This Week in Vegan News: Vegan Surf and Turf Is Here, Free Ben & Jerry’s, and More

From vegnews.com

It’s been a busy week in the world of vegan food news—from new cheesy crackers to Oatly’s expansion, here’s what you need to know

It's been a busy few weeks. A clip began circulating of Timothée Chalamet making those divisive comments about opera and ballet, and the headlines and think pieces are still pouring in.

Hollywood has been preparing for the Oscars, while we’ve been busy indulging in new vegan launches from Expo West. Speaking of which, you can read about some of the most exciting launches from the event below (and don’t worry—there’s more to come), as well as updates on how to get free ice cream, a new vegan scramble at Whole Foods, and more.

Oshi and Offbeast have teamed up to create a vegan surf and turf pack. | VegNews

Oshi launches vegan surf and turf

We’ve seen vegan surf and turf recipes before, but an actual pre-made version you can buy in stores? That’s a first. Oshi announced the exciting new product at Expo West. Its new Surf & Turf pairs the brand’s plant-based salmon fillets with a plant-based filet mignon from vegan steak brand Offbeast. The protein-packed offering—each pack contains nearly 50 grams—will be available on store shelves soon. And that’s not all: Oshi is also launching new White Fish Fillets.

Here’s when you can get a free Ben & Jerry’s cone

                                                                                                               Ben & Jerry's

Is there anything better than free ice cream? That was rhetorical, but we’ll answer it anyway: no, there isn’t. On April 14, Ben & Jerry’s is celebrating its annual Free Cone Day in many of its scoop shops around the world. There’s no catch—you just head to one of its shops, wait in line, and choose your favourite flavour, for free. Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shops offer several dairy-free options made with oat milk, including key lime pie, chocolate chip cookie dough, and mochaccino chip.

Crafty Counter’s newest vegan egg product makes breakfast easier than ever. | Crafty Counter

WunderEggs Protein Scramble arrives at Whole Foods

If you’re a loyal Whole Foods customer, you’ve probably seen Crafty Counter’s WunderEggs on the shelves before. The brand’s pioneering vegan eggs have been available at the chain for around three years. But now, Crafty Counter is launching a brand-new product for customers to enjoy: Protein Scramble. Served hot, the new offering features vegan chorizo made from upcycled mushroom stems and scrambled WunderEggs.

“We built our name on cold, ready-to-eat egg alternatives that stopped people in their tracks,” said founder and CEO Hema Reddy. “Now we’re bringing that same obsession with clean protein into hot breakfast. The Protein Scramble is just the beginning.” 

Morningstar Farms’ new vegan chicken pairs the plant-based protein with a savoury garlic sauce. | Morningstar Farms

Morningstar Farms launches vegan chicken breast with garlic herb sauce

Morningstar Farms is known for its wide range of innovative plant-based products. The brand offers everything from vegan corn dogs to spicy breakfast patties to Korean BBQ riblets. Recently, it expanded the line-up with an exciting new product: Vegan Chik’n Breast With Garlic Herb Sauce. According to the brand, the new vegan chicken pieces—packed with 22 grams of protein per serving—are “tender and juicy” and very easy to prepare. All you need to do is heat and serve.

Back to Nature adds two new flavours to its Cheezy Cracker line-up

Back to Nature, which recently underwent a major rebrand, is upping its cracker game. While the company has long offered a range of plant-based crackers, including its popular Cheezy Crackers, it has now expanded the line-up with two new flavours. Keep an eye out for White Chedda Cheezy Crackers and Hot & Spicy Cheezy Crackers, coming soon.

Prime Roots expands to Canada

Canadians will soon be able to get their hands on Prime Roots’ mycelium-based deli meats. While the brand was founded in Canada, this marks the first time its allergen-free plant-based meats—like Classic Smoked Roast, Pizzeria Spiced Slices, and Applewood Smoked Slab—will be available in the country. To make the expansion possible, Prime Roots partnered with Dot Foods, North America’s largest food industry redistributor.

“As a Canadian-founded company, I’m excited to bring Prime Roots home to tens of thousands of operators and consumers in Canada who have been demanding it, and we’re excited to finally be here,” said Kimberlie Le, co-founder of Prime Roots.

Oatly eyes a multi-million dollar expansion. | VegNews

Oatly invests $16 million to expand capacity

Dairy-free demand is rising in Europe, and Oatly is preparing to serve more customers than ever. The brand recently announced it will invest $16 million to expand production at its factory in Sweden from 150 million litres to 200 million litres. Oatly hopes the move will also help reduce its carbon footprint, for example, by improving energy efficiency.

“We’re seeing growing demand for our products, so the time is right to upgrade our Landskrona site, which has performed fantastically well in recent years, both in stability of output and outstanding cost management,” said Simon Broadbent, SVP of sustainable operations at Oatly. 

https://vegnews.com/vegan-news-surf-and-turf-ben-and-jerrys 

The Tastiest Vegan Bacon Is Made With This Unassuming Veggie

From thetakeout.com

Vegan bacon will never be able to fully replicate its pork-based counterpart — it's just not possible. Instead, whether you eat meat or not, think of vegan bacon as being its own smoky, savoury, crispy dish; not the lesser version of something else. Here's how David Lee, co-founder and executive chef of PLANTA, put it: "Good plant-based cooking is not about pretending something is meat. It is about technique, balance, and making vegetables taste incredible."

It comes as no surprise, then, that Lee's ingredient of choice for vegan bacon is the humble carrot. "The key to good carrot bacon is treating it like an actual ingredient, not a gimmick," he explained. "A lot of plant-based bacon alternatives rely on heavy processing to create texture. Carrots naturally caramelize because of their sugar content, which gives you depth of flavour without needing additives."

                                                                                                                    dishingpc/Instagram

Making tasty carrot bacon does require some technique, though, and it starts with slicing the carrots evenly and thinly. A vegetable peeler or mandoline is essential here. "I shave the carrots lengthwise into thin ribbons so they have enough surface area to absorb flavour and crisp properly. Thickness really matters. Too thick and they steam. Too thin and they burn," Lee said. After that, he salts the carrots and lets them sit for about 15 minutes to draw out some of the moisture. This step helps them achieve a better texture once cooked.

How to season carrot bacon

Once you do the prep work, it's time to build up the flavour of the carrots. "After patting them dry, I marinate them in a mix of tamari, maple syrup, smoked paprika, black pepper, a touch of liquid smoke, and a little neutral oil," Lee shared. The paprika and black pepper bring a touch of spice, the tamari adds salt and depth, and the maple syrup lends sweetness. "The oil is important because fat carries flavour and helps with caramelization," he explained. As for the liquid smoke, it's essential in this vegan meat alternative, but you only need a little bit. "Liquid smoke is powerful, so it has to be used carefully," Lee cautioned. "Just a small amount gives you that familiar aroma people associate with bacon. It adds depth and nostalgia."

                                                                                                    rawberryjuice/Instagram

Lee recommended roasting the marinated carrot strips in a 400 degree Fahrenheit oven on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Make sure the pieces aren't touching so they brown well instead of steaming. Also, check on them toward the end of the cooking time since the sugars in both the carrots and marinade can burn.

According to Lee, "You want them caramelized and slightly crisp at the edges but still pliable. They will continue to firm up a bit as they cool." All that's left to do is eat your vegan carrot bacon! Snack on a couple of strips as they are, use them to bring a smoky sweet touch to balance bitter greens in a salad, pair them with a tofu scramble, or layer them into an upgraded tomato sandwich.

https://www.thetakeout.com/2118952/vegan-carrot-bacon-swap/

Healthier Comforts launches animal-free egg white powder

From theplantbasemag.com

Every has entered the consumer market for the first time through a partnership with direct-to-consumer pantry brand Healthier Comforts, which has launched a retail-ready Animal-Free Egg White Protein Powder made with Every’s flagship ingredient, OvoPro.

The product marks the first time Every’s egg white protein, previously supplied only in bulk to food and beverage manufacturers, has been packaged for direct consumer use.

The powder is available in an 8-oz resealable bag via the Healthier Comforts website and on Amazon and is designed for at-home cooking and baking.

The partnership originated at the IFT First in Chicago, where Healthier Comforts founder Aaron Vander Heyden identified an opportunity to address a longstanding gap in the vegan baking market.

Vegan consumers have traditionally lacked a fully functional egg white replacement capable of performing in demanding culinary applications such as meringues, macarons and angel food cake.

Vander Heyden said: “When we came across Every and their ingredients at IFT First in Chicago, we immediately realised that there was a huge opportunity to meet an unmet need for vegan consumers. The introduction of this product has even exceeded our expectations.”

“We are thrilled to partner with Healthier Comforts as the first-to-market with animal-free egg white protein in a pantry-friendly format,” said Corinn Williams. “Healthier Comforts had the vision to make OvoPro accessible to home cooks, and the consumer response reflects just how significant this gap has been for the vegan community.”

While the new retail powder targets home bakers, Every continues to focus primarily on supplying ingredients to food and beverage manufacturers.

The company’s precision-fermented proteins are already used across a range of commercial applications, including baked goods, beverages and other functional formulations. Products containing Every ingredients are currently sold through major retailers such as Walmart, Target and Amazon, as well as in regional bakery products.

In 2026, the company says its focus will be on increasing production capacity and helping manufacturers address supply chain pressures, meet cage-free commitments and stabilise ingredient costs.

Every, headquartered in San Francisco, develops egg proteins using precision fermentation rather than animal agriculture. Its ingredient portfolio includes OvoPro, a functional ovalbumin designed to replicate egg white performance, and OvoBoost, a highly soluble neutral-flavour protein designed for beverages and fortified foods.

The collaboration with Healthier Comforts signals growing interest in bringing precision-fermented ingredients directly into consumer-facing formats as the alternative protein sector continues to evolve.

https://www.theplantbasemag.com/news/healthier-comforts-launches-animal-free-egg-white-powder 

Is vegan protein really as effective? We asked an expert

From mensfitness.co.uk

Want to eat less animal products but don’t know if you can get enough protein? We asked an expert how effective vegan protein options really are

Nowadays there are so many different protein options available, it can be difficult to know which to choose. On the up side, the various alternatives mean it’s becoming increasingly easy to ensure you’re getting enough protein, all the while avoiding animal products. But there is still a debate on whether you can achieve the same results on vegan supplements and food alternatives.

According to expert nutritionist, personal trainer and Men’s Health business owner, Joshua Clamp, you can get equivalent gains on a vegan diet, but you need to put a little more effort into making sure you’re having what you need.

“When it comes to the actual protein of food, vegan foods or plant foods – it’s the whole diet context that matters,” says Josh. “An individual food may have less protein or may be less bioavailable, so you need to be more careful that you’re matching your protein sources and getting enough of all your essential amino acids.”

“You can do it – it’s manageable, and it produces the same results if you do it effectively. You just need to put more care into it.” But what about when it comes to protein supplements on a vegan diet? Are they as effective? We found out.

Are vegan protein supplements as effective as animal proteins?

“They’re both very effective,” says Josh. “Whey is marginally more effective at increasing muscle protein synthesis than soy, due to its amino acid profile. However, increases in lean mass can be seen with both soy and whey, particularly in the short term – and when overall protein intake is adequate (when combined with resistance training); this means it’s still a good option for vegans.”

“I think whey as a gold standard is a good quality protein,” he says. “Obviously you can get different kinds of whey – you can get whey concentrate, whey isolate, (which is basically more refined versions of the same protein, meaning it has a bigger impact) – and you have the same thing with soy.”

“People can argue about the specific amino acid profile or bioavailability, but when you look at the actual protein matched randomized control trials, the results are the same as long as you’re matching the total protein that you are taking,” says Josh. “Maybe it needs a slightly higher portion of the soy protein, but we’re talking grams! It has the same effect in terms of the outcome.”

But what about results within vegan protein? “Within that there’s a spectrum,” says Josh. “If you are breaking it down in terms of other plant proteins, the quality of that protein reduces slightly. You may find pea protein or hemp protein separately, but if you have them together they complement each other in terms of their amino acid profiles,” he explains.

“That’s often why in history you see some kind of pulse or bean with rice or a grain across many cultures and cuisines – you have a grain protein which lacks some amino acids, and a bean protein which lacks different amino acids – but together they make a complete protein,” he explains.

And what about soy – is it healthy?

There have been some murmurs that you should be careful how much soy you have, and that it can contain lots of hormones. But is there any truth to this? “Too much of anything can be a bad thing,” says Josh. “[You can have] too much water!”

“In terms of the amount that people eat generally, whether it’s soy protein, tofu, seitan, or soybeans, the amounts of phytoestrogens that you’re taking in are negligible – so small that they’re not gonna have a real physiological impact,” reassures Josh.

“Yes, they are present, and yes, if in particular circumstances where someone is consuming a lot and they have a particularly high sensitivity, or there’s other factors at play, then it might be worthwhile not having loads – but that’s not to say that it’s bad because soy contains phytoestrogens,” he says.

“The whole narrative of which I’ve heard so many times that soy gives you man boobs is a load of rubbish!”

https://mensfitness.co.uk/features/vegan-protein/ 

How veganism affects friendship – study

From life.liga.net

Researchers have identified three main types of conflicts that people encounter when choosing a vegan diet 

Choosing a vegan lifestyle can affect not only nutrition but also social relationships. A study by Concordia University showed that eating habits sometimes become a source of tension in communication and relationships. This was reported by writes Earth.com.

Researchers analysed how choosing veganism affects social relationships. The study examined the experiences of vegans in their relationships with family, friends, and even members of their own community.

The study, led by Aie Aboelien, a former Concordia University graduate student, analysed the experiences of vegans in various social contexts. It used interviews, observations at festivals and events, and materials from blogs, media, and social networks.

The results showed that eating habits are often a source of conflict: even ordinary topics, such as family meals or choosing a restaurant, can turn into difficult conversations and cause stress.

Researchers have identified The three main types of conflicts that vegans face:

                                                                                                  Illustrative photo: Freepik

• First It's related to shared activities – family dinners or social gatherings. When one person changes their diet, others have to adjust their culinary habits. This sometimes creates tension or leads to vegans being considered "difficult."

• Second This arises within the vegan community itself. Newcomers often turn to experienced vegans for advice. However, disputes sometimes arise about what food is truly vegan or how vegans should interact with people who do not adhere to this lifestyle. This can be confusing for newcomers. Strict rules can also deter those who are just starting to become interested in veganism.

• Third Regarding the market: most supermarkets and restaurants are geared towards animal products, so finding vegan alternatives can be challenging and frustrating.

How Vegans Cope With Social Pressure

In addition, researchers have found that vegans use different approaches to overcome difficulties in social situations. Some explain their decisions to their loved ones so that they better understand their motives. Others adapt discreetly – for example, by bringing their own food to gatherings or preparing it in advance to be able to participate in joint events.

Some vegans also avoid situations where animal products are present. This helps to reduce conflict, but at the same time limits shared experiences. Another strategy is compromise: some individuals who identify as vegan will occasionally consume non-vegan foods in social circumstances to avoid arguments.

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT

• Veganism is becoming an increasingly popular lifestyle worldwide. People are giving up animal products for ethical, environmental, or health reasons. According to international studies, the proportion of people who follow a plant-based diet or try to reduce their meat consumption is growing every year, especially among young people.

https://life.liga.net/en/istoriyi/news/how-choosing-veganism-affects-friendships-and-shared-events

Vegan Beauty Used to Be Cool. Now, It’s Struggling to Survive

From allure.com

By Elizabeth Gulino

Until somewhat recently, it was considered cool to curb your consumption of animals. What happened? 

It seems like nobody wants to be vegan anymore. In 2024, Americans ate 7 percent more meat than they did before 2020; sales of vegan meat substitutes are declining; vegan restaurants in New York City, once a kale-based mecca, are closing left and right; celebrities like Miley Cyrus, Anne Hathaway, and Lizzo have vocally abandoned their veganism within the past five years. Slowly but surely, the once popular plant-based lifestyle is in flux—and that includes beauty products.

Until somewhat recently, it was considered cool to curb your consumption of animals, whether you were eating them or putting them on your face. It showed how healthy and eco-conscious you were (generally speaking, animal byproducts contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions). In the 2010s, vegan cuisine became a hit, and plant-based beauty boomed alongside it; between 2013 and 2018, vegan cosmetic launches increased 175 percent globally. The Economist went so far as to dub 2019 “the year of the vegan.”

While some research suggests that the vegan beauty market is still growing, it doesn’t exactly feel that way right now. Avoiding animal-derived ingredients, should you want to, has always taken a little bit of work, but it became much easier during veganism’s peak in the 2010s. These days, you’ll need to roll up your sleeves again. In the 2026 aisles of beauty retailers, products with animal-derived ingredients are everywhere: Many lip balms and hand creams contain lanolin, an emollient derived from sheep’s wool. Beeswax is commonly used in lip products and mascara, which also typically contains fish-scale-based guanine. Gelatine, keratin, and carmine (a dye made from crushed-up bugs that gives many red eye shadows their vibrancy) are all likely to appear on a given hair, skin, or makeup product’s ingredient label.

Sure, there are plenty of fully vegan brands out there—Hourglass, Haus Labs, Byoma, and E.L.F., to name a few—but some of them have been struggling lately. Bite Beauty shuttered in 2022, just one year after removing all animal-derived ingredients from its products. Milk Makeup, which has been 100 percent vegan since 2018, is currently experiencing “tanking” sales, according to a recent Puck report. (Allure reached out to Milk for comment and did not hear back.) We can’t say that either of these cases is specifically caused by consumer disinterest in all-vegan formulas, but the correlation is there.

“I just don't know if vegan is a top priority anymore for consumers."

So what changed? Why don’t people seem to care anymore if there are bugs in their eye shadow or crushed cow hooves in their shampoo?

For one, beauty buyers these days seem to care less about environmental impact and more about product performance. Take Glossier: In early 2023, the brand reformulated its cult-favourite salve, Balm Dotcom, to be vegan by replacing beeswax and lanolin with synthetic ingredients and castor jelly. Within a year, its fans had lodged so many complaints that the brand put the original, non-vegan formula back on the shelves in spring 2024. When we asked Glossier for more information on why it reverted, it declined to comment but pointed to a 2024 promotional video of its employees reading mean comments about the reformulation.

Something similar happened with The Body Shop. In 2021, the company pledged that it would have an entirely vegan product lineup by the end of 2023, something the brand described as a sustainability effort at the time. Although the brand achieved its goal, it has since re-introduced non-vegan products, like the Spa of the World Kukui Body Cream, which contains beeswax. The Body Shop never officially announced its retreat, but it did tell The Vegan Society in August 2025 that it brought back a selection of non-vegan products as a response to consumer complaints: “The feedback included the removal of non-vegan ingredients, such as beeswax and honey, impacted our customers’ enjoyment of some of our products.” Allure reached out to The Body Shop for comment and did not receive a reply.

“There appear to be two main culprits for this: conservatism and the economy.”

Cosmetic chemist Amanda Lam describes this trend as a swing of a pendulum. “I just don't know if vegan is a top priority anymore for consumers,” she tells Allure. And they can tell the difference when their favourite products are reformulated to be vegan because they do, in fact, perform differently. “It's hard to replicate nature, regardless if it's coming from an animal or if it's coming from a plant,” she says. “You may be able to achieve the same texture and appearance of lanolin, for example, but you may not have the same spreadability, you may not have the same melting point.”

On the flip side, animal-derived ingredients have become buzzy in and of themselves; they’re seeing notable year-over-year growth, according to Spate’s 2026 Trend Report. You’ve likely heard celebrities, influencers, editors, and everyday consumers alike touting the magic of PDRN, an ingredient derived from salmon DNA (the “salmon sperm facial,” if you will). Similarly, beef tallow, lobster shell protein, honey, collagen (which usually comes from the bones of pigs, cows, or fish), and colostrum (the milk a cow produces right after giving birth) are all having a moment, despite the fact that some of them have… well, let’s call it questionable efficacy.

There appear to be two main culprits for this: conservatism and the economy. During the pandemic, right-wing political figures, namely Robert F. Kennedy Jr., sowed mass distrust in science, medical institutions, and doctors (many of whom will tell you that plant-based diets are better for your health). And, of course, after Donald Trump started his second term last year, Kennedy became our Department of Health and Human Services secretary and has since re-imagined the government-issued food pyramid to prioritize meat-eating (he abides by a “carnivore diet” himself). All the while, Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” campaign has trickled down to everyday Americans alongside the content of mommy bloggers and influencers who now rave about things like the (unproven) powers of raw milk and the “dangers” of the chemicals in sunscreen.

"Virtue is a tricky thing to commodify."

By Kennedy’s increasingly popular mindset, abiding by a plant-based lifestyle became “woke.” Other “woke” things, according to Kennedy (who is not and has never been a doctor), include preventative health measures like cancer screenings. This has all helped pave the way for a renewed obsession with animal products in general, like whey protein (you guessed it: not vegan), which food companies have recently worked into every product imaginable, including but not limited to ice cream, waffles, mac n’ cheese, and even seltzer.

Besides an apparent rise in “anti-wokeness,” we can’t forget about the ever-rising cost of living. The prices of groceries and utilities have all steadily grown in the past four years, but wages have not kept pace. And while veganism isn’t inherently more expensive than other lifestyles, it can cost you more time and effort depending on where you live and what access you have to plant-based products and establishments. It makes sense that people would choose the path of least resistance when their resources are that much more precious.

While it seems like consumers are turning away from vegan products, they apparently still want to spend their money on brands that mirror their morals. Of 15,000 people surveyed globally by Edelman, eighty-four percent of people said they need to share values with a brand to use it. Those same consumers tend to look for brands that are cruelty-free (meaning they don’t test on animals), socially involved, and culturally relevant. Veganism seems to be losing its capital as a value for many Americans.

Someday, the pendulum Lam described could swing back, and vegan beauty will boom again. But virtue is a tricky thing to commodify. And some might very reasonably prefer natural products like crushed up bugs, wool oils, and beeswax to their synthetic chemical or petroleum-based vegan alternatives. Maybe it all comes down to animal instinct.

https://www.allure.com/story/what-happened-to-vegan-beauty-brands?utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=syndication&mbid=synd_yahoo_rss