VEGAN INCREASING
EXPONENTIALLY
Veganism is booming, which
means the demand for plant-based
food is increasing exponentially.
Supermarkets report increases in
vegan food products are up this year
by a third.
This is big business and if your
company does not currently
manufacture a plant-based food
item, you are losing out. With the
ever-increasing awareness of the
resource intensiveness of animal
products, more and more people are
turning to plant-based alternatives
and it's not just vegans.
Many families are looking at healthy
food that is good for them and good
for the planet, with more awareness
around dairy allergies too, it's no
wonder the vegan food industry is
doing so well. Plants contain all the
proteins the human body needs
and supply all the minerals, after all,
where do you think the animals get
theirs from?
So, what makes a food vegan?
Simply put, if it comes from a plant
and was not tested on animals, then
it is vegan. There are also vegan
food additives, which are made in a
lab, not derived from waste animal
products. One thing to be aware
of is processing aids, while not an
ingredient, they are considered
part of the manufacturing process
and thus the use of gelatin and
egg whites for fining etc would
make a product not suitable for
vegans. Packaging too would be a
consideration, use of animal glue
could be an issue. There is a New
Zealand Vegan Certification Scheme
which could be a great option to
ensure sales, as vegans know and
trust this certification.
However, your largest sector are
those families looking to reduce their
animal product intake. They want
healthy, wholefoods-based plant
foods, not the highly processed,
high in salt and sugar vegan junk
foods that exist. They also want
treats but healthy ones. Whatever
you choose to manufacture, make
sure you include vegan foods in your
repertoire. You will reap the benefits
with increased profits and the planet
will reap the benefits with lower use
of resources.
The future of plant-based foods in
New Zealand is looking very good. It
could be even better if a fully plantbased
manufacturing plant could
Claire Insley, Vegan Society
Aotearoa New Zealand, B.Sc.
Adv.Dip, media spokesperson
be set up, as currently vegan foods
produced in New Zealand must
share production lines. The demand
for plant proteins is increasing and
if we could process those proteins
here, we could be fully locally
sourced.
To find out more please contact The
Vegan Society Aotearoa NZ www.
vegansociety.org.nz.
www.foodtechnology.co.nz 17
/vegansociety.org
/www.foodtechnology.co.nz