SWITZERLAND – Nestlé, the world’s largest food company, has launched plant-based alternatives to egg and shrimp, further expanding its plant-based food portfolio.
The company said that the new product launches are testimony to its commitment to “offering people a variety of plant-based food and beverages that complement their daily diets, and that are good for them and good for the planet.”
Launched under Garden Gourmet vEGGie, the egg alternative is vegan, contains soy protein and omega-3 fatty acids, and achieves a Nutri-Score A in Europe.
“It is versatile for a wide range of cooking needs and can be scrambled like real eggs, used in a frittata and pancakes or even as an ingredient when baking cakes or cookies,” Nestle said.
The shrimp option, launching under the Garden Gourmet Vrimp brand is reported to be vegan and made from a combination of seaweed, peas, and konjac root.
According to Nestlé, Vrimp has the authentic texture and flavor of succulent shrimps, is a great is a source of fiber, and comes with a Nutri-Score B in Europe.
“It is perfect for complementing salads and poke bowls and can be used in stir-fried dishes, pasta dishes, or as topping for pizzas,” added Nestlé.
The Garden Gourmet Vrimp follows the successful launch of Garden Gourmet Vuna which is now available in Switzerland, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands.
Plant-based seafood alternatives help to reduce overfishing and protect the biodiversity of our oceans.
A recent report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) revealed that overfishing continues to rise, with more than a third (34%) of the world’s fish stock now overfished.
This could be greatly reduced or prevented altogether if consumers had access to plant-based alternatives to seafood like the ones provided by Nestlé.
“Our new plant-based shrimp and egg alternatives have an authentic texture and flavor, as well as a favorable nutritional profile which makes them a good replacement for animal-based shrimp and eggs in a wide range of dishes,” Stefan Palzer, Nestlé Chief Technology Officer said.
Both the Vrimp and vEGGie products were developed with proprietary technologies by Nestlé R&D experts and will now be introduced as a test-and-learn in a limited number of stores in Switzerland and Germany.
The new products join Nestlé’s current portfolio includes plant-based alternatives to meat, fish, and seafood which are also used as ingredients in a wide range of plant-based meal favorites such as lasagna and pizza.
Additionally, Nestlé also has a wide range of plant-based dairy alternatives including milk alternatives, coffee mixes, creamers, chocolate and malt beverages, ice cream, and vegan confectionery.
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