Here’s How Unilever Is Bringing Plant Based B2B to the Table
The plant-based lifestyle has been receiving a significant amount of attention over the last few years and more people than ever are trying to cut animal products out of their life – either entirely or to some degree.
At time of writing, January is just around the corner, a month which has been co-opted by the Veganuary movement, which seeks to challenge omnivores and vegetarians to try going vegan for 31 days. Participation has more than doubled each year and, while many people who take part return to their old habits once February has arrived, a sizable proportion of participants either stick with it or at least reduce their consumption of animal products moving forwards.
Over half a million people signed up for Veganuary in 2021 and people in 209 countries and territories took part.
Veganism
Research has suggested that North America and Europe will hit peak meat consumption by 2025, at which point it will begin to fall as alternatives become more realistic, cheaper, and readily available. The global meat-free sector is predicted to hit $290 billion by 2035 when there will be realistic alternatives available for most of the world’s popular dishes.
The motivations for going vegan are many, with most people stating some combination of opposition to cruelty, concern for the effects of the animal industry on the environment, and factors relating to personal health in varying proportions.
According to The Vegan Society, If the world went vegan, it could save eight million human lives by 2050, reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture by two-thirds, and lead to healthcare-related savings and avoided climate damages of $1.5 trillion. Following a vegan diet has been linked to a reduction in the chance of heart disease and various cancers – most notably those of the bowels – and other debilitating conditions such as diabetes.
A survey of UK citizens revealed that almost half of participants stated they felt hypocritical for calling themselves "animal lovers" while being happy to eat them.
There is definitely a move towards either reducing or eliminating our reliance on animal products. This is definitely something Unilever has noticed and has been working with its B2B partners to bring more plant-based products to market.
Unilever
Unilever’s first vegan Magnum was awarded Best Vegan Ice Cream in the UK by PETA in 2019. Both Hellmann’s Vegan Mayo and Ben & Jerry’s Coconutterly Caramel’d Dairy-free were named as one of Nielsen’s top 25 Breakthrough Innovations in Europe for 2020.
The Vegetarian Butcher was chosen as the supplier of Burger King’s Plant-Based Whopper across Europe, China, Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, and Africa, Burger King’s Plant-Based Nuggets across Europe, and the recently launched Vegan Royale in the UK, and Netherlands.
Now Unilever has partnered with ENOUGH to bring its innovative meat substitute to its B2B partners in time for Veganuary 2022. ENOUGH’s uses a zero-waste fermentation process to grow its high-quality fungus-based plant protein. Feeding this fungus with renewable feedstock, such as wheat and corn produces the ABUNDA® mycoprotein – a complete food ingredient containing all essential amino acids as well as being high in dietary fiber.
"Plant-based foods is one of Unilever’s fastest growing segments and we’re delighted to partner with ENOUGH to develop more sustainable protein products that are delicious, nutritious, and a force for good," said EVP of R&D for Foods & Refreshment at Unilever, Carla Hilhorst. "We’re excited by the potential that this technology has for future innovations across our portfolio, and we can’t wait to launch more plant-based foods that help people cut down on meat, without compromising on taste."
"Producing vast quantities of healthy and sustainable protein is one of the most urgent global priorities," continued Commercial Director of ENOUGH, Andrew Beasley. "There’s a rapid transition in the food industry and we are excited with this collaboration with Unilever and The Vegetarian Butcher, which truly supports our aim to create impact and scale."
Unilever has also invested €85million into The Hive – a food innovation center at Wageningen University in the Netherlands which researches a number of sustainability initiatives such as plant-based ingredients and meat alternatives, efficient crops, sustainable food packaging, and nutritious food.
Final Thoughts
The trend towards more plant-based eating is undeniable and, while the world certainly isn’t going vegan anytime soon, an increasing number of people are thinking about their consumption of animal products – and meat in particular – and are trying to make choices which are kinder, healthier, and more sustainable.
Unilever is playing a significant role in this by working with B2B partners to push forward development of ever more realistic and satisfying meat and dairy alternatives.
You can hear Unilever’s Global Director of Ecommerce, Marta Dalton, speak at B2B Online 2022, taking place in April at the Chicago Marriott Downtown, IL.
Download the agenda today for more information and insights.