Global brand Nestlé are expected to sell one of their meat brands to focus on creating vegan food. At a press conference on Thursday, it was said that the brand may sell lunch meat brand Herta and put their attention to creating plant-based products instead.
The news comes as manufacturers are having to change the way they think and adapt their offerings accordingly, ensuring they keep up with market trends and produce items in demand. Furthermore, food production has to change amidst environmental concerns, with plant-based food taking centre stage.
Moving away from meat to plant-based food also cements Nestlé’s commitment to producing healthier and more nutritional food. Speaking about the company’s plans for the future, Nestlé CEO Mark Schneider said: “We’ve announced a strategic review of our Herta charcuterie business. It’s a very disciplined portfolio adjustment in line with where market trends are going and where we see growth opportunities going forward.”
Nestlé already have meat-free brand Garden Gourmet among their portfolio, with the anticipated launch of their Incredible Burger just around the corner, with a Spring release expected.
The Incredible Burger will be made from soya and protein, similarly to the Beyond Burger and the Impossible Burger.
Schneider also said: “Inside food and beverage, if you think about today’s announcement on Herta, it really shows how we are positioning the company towards what is benefiting from higher growth and future areas such as plant-based offering that are very much on-trend with where consumers are heading.”
As the parent company of many well-known brands, vegan versions of certain items is likely to become more apparent following this review – For example, Nestlé own ice cream brand Häagen Dazs, who announced the launch of dairy-free alcohol-infused ice cream earlier this week.