Nestlé to roll out vegan KitKat following test success

Nestlé will be rolling out KitKat V, the vegan version of the iconic treat, in 15 European countries, following a successful trial in the UK and some other countries last year.

Developed at Nestlé's confectionery research and development center in York, UK, the original home of KitKat, the new KitKat V blends the smooth chocolate with plant-based ingredients, combining Nestlé's expertise in chocolate innovation and non-dairy alternatives.

“Last year, we took the decision to produce KitKat V in our R&D production facilities so we could bring the product to the shelves much faster and test with our consumers. The response from consumers was overwhelming, and we are now excited to launch it at a much wider scale,” Louise Barrett, head of the Nestlé Confectionery Product Technology Center in York, said.

KitKat V is certified vegan and made from sustainably sourced cocoa through the Nestlé Cocoa Plan, with Rainforest Alliance certification. The milk in the original KitKat is replaced with a rice-based alternative.

Nestlé said KitKat V has an 18 per cent lower carbon footprint, compared to a standard milk chocolate KitKat, over its full lifecycle from farm to consumer, thanks to the change of recipe to fully plant-based ingredients. The lower carbon footprint has been certified by the Carbon Trust.

“We are seeing a strong trend in food with more people looking for plant-based options, including for treats. This is one of the biggest launches ever of a vegan alternative of a major confectionery brand and it shows our confidence in this trend. We're delighted to offer KitKat V to all those KitKat fans out there who asked us to make it happen,” Corinne Gabler, head of Confectionery for Europe at Nestlé, said.

The new vegan KitKat will be produced at Nestlé's confectionery site in Hamburg, Germany. It will be sold in countries including Germany, France, Austria, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Greece, Portugal, Poland, Hungary, and the Netherlands, besides the UK.