Guest Comment

On 1 November The Vegan Society celebrates World Vegan Day and its 75th anniversary – what a great opportunity to take stock of vegan health and nutrition.

You may have heard of Forest Green Rovers, a football club which made headlines for serving plant-based meals to fans – a largely non-vegan audience.

If you have set out to create a product that is good for both people and the planet, then the packaging has to reflect this.

This month, you might hear a lot of chatter about plant-based athletes due to the release of a documentary called The Game Changers.

Emily McCoy looks back on 25 years of the Fairtrade Foundaiton and highlights how the famous marque can make a difference.

Dr Heather Daniell, founder of Satisfied Snacks, asks if advances in sustainable packaging can offer plastic-free alternatives which reduce food waste. 

Speciality coffee was once the preserve of the coffee geeks and hipsters. These days all operators are trying to ensure their coffee is good.

When the EU was asked to ban labels such as ‘veggie burger’ many people wondered why such a banal issue was being discussed in the midst of Brexit chaos.

Farming billions of animals every year requires a huge amount of resources, including land, water and crops. Did you know that for every 100 calories fed to animals, we receive back only 12 calories by consuming meat and dairy? Eco-conscious and green consumers are often interested to learn about the inefficiencies of animal farming and the links between our dietary choices and planetary health. So, what can your customers do to help?

Bees play a crucial role in our daily lives by pollinating a third of all we eat as well as grasses that cows and other animals eat; without bees our world wouldn’t be nearly as pretty, as they pollinate flowers, plants and trees as well. We can also thank bees for the unique and healthful substances they produce.

Scrolling through beautifully arranged Instagram meals or flicking through the latest colourful plant-based cookery book, you might think veganism is another food trend or the latest fad diet. In fact, it is a lifestyle choice with animal rights at its core and it encompasses avoiding many other ways in which animals are used, such as in testing (makeup and beauty products), for clothing (leather and wool) or entertainment (zoos and circuses).

We are demanding more from our shops, our purchases and the ways that our day-to-day items are produced. Transparency is the buzzword of the year and brands are responding with new labels, ethical commitments and claims from organic to vegan. But which ones to choose? And who can we trust?

Calling Natural & Organic Products Europe 'an established innovation hub for health, food, beauty, wellness and sustainable living', Mintel's beauty innovation coverage manager Irina Ene has published the following trends report on Mintel blog:

Five top trends observed at Natural & Organic Products Europe, brought to you by Brand Organic. 

Today, consumers have access to a dizzying array of plant-based milk alternatives. Their profiles can vary a lot, so it’s handy for retailers to have some knowledge of nutrition to help their customers make the best choices.

Craig Sams invites us to reflect on the achievements of Dr Scott Williamson and Dr Innes Pearce, who set up the Pioneer Health Centre in an effort to steer both individuals, and society as a whole, towards better health.

More so now than ever before, consumers are interested in what goes into the food and drink they consume.

Waste reduction charity WRAP reports that households throw away approximately 7.1m tonnes of food each year. A further 3.1m tonnes is thrown away having expired on shelves in stores or in the supply chain. Meanwhile, University of Edinburgh research claims the UK is still wasting 4.5 million tonnes of food, simply because it does not meet shape or size ideals.

The UK can slow the climate clock by converting animal farmland to forest and still grow enough protein, Harvard research shows. The Vegan Society’s Dominika Piasecka explains finding of the university’s latest study

As demand for plant-based products rockets, people are taking an interest in meatless meals. Meat substitutes seem like an obvious choice to many consumers. However, this term encompasses a wide range of foods with various pros and cons.