Nestle announces vegan KitKat bar

Nestle will soon launch a vegan KitKat bar, expected to be the first chocolate bar from a major candy brand to be 100 percent vegan.

A press release on the company’s website announced the move, noting that it was part of the global food brand’s larger effort to help “people embrace a more plant-based diet, with options across its wide range of food and beverages.”

“Taste was a key factor when developing the plant-based chocolate for our new vegan KitKat. We used our expertise in ingredients, together with a test and learn approach, to create a delicious vegan alternative to our original chocolate KitKat,” a Nestle representative said in the press release.

Several other major candy offerings including Sour Patch Kids and Twizzlers are vegan, but making vegan chocolate products has proven challenging for some candy companies due to the presence of milk in many chocolate products. Dark chocolate is easier to make conforming to vegan standards, but some major brands, including Lindt, are not vegan.

“One of the most common requests we see on social media is for a vegan KitKat, so we’re delighted to be able to make that wish come true,” said Nestle’s head of confectionary, Alexander von Maillot, in the news release, adding: “I can’t wait for people to be able to try this amazingly tasty new KitKat. This is a product for everyone who wants a little more plant-based in their life!”

The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee recommended for the first time in 2015 a vegan diet or any diet that lowers the amount of animal products a consumer eats or drinks due to the lower environmental impact.