UK: La Vie launch ‘revolutionary’ new tofu nuggets and teriyaki bites

From veganfoodandliving.com

French brand La Vie is bringing home more than faux bacon as it expands into ‘natural’ tofu products

La Vie is launching a “tofu revolution” across the UK, expanding its range of realistic pork-style alternatives with new, more “natural” proteins.

Known for its bold branding and patented fat technology, the brand is launching two new products which transform tofu into a tasty chicken alternative.

La Vie’s Tofu Pan Fry Teriyaki and crispy Tofu Nuggets are designed to fit seamlessly into everyday meals, from stir-fries and wraps to quick work-from-home lunches. Providing a wholesome protein source and ready to eat in around seven minutes, they aim to maximise convenience for midweek cooking.

Images © La Vie

Where to buy La Vie tofu nuggets

La Vie’s new tofu range is available now through Tesco and Ocado nationwide.

La Vie Tofu Pan Fry Teriyaki (RRP £3.70 for 240 grams) features pre-diced tofu paired with a sweet and salty glaze sachet, designed to make preparing beautifully marinated tofu at home effortless. It packs 17 grams of protein per 100 grams.

For fans of a crunchy treat, La Vie Tofu Nuggets (RRP £3.90 for 180 grams) offer 13 grams of protein per 100 grams and come coated in an extra-crispy cornflake crumb. Air-fried in seven minutes, they provide a planet-friendly alternative to fast-food drive-thru staples.

In typical La Vie fashion, each box includes a collectable cardboard ‘Lil Buddies’ animal toy to assemble at home.

Why La Vie is tackling natural protein swaps

Following a summer of extreme weather, La Vie says that making simple dietary swaps remains one of the most effective ways to lower individual carbon footprints. The brand hopes to encourage millions of easy plant-based swaps with familiar chicken-style products that appeal to vegans, flexitarians, and more.

In a statement sent to Vegan Food & Living, Nicolas Schweitzer, Co-founder of La Vie, explained that the company aims to challenge existing perceptions of tofu: “Rather than asking consumers to completely change the way they eat, we’ve taken familiar chicken occasions and made them easy to recreate with tofu.

“From crispy nuggets to Pan Fry Teriyaki, it’s tofu designed to be delicious and genuinely easy to cook. We’ve spent years making plant-based food more fun, and this launch is about removing the barriers that can make tofu feel like hard work.”

https://www.veganfoodandliving.com/news/la-vie-launch-new-tofu-nuggets-teriyaki-bites-uk/

Not all vegan cheese melts well – why not?

From favorflav.com

By Delilah Warcup-van Eyck

Vegan ‘cheese’ can now be found in a great many shops, and of course the major supermarkets are not being left behind. Albert Heijn and Lidl recently significantly expanded their range of plant-based dairy products, and the popularity of these products is probably partly due to the fact that there is constantly so much innovation and improvement involved. So toastie lovers no longer have to grumble either, because many vegan cheeses now melt perfectly, just like real cheese. But not all of them do – so what’s the deal?

Let’s be honest: the cheese pull, in other words the thick, hot strands of cheese that form when you pull apart a diagonally cut toastie, are a big part of the fun and the experience when it comes to making a really good toastie. With some vegan cheeses, however, that whole melting story unfortunately doesn’t apply, and this is why:

They melt the cheeses

Traditional cheese is, of course, made from milk. Milk contains two important types of protein: whey protein and casein protein. Casein makes cheese melt when heated. But it only naturally occurs in animal milk, so it isn’t found in vegan cheeses.

Plant-based pleasures

With the first generations of vegan cheeses, the emphasis was not yet on melting ability. But now that eating plant-based is something many people want while they also want delicious pizzas, (veggie) burgers and toasties with loads of melted cheese, the market has changed enormously. There’s plenty of choice now!

Market research

But of course, one vegan cheese is not the same as another, which is why we recommend doing some proper research online if you want to make the switch to eating plant-based cheese. Apparently, there are some very good alternatives to ‘real’ melting cheeses such as young cheese and cheddar, but they don’t all melt equally easily. So it’s worth doing a little research, and you’ll soon discover which slices and grated versions work well on your toastie. At least, Violife apparently performs well in melting terms (both the slices and the grated version; the block somewhat less so). But however you approach it from a plant-based perspective, your karma points are definitely in good shape!

https://favorflav.com/en/new/not-all-vegan-cheese-melts-well-why-not/

USA: Foods You Might Not Know Are Vegan

From peta.org 

Grocery stores carry an array of great-tasting “accidentally vegan” food, including some items that you might not know are animal-free. “Accidentally vegan” foods weren’t created for vegans but just happen to be free of cruelly derived ingredients—meaning there’s no meat, eggs, dairy (i.e., the mammary secretions from cows or other animals), honey, or anything else that was stolen from an animal.

VEGAN 101: YOUR EASY INTRODUCTION TO GOING VEGAN

Please note that this list of “accidentally vegan” products isn’t comprehensive—and it only applies to U.S.-based products, as ingredients can vary by region. Companies frequently change their formulations, so be sure to read labels prior to purchasing.

• Bisquick
• Campbell’s Mushroom Gravy
• Cap’n Crunch
• Chex Mix
• Cracker Jack
  
  
  
• Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili Tortilla Chips
• Dum-Dums
• Fritos
• Fruit by the Foot
• Ghirardelli Premium Hot Cocoa
• Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup
• Lay’s Barbecue Flavoured Chips
• Lotus Biscoff Cookies
  
  
  
• Marie Callender’s Pies (Apple Crumb Cobbler, Blueberry, Cherry Crunch, Dutch Apple, Lattice Apple, Lattice Cherry, Lattice Peach, Peach Cobbler, Razzleberry Fruit, and Strawberry Rhubarb Streusel)
• Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
• Smucker’s Uncrustables
• Thomas’ Bagels

How Do I Find ‘Accidentally Vegan’ Foods?

If you think a product might be “accidentally vegan,” just look at the ingredients list. Keep an eye out for meat extracts, eggs, milk, or honey—cows, chickens, bees, and other animals are exploited and killed to produce these ingredients, so you’ll want to steer clear of them. Here’s a brief list of ingredients to flag for easier label scanning.

• Milk, casein, lactose, and whey: A mother cow’s milk is meant for her babies, but the dairy industry steals it to make these items.
• Eggs: Chickens are inquisitive individuals who love to stretch their wings in the sun.
• Honey and beeswax: Bees are smart, social animals who work hard to produce honey and beeswax in order to feed and support their hives.
• Lard: Pigs are playful and friendly, and they don’t want to die so you can eat foods that contain fat from their bodies.
• Gelatine: Gelatine is made from the skin, tendons, bones, and other body parts of cows and pigs, intelligent, emotional beings with unique personalities and a knack for self-care.
• Confectioner’s glaze/shellac: This is taken from the bodies of crushed-up female lac insects, tiny bugs who live in large groups and secrete shellac to protect themselves and their eggs.
• Vitamin D3: Some products may use a vegan version of this vitamin, but many times it’s extracted from sheep’s wool or fish oils. Like sheep, fish are social animals who communicate constantly with other members of their species. Fish talk to each other using sounds that humans can hear only with special instruments.
• Carmine or “natural red 4”: This red food colouring is made by crushing up female cochineal insects, beetles who enjoy hanging out on cacti and just want to live in peace.

If you’re not sure how a certain ingredient is obtained, reach out to the company to confirm.

What About the ‘May Contain’ Warning?

The “may contain” statement at the end of a product’s ingredients list is simply a notice that the item may have been exposed to an allergen during its production. The statement’s main purpose is to help consumers with severe allergies avoid a potentially life-threatening exposure—but it doesn’t mean that eggs, milk, or any other animal-derived ingredients are actually present.

While PETA supports being vegan, we put the task of vigorously reducing animal suffering ahead of personal purity. Shunning products that are 99% or more vegan but may contain trace amounts of animal-derived ingredients sends the message to manufacturers that there’s no market for these foods—and that ends up hurting more animals. For a more detailed explanation of PETA’s position, please click here.

https://www.peta.org/lifestyle/food/accidentally-vegan/?pl=9_10_0&pagenum=6

This High-Protein Vegan Cottage Cheese Is Made From Upcycled Apricot Kernels

From plantbasednews.org

Austrian food tech start-up Revo Foods has added a high-protein cottage cheese to its product line 

Revo Foods just launched a high-protein vegan cottage cheese made with fermented, upcycled apricot kernels.

According to Revo Foods, COTTAGE PROTEIN+ uses just four ingredients and contains 17g of protein per cup.

Revo Foods is best known for plant-based meat alternatives, including its “hyper-realistic” octopus, black cod, and whole-cut salmon, all made with mycoprotein. Vegan cottage cheese marks a new direction for the Austrian food tech startup.

COTTAGE PROTEIN+ combines soft apricot kernels, water, salt, and vegan cultures to aid fermentation. It is 11.5 percent protein, which Revo Foods noted is more than many cottage cheese products made with animal-derived ingredients. During a taste test, 60 percent of people preferred the COTTAGE PROTEIN+ to traditional options.

The plant-based cottage cheese is approximately 40 percent soft apricot kernels. According to Revo Foods, the majority of kernels produced by processing apricots for jams, juices, and dried snacks are discarded. COTTAGE PROTEIN+ makes waste kernels its star ingredient, “putting circular economy thinking into practice.”

According to Revo Foods, COTTAGE PROTEIN+ is made using just four ingredients and contains 17g of protein per cup - Media Credit: Revo Foods

Fermented plant-based dairy alternatives

Niccolò Galizzi, the head of food tech at Revo Foods, said, “Most plant-based fresh products aren’t fermented, they’re formulated: coconut fat, starch, thickeners, and usually no protein to speak of. We do it the other way around.”

Galizzi added, “With COTTAGE PROTEIN+, the fermentation cultures do the work for us. Texture, acidity, and flavor develop in the fermenter, not on the ingredient list. That’s why we need only four ingredients and still end up with a product that stands out on both taste and nutrition. This is truly a product that captures the trend of the time: Simple, few natural ingredients, high in proteins and tasty.”

Revo Foods’ vegan cottage cheese, COTTAGE PROTEIN+, is available now from EDEKA and REWE stores in Germany. UK shoppers will soon be able to purchase the product through the Vegan Wholesaler, an online supermarket platform.

Health, sustainability, and the power of protein

Revo FoodsCOTTAGE PROTEIN+ uses just four ingredients: soft apricot kernels, water, salt, and vegan cultures

Consumers are increasingly motivated by health and sustainability, and earlier this year, a report encouraged retailers to “capture” the opportunity of plant-based food and protein diversification by taking the sector more seriously.

Madre Brava, an international climate advocacy organization, recently analysed NielsenQ retail data to produce a report titled “Britain Backs Beans.”

Madre Brava found that unit sales of beans, pulses, tofu, and tempeh grew 7.3 percent (and 10.1 percent in value) in the first half of 2026 compared to 2025, and that shoppers are increasingly drawn towards simple, nutritious foods over fake meat.

https://plantbasednews.org/lifestyle/food/high-protein-vegan-cottage-cheese-apricot/

Business: Plant-based development regains momentum

From foodanddrinktechnology.com/news

Plant-based products now account for 13% of all new product development activity tracked by Point74, up from 11% in 2025, as the Midlands-based food tech firm reports a fresh surge in vegan innovation across its manufacturer customer base.

The company, which provides new product development software used by food and drink manufacturers, found that two-thirds of its customers had developed at least one vegan product this year.

Four clients had designated more than a fifth of their entire development pipeline as vegan suitable, while customers with large vegan portfolios saw plant-based development increase by an average of 5% on the previous year.

A shift in the pipeline

Rob Sinclair, CEO of Point74.

Rob Sinclair, CEO at Point74, said the data reflects a deliberate industry move rather than a passing trend.

“What our data shows is that manufacturers made a strategic commitment to vegan product development and this is now showing up clearly in the pipeline,” he said.

“While previous years had shown a plateauing in plant-based products, it is now gaining momentum once more in the food and drink sector, with consumers seeking them out in supermarkets across the country.”

Sinclair pointed to a mix of motivations behind the renewed demand. “Whether it’s people looking for more environmentally friendly produce, or those seeking a healthier option, this shift reflects a wider change in what consumers want from their food.”

Shelves catching up with software

The development data lines up with retail trends already visible on supermarket shelves. UK supermarkets saw chilled plant-based food sales rise by 1% last year, with growth accelerating to 1.7% in the final 12 weeks of 2025. Tesco reported plant-based mince sales up nearly 25%, alongside a 12% rise in plant-based proteins including tofu, tempeh and seitan.

Point74 expects manufacturers’ pipeline activity to continue feeding through to retail over the next 12 to 24 months, with shelves reflecting the shift already under way in development. Its customer base spans meat, snacking, bakery and prepared food categories, and includes Morrisons, Waitrose, Costa and Charlie Binghams.

Managing the complexity of compliance

Point74, which recently acquired Quor Systems, offers an end-to-end product lifecycle management platform giving manufacturers a centralised view of ingredients, compliance requirements and product specifications. Its software manages more than 50,000 ingredient specifications and supports the launch of more than 4,000 products annually across the sector.

Sinclair said the operational side of vegan development is where manufacturers are increasingly investing effort. “Getting vegan product development right is not always straightforward with ingredient substitutions, compliance requirements, labelling obligations and allergens all needing to be considered.

“The manufacturers doing this well are the ones who have the right systems to manage that complexity without slowing down their development process. As a result, they are best placed to capitalise on growing demand for plant-based products.”

Core to the pipeline

The picture Point74 paints is one of plant-based development moving from experimentation to embedded strategy, with a sizeable minority of manufacturers now treating vegan ranges as a core part of their pipeline rather than a peripheral one. The uptick from 11% to 13% is incremental on its own, but set against retail data showing accelerating chilled plant-based sales, it points to a sector re-committing after a period of plateau. The operational framing from Sinclair — compliance, labelling, allergens — also signals where the real competitive advantage is likely to sit: not in whether manufacturers develop vegan products, but in how efficiently they can manage the complexity of doing so at scale.

https://www.foodanddrinktechnology.com/news/70339/plant-based-development-regains-momentum/ 

USA: See best cities for vegans and vegetarians, according to WalletHub

From eu.usatoday.com

A new study reveals the most vegan and vegetarian-friendly cities in the United States.

The study, from personal finance website WalletHub, compiled the rankings based on a variety of factors, such as the cost of vegetable-based groceries and the availability of vegan and vegetarian restaurants.

About 4% of Americans are vegetarian and 1% are vegan, according to a 2023 Gallup poll.

In light of rising meat prices, more people may be opting for a meat-free lifestyle, WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said in a statement.

"While vegetarians and vegans are still a relatively small share of the population, businesses are recognizing their impact on their market," Lupo said.Here's a look at WalletHub's findings for which cities are the best for vegans and vegetarians.

Which cities are the best for vegans and vegetarians?

According to WalletHub's findings, the top three best cities for vegans and vegetarians are Portland, Oregon, Los Angeles, California, and Austin, Texas.

Among the key factors for Portland, Oregon, coming in at No. 1 on the list is that the city has the third-largest number of affordable restaurants with vegetarian or vegan options that have at least 4.5 stars on Yelp. The city also has a high number of organic farms, community gardens, farmers markets and vegetable nurseries per capita, according to WalletHub's finding.

At No. 2 on the list, Los Angeles ranked high in part because its residents eat vegan and vegetarian food 187% more often the the national average. The city also has a variety of farmers markets, organic farms, community gardens and vegetable nurseries, making buying or growing fresh produce much more accessible, WalletHub said.

Austin, Texas, came in third on the list partially because of its low food prices; it's one of the cheapest cities for eggs, which is a common protein choice for vegetarians, WalletHub's analysis said.

How WalletHub ranked vegan and vegetarian-friendly cities

WalletHub said it compiled the ranking of the most vegan and vegetarian-friendly cities in the country by looking at the 100 most populated cities across three key categories: affordability; diversity, accessibility and quality; and vegetarian lifestyle.

These categories were broken down further into more specific metrics. For example, one metric in the affordability category was the cost of groceries, excluding all animal products except dairy and eggs. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, then calculated into the city's weighted average score.

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/09/25/best-cities-vegans-vegetarians-wallethub/91937995007/ 

Veggies Rule: WMC Examines The Benefits And Risks Of Going Vegan

From dailyvoice.com

By David Levine

It's commonly known that following a diet high in plants is beneficial to overall health, and reduces the risk of developing dangerous heart diseases. However, many health-conscious eaters wonder if simply opting for more green is enough.

Photo Credit: Westchester Medical Center

If a plant-based diet is good, is a plant-only diet even better? Would we and our cardiovascular systems be better served by following a strict vegetarian or even stricter vegan diet?

Not necessarily, said Dr. Syed Naqvi, a cardiologist at HealthAlliance Hospital: Broadway Campus and MidHudson Regional Hospital, both members of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network. Naqvi said the problem with a vegan diet is that it can be difficult to adhere to. “The vegan diet lacks some important nutrients, such as those found in animal products. Vitamin B12, for example, is necessary to produce red blood cells and prevent anaemia, and it is critical for brain health, but most plant-based foods lack this important vitamin.”

Other critical nutrients that are less abundant in a strict, plant-only diet include: iron, an important component of red blood cells; zinc, which helps with cell division and the creation of proteins; and omega-3 fatty acids, which have a proven track record of keeping the heart and other organ systems healthy. While all of these may be added through supplements, they are never quite as effective as when they are delivered as natural nutrients from whole foods.

Naqvi is a firm proponent of the Mediterranean-style diet. “It is not a completely vegetarian or vegan diet,” he said. “It favours fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains, and some fish, and it limits, but does not eliminate, meat, dairy products and sweets. Unlike some other eating plans, the Mediterranean diet includes more calories from healthy, plant-based fats, like nuts and olive oil. And, it allows for moderate consumption of wine, especially red wine, which helps in increasing good cholesterol [HDLs].” 

https://dailyvoice.com/article/veggies-rule-wmc-examines-the-benefits-and-risks-of-going-vegan/