Sourced Cocoa
KitKat V is made with sustainably sourced cocoa through the Nestlé Cocoa Plan and features Rainforest Alliance certification.
Milk in the product has been replaced with a rice-based alternative, which replicates the texture and flavour of the original KitKat, the company added.
KitKat V has an 18% lower carbon footprint compared to the standard milk chocolate KitKat across its full lifecycle, from farm to consumer.
The lower carbon footprint of the product has been certified by the Carbon Trust, Nestlé added.
Nestlé has selected its confectionery site in Hamburg, Germany, to produce the new vegan KitKat.
'One Of The Biggest Launches'
Corinne Gabler, head of confectionery for Europe, said, "We are seeing a strong trend in food with more people looking for plant-based options, including for treats.
"This is one of the biggest launches ever of a vegan alternative of a major confectionery brand and it shows our confidence in this trend. We're delighted to offer KitKat V to all those KitKat fans out there who asked us to make it happen!"
Nestlé's recent innovations in the plant-based category include alternatives to meat and seafood, ready meals and pizzas, dairy alternatives, coffee mixes and creamers, chocolate and malt beverages, ice cream and cheese, among others.
© 2022 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest A-Brands news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
