For many, the mention of Nutella is enough to spark joy, and this week, its parent company finally announced that a plant-based version is coming to select regions to give more people a chance to enjoy the nostalgic treat.
Krispy Kreme doughnuts are also a crave-able favorite, and the chain is expanding its vegan doughnut selection in the United Kingdom with three indulgent new flavors. This begs the question: can the United States, its home country, get just one?
Plus, Olipop’s refreshing new Rush Ridge soda is taking on Mountain Dew with a citrusy flavor profile but substantially less sugar.
Read on for more.
Table of Contents
Food news
Oat milk is already far more sustainable than dairy, but that isn’t stopping dairy-free innovators from slashing carbon footprints even further.
Milkadamia
That’s the case with Milkadamia, which has just introduced its Flat Pack Organic Oat Milk, an innovative new product that reduces packaging waste by 94 percent and cuts down weight by 85 percent.
The flat packs contain printed oat milk sheets that, when mixed with water, create fresh oat milk in customizable portions. The goal is to push pre-cycling forward by reducing the environmental impact long before waste disposal, focusing on minimizing packaging and transportation bulk.
“With the launch of our Flat Pack line, we’re redefining industry innovation by significantly cutting packaging waste and carbon emissions,” Jim Richards, CEO of Milkadamia, said in a statement.
This new product is expected to roll out in January 2025 and will be available in stores and online. It reflects the company’s commitment to sustainable practices, building on its existing macadamia nut milk offerings that have already made their mark in more than 13,000 retailers nationwide.
Mindful Fud
Oat milk lattes with sustainable honey, anyone? Canada’s “Tales of Triumph” contest just named Mindful Füd the winner in the Going Green category for its innovative apple-based vegan honey. This Vancouver-based brand takes discarded apples that would otherwise go to waste and transforms them into a delicious, eco-friendly honey alternative.
As part of its win, Mindful Füd receives a valuable prize package from Canada Post, designed to support its business growth. This includes shipping and marketing credits, national and regional media promotion, and additional marketing services. The total value of these prizes exceeds $100,000, giving the company a significant boost as it continues to expand its mission of turning waste into tasty, sustainable products.
Plus, the company—which makes both original and hot “Bee Mindful Hunnie”—now has a chance to win an additional $10,000 and $50,000 worth of media promotion if it secures the most votes in the Canada’s Choice award, which runs through the end of September.
Over in Europe, rumblings around the launch of a plant-based Nutella started earlier this year and Ferrero, the company behind it, has released official details.
Ferrero
The new Nutella Plant-Based spread is certified vegan by The Vegetarian Society and replaces milk with ingredients such as chickpeas and rice syrup, offering the same great taste and texture as the original product. It will be sold in recyclable 350-gram jars and will debut in key European markets.
“We have started launching this product in a few key European markets, such as Italy, France, and Belgium,” a Ferrero spokesperson tells VegNews.
The spread is part of Ferrero’s broader strategy to meet the growing consumer demand for plant-based alternatives. Ferrero is also exploring the possibility of expanding Nutella Plant-Based into other markets, including Germany, where it plans to release a vegan version of Hanuta wafer cookies in January 2025.
Will the plant-based version of the beloved hazelnut cocoa spread launch in the US? It depends on how it performs abroad.
“In the future we aim to roll out this product to more countries, taking into consideration its performance and consumers’ feedback,” the spokesperson says.
Over in the US, a number of brands have successfully challenged the sugary soda market by offering healthier alternatives. This week, Olipop is throwing its hat into the ring against Mountain Dew with its new release: Ridge Rush.
Olipop
This refreshing take on the classic soda combines a bold citrus blend of lemon, lime, and orange, with a boost of natural green tea caffeine, delivering the energizing kick of the original but with a much cleaner profile. Staying true to Olipop’s high-fiber formula, Ridge Rush is a drink you can enjoy without the sugar overload.
Are you ready to do the Rush? Or maybe the Ridge?
Event news
More than 5,000 people celebrated Labor Day weekend by heading out to a massive vegan festival in Berkeley, CA. The fourth annual Bizerkeley Food Festival transformed Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park into a bustling space of plant-based fun, featuring more than 80 vendors and nonprofits from across the country.
Jeffrey Littman Photography/Lawrence Felix
Festival-goers indulged in a wide array of vegan bites, from innovative foods to classic comfort dishes. “I’m overjoyed with gratitude by the incredible turnout of attendees,” Founder Erika Hazel, known as The Bizerkeley Vegan, said in a statement.
“It warmed my heart to witness the energy of our thriving vegan community, as vegans and curious newcomers came to discover the diverse flavors and innovations of plant-based cuisine,” Hazel said.
Performances by Stunnaman02, Audiopharmacy, and PWT Dance Academy kept the energy high throughout the day. In addition to food and live entertainment, the event included interactive games and a silent auction, which raised $2,500 for the local Herd & Flock Animal Sanctuary.
Vegandale
In other festival news, New York City is preparing for a major vegan festival this month with the return of Vegandale, the renowned festival that blends plant-based living with art, music, and culture. On September 14, Vegandale will make its seventh annual stop in NYC at the iconic Citi Field, promising to bring together thousands of attendees, both vegan and non-vegan, for an unforgettable experience.
Vegandale will showcase more than 200 vendors offering an array of innovative, exclusive vegan products and specialty menu items, many of which aren’t available in stores. From local favorites to international delicacies, this festival provides a unique platform for discovering new vegan products and foods.
Vegandale
This year’s event will be headlined by some of the biggest names in music. GloRilla, famous for her hit song “TGIF,” will take center stage, followed by performances from hip-hop legends Quavo and Polo G. Together, they’ll deliver a mix of chart-topping hits, ensuring an energetic atmosphere that complements the festival’s vibrant offerings.
Vegandale isn’t just about food and music, though. The festival has also gained a reputation for its striking art installations, which highlight the vision of a world free from animal exploitation.
Overall, Vegandle’s mission is to reach more than 100,000 attendees across eight cities on its North American and UK tour.
Kind Hearted Campout
For those who love a festival experience with a little outdoorsy fun, Vegan Campout is returning for its fourth installation next month. Running from October 10 to 13, the all-vegan camping festival will take place at Harrison Serenity Ranch in Palomar Mountain, CA, just 55 miles north of San Diego.
As California’s only all-vegan camping festival, it offers a dynamic lineup of music, workshops, yoga classes, and discussions, creating an inclusive space for both vegans and those curious about the lifestyle.
The event, organized by the Kind Heart Coalition, will feature workshops led by prominent activists, including Brittany Drake from The Protego Foundation and Mason Melito from The Raven Corps. Guests can expect a family-friendly environment, complete with outdoor activities, art, and even dance parties. Food and drinks will be provided by notable sponsors like Forager and Local Roots Kombucha. Each attendee will also receive a commemorative T-shirt designed by artist Brianna Baer.
“The Kind Hearted Campout is an incredible opportunity for personal growth as activists and as a community,” Kind Heart Coalition co-founder Rachel Hosler said in a statement. “Inclusivity remains our top priority, and by keeping registration costs low and partnering with generous sponsors and donors, we’re committed to ensuring everyone can join us.”
This event not only celebrates plant-based living but also the rich history of its location, once owned by San Diego County’s first Black homesteader, Nate Harrison.
Restaurant news
Ice cream company Salt & Straw has a longstanding commitment to offering exciting vegan options every season—and even puts together a full “Vegan Indulgence” menu for Veganuary in January. For its newest series, the West Coast chain did not disappoint with the launch of a seriously innovative sorbet.
Salt & Straw
Part of its current series that focuses on apples, the Green Apple Wasabi Sorbet is a refreshing treat with a little kick—but not the nose-scrunching version of wasabi you might be expecting.
That’s because 99 percent of the wasabi most people encounter is made with horseradish that has been colored green. Salt & Straw’s version utilizes the real deal root sourced from Oregon Coast Wasabi, where farmers mimic Japan’s climate to produce the conditions necessary for wasabi roots to thrive.
“Red Delicious and Golden Delicious apples pop against the wasabi’s gentle heat and vegetal flavor for an unexpected, refreshing bite,” the company describes the new flavor, available for a limited time in scoops shops and pints.
Next Level Burger
Halloween is arriving early with a spooky new menu at plant-based chains Next Level Burger and Veggie Grill, available from now through October 31.
The star of both menus is the Mean Green Frankenburger, which features a vegetable patty from Actual Veggies, crispy onion rings, smoked gouda, fresh lettuce, tomato, and a topping of black garlic mayo on a pretzel bun.
Next Level Burger has also introduced two seasonal shakes. The Dirty Jack-o-Lantern Shake is made with soft serve ice cream, pumpkin purée, fall spices, and gluten-free cookies and topped with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and sour gummy worms. The Pumpkin Spice Shake offers a more classic seasonal flavor with pumpkin and spices blended with soft-serve ice cream and topped with whipped cream and cinnamon.
Veggie Grill is serving up a Pumpkin Spice Cake, a mini bundt cake, that is drizzled with cinnamon-spiced icing and sprinkled with chopped walnuts.
Additionally, both chains are offering a 20-percent discount for students starting September 9 and will celebrate National Cheeseburger Day on September 18 with a buy-one-get-one-free deal on the American ChzBurger.
Krispy Kreme
Christmas has come early for our friends in the UK, where Krispy Kreme just added three new vegan doughnuts to its menu. These new flavors—Cinnamon Swirl, Blueberry Bubble Bliss, and Salted Caramel Sensation—expand the brand’s vegan offerings, bringing the total number of plant-based doughnuts to nine.
Each doughnut has been certified by the Vegan Society, ensuring it meets the highest standards for those following a vegan diet.
Cinnamon Swirl is hand-rolled in cinnamon sugar and topped with cream cheese-flavored frosting, while Blueberry Bubble Bliss features wild blueberry icing and chewy blueberry bubbles with a touch of lychee-flavored frosting. For those craving an even more indulgent treat, Salted Caramel Sensation is double-filled with caramel and the chain’s signature Kreme filling.
These new flavors join classics like the Original Glazed and Chocolate Orange in Krispy Kreme’s Vegan Selection Box.
VegNews has reached out to Krispy Kreme to inquire about its plans for vegan doughnuts in other regions, including the US where the North Carolina-based chain has yet to offer any plant-based doughnut options.
For more plant-based stories like this, read:
Anna Starostinetskaya is the Senior News Editor at VegNews and is always keeping an eye on all things vegan in her home city of San Francisco, CA and everywhere else.
