Following Nestle's announcement today of a new venture with two plant-based ingredients companies, Just- Food editor Dean Best writes:
"Nestle, the world’s largest food maker, continues to beef up its plant-based business – and rivals large and small need to sit up and take notice. The KitKat maker today (24 January) announced it is to work together with two ingredient suppliers in Canada to develop plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy.Through acquisitions and innovation, Nestle has sought to tap into growing consumer demand for plant-based food. CEO Mark Schneider is on the record as saying Nestle has 'the ambition and the perseverance to be a major player in this area'.
"Announcing the new tie-up with Canadian companies Burcon NutraScience and Merit Functional Foods, Nestle signalled how central to its ambitions is to improve the taste of plant-based items, which has improved but can which still put off consumers of meat and dairy products. As well as ambition and perseverance, Nestle has also the resources and its new venture will likely have caught the eye of not just smaller players making inroads in the plant-based market but also the Swiss giant’s peers. The likes of Unilever – the owner of The Vegetarian Butcher brand – and Danone – home to brands like Alpro and Silk – will be watching closely and will need to ensure they aren’t outflanked in perhaps the big boom area of the packaged-food market."
ENDS
Dean is available for further comment as well as interview and data requests.
Dean Best
Managing Editor just-food.com, part of GlobalData
Tel: +44 1527 573 600
