From vegnews.com
This week in food news sees the dairy-free market heat up with funding and innovation, new interesting research on consumer habits, and a new plant-based line at Walmart from Jamie Oliver
In West Hollywood, CA, city councillors are also encouraging consumers to keep going with plant-forward lifestyles beyond Veganuary (more details on that below). And following through on that is easier than ever—Beyond Meat is expanding its steak range, and as you’ll see below, there are more options hitting Walmart thanks to Jamie Oliver.
If you’re heading to New Orleans for the Super Bowl, you can even grab a hearty vegan meal during the game (find out more about the city’s best plant-based choices here, including some options at the Superdome).
Keep reading to learn more about this week’s food news, including the reason why Scooter’s Coffee has finally said goodbye to extra dairy-free milk charges and some new interesting research on falafel burgers.
Jamie Oliver to launch plant-based pouches in Walmart stores
In recent years, Jamie Oliver has shown a significant interest in vegetarian and plant-based cooking. In 2019, he even released Veg, a cookbook devoted entirely to meat-free recipes. Per The Grocer, the popular British chef is now set to launch six new plant-based products in 325 Walmart stores across the US.
The products, which are described as “ambient pouches,” include varieties like Spiced Pineapple Rice, Mega Med Grains, and Ras El Hanout 4 Grains. All products seem to revolve around whole foods, like rice and grains. Megan Van Someren, Chief Commercial Officer at Jamie Oliver Group, told The Grocer: “2025 is the year where we will see the potential of the Jamie Oliver brand in retail come to life in full.”
Scooter’s Coffee drops plant-based milk upcharge
Scooter’s Coffee, the fourth largest coffee chain in the US, is following Starbucks’ lead and dropping its dairy-free milk charge. The company, which has more than 800 locations, decided to drop the extra charge after discussions with the animal rights non-profit Mercy for Animals. “We are thrilled that Scooter’s Coffee has listened to their customers and taken this important step,” Jennifer Behr, Corporate Relations Manager at Mercy for Animals, said in a statement.
She added: “Charging more for plant-based milk isn’t just an unfair pricing practice — it’s an equity issue. We’ve seen first-hand how upcharges create barriers for people who are lactose intolerant, particularly in communities of colour, where lactose-intolerance rates are significantly higher.”
Salt & Straw launches new vegan flavour for February
Popular ice cream company Salt & Straw, which has scoop shops in multiple states, including California, Nevada, Florida, and New York, has launched a new range called The Chocolatiers Series for the month of February. It includes one new plant-based flavor: Hazelnut Chocolate Cookies and Cream. The ice cream features chocolate hazelnut-stuffed Oreos, chocolate barley milk, and hazelnut chocolate fudge swirls. It’s available for order from the Salt & Straw website right now.
Heura targets medical doctors with a new plant-based campaign
Spanish brand Heura, which specializes in plant-based products like cold cuts, burgers, and chunks, has been promoting the health benefits of a plant-based diet to students in Barcelona, Spain. The brand parked a van with the slogan “A plant-based diet can increase your life expectancy by 10 years” outside Barcelona’s Faculty of Medicine and handed out vegan sandwiches to students taking their Medical Residency Entrance exams.
Marc Coloma, CEO and co-founder of Heura Foods, said in a statement: “We want to invite the doctors of the future to lead the shift towards a more sustainable and conscious diet, benefiting both people and the planet with alternatives designed to be as delicious as they are healthy.”
Founder of vegan meat brand THIS launches animal welfare organization
Andy Shovel—who co-founded the popular British plant-based meat brand This but took a step back from operations in 2024—is now setting his sights on starting up a new animal welfare organization. The new organization is called A Bit Weird and aims to shine a light on the strange practices of the meat industry and the reasons we eat animal products.
Shovel told The Guardian that he wants to come at vegan activism from a slightly different angle than other animal rights organizations. “I’ve had this itch for years,” he said. “There’s almost a gap in the market with animal advocacy, if I’m going to be a businessperson about it, for someone to take quite serious messages and market them in a not serious way.” Learn more about A Bit Weird here.
PlantBaby raises $4 million to make vegan milk for kids
Food technology company PlantBaby just raised $4 million in seed funding to make more dairy-free milk products for children. It already has one vegan product, Kiki Milk, on the shelves in several major retailers across the US, but the new funding will help it expand even more.
“Improving the health of future generations is our North Star as both parents and entrepreneurs,” said PlantBaby founders Alex and Lauren Abelin in a statement. “We’re committed to providing the cleanest, most nutritious, and delicious products—for your family and ours—because every child deserves the best.”
Major Israeli drink company moves into algae-based dairy alternatives
The Central Bottling Company, one of Israel’s biggest drink companies and the country’s Coca-Cola distributor, is moving into dairy-free products. The company just partnered with Brevel, a food tech startup that specializes in making alternative protein products with microalgae.
The Central Bottling Company’s head of innovation Lihi Rothschild said in a statement: “As we pursue our strategy of continuous innovation to deliver superior products that respond to evolving trends and customer demands, partnering with Brevel is a natural fit.”
Vegan cheesemaker Jay&Joy buys competitor after €2 million funding round
French vegan brand Jay&Joy specializes in making everything from dairy-free blue cheese to camembert. But the brand is on a mission to get a bigger chunk of the market—it recently purchased another vegan cheese brand, called Les Nouveaux Affineurs, after raising €2 million in a funding round.
“Our ambition is clear: to offer exceptional plant-based alternatives while preserving our traditional know-how and accelerating our European expansion,” said Jay&Joy CEO César Augier. “This acquisition marks a crucial step in strengthening our leadership in a fast-growing market.”
Acme Smoked Fish to start distributing vegan smoked salmon
Acme Smoked Fish, a smoked fish purveyor based in New York, has announced it is branching out into plant-based products. The seafood company has partnered with Konscious Foods to start distributing its Plant-Based Smoked Salm’n to food service customers, which include delis, restaurants, and bagel shops. “We are thrilled to work with Konscious Foods to bring this exciting new product to market,” Eduardo Carbajosa, CEO of Acme Smoked Fish, in a statement. “As consumer preferences continue to evolve, our growing product portfolio can appeal to both traditional consumers as well as those seeking other options. Plant-Based Smoked Salm’n is a versatile solution crafted by Konscious with care to meet our highest quality standards.”
Vegan food trends
This week in food trends: why Americans actually prefer falafel to plant-based meat burgers, Europeans are embracing planet-friendly diets, and West Hollywood, CA commends Veganuary’s impact.
Americans prefer falafel burgers to plant-based meat
The plant-based meat market might be consistently growing and innovating, but not everyone wants it, suggests a new study. Research from three universities—Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), Humboldt University Berlin, and Georg August University Göttingen—found that out of four different burgers, American consumers who opted for meat-free options preferred falafel burgers to plant-based meat options.
This could be linked with growing awareness of the negative reputation surrounding ultra-processed foods. According, to economist Steffen Jahn, Interim Professor of Marketing & Innovation at MLU: “This contradicts the widespread assumption that meat substitutes are only competitive if they are as close as possible to the original.”
West Hollywood City Council commends Veganuary and encourages residents to eat more plants
In a recent proclamation, West Hollywood’s City Council commended Veganuary and local organizations that promoted the month-long plant-based campaign for helping to encourage a more sustainable way of eating. It also took the opportunity to encourage its local residents to eat more plant-based foods for the planet.
“The City Council of the City of West Hollywood hereby recognizes Veganuary, Plant Based Treaty, Animal Welfare Alliance, and Plant Futures at UCLA, in advancing plant-based advocacy,” reads the proclamation. The City encourages residents and community members to explore the benefits of plant-based diets for personal health, environmental sustainability, and ethical well-being.”
Sandra Hungate, Director of Veganuary US, said the organization was “excited” by the proclamation. She added: “We also appreciate and congratulate the local organizations and students who helped raise awareness for Veganuary in the area.”
New survey finds more than half of Europeans are changing their diet for the planet
Across the Atlantic, in Europe, consumers are also prioritising planet-friendly diets. One recent poll by FMCG Gurus—which included 10,400 people from 13 European countries— suggested that 52 percent of people in Europe had moved to more eco-friendly eating habits in the last two years. Out of those people, nearly 30 percent said they had reduced their meat and dairy intake specifically.
https://vegnews.com/jamie-oliver-walmart-salt-and-straw-dairy-free-surcharge
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