Food Industry Initiatives

Leading Dutch supermarket Albert Heijn launched a new line of 200 plant-based products, under its own label AH Terra range, in Sept 2023.

Albert Heijn has set ambitious goals when it comes to protein transition.  In two years, the retailer wants 50% of its proteins to be plant-based (currently at 44%), and 60% by 2030.

The AH Terra brand line includes plant-based dairy for coffee, sandwich spreads such as hummus, vegetable spreads, plant-based cheese and meat substitutes. Products such as vegetable mayonnaise, margarine, snacks and vegetable shrimp are also available under the new private label.

Joyce Bierman, Vice President, Brand Creation & Design at Albert Heijn said: “Plant production has less impact on the environment and it is also easier to scale up to feed the growing world population. The fact that consumers often opt for a healthier alternative is a nice side effect."

With the alternatives to animal variants, Albert Heijn wants to make plant-based eating easier, tasty and affordable for everyone.

From October 2023, AH Premium customers will receive a 10% discount on the entire AH Terra range. In addition, more than 25% of the range is a Price Favorite, which means Albert Heijn is making plant-based products more affordable for its customers.

The supermarket is encouraging plant-based consumption with their slogan "Try it once for plant-based goodness!” as they feel a positive, stimulating approach works better.

Following supermarket trends in January 2020, Co-op launched their plant-based vegan range “Gro” featuring 35 meat-free products. The Gro range focuses on convenience, seen by many as a major growth market, with Co-op utilising innovation in plant-based meals for its new range.

Co-op UK also launched their own-brand vegan ‘Incredible Burger’ that mimics the juiciness of a beef burger with the power of beetroot and other plant-based goodness.

In May 2021 Co-op reduced the price of their Gro range to match the price of their meat and dairy-based counterparts, so that people choosing plant based foods do not have to pay more for this choice.

Co-op UK publish an in-depth Future of Foods report which states their ambition to achieve a sustainable food future for people and the planet. As part of this, they have a section on their website aimed at customers and mention the larger impact that meat, fish and dairy have on the environment and how reducing meat can help reduce the footprint of a diet.

Along with Tesco, M&S, Sainsbury and Waitrose, Co-op UK are supporting WWF’s ‘Sustainable Basket Initiative’ with a  commitment to halve the environmental impact of UK baskets by 2030 across 7 areas: climate, deforestation and conversion of habitat, agricultural production, marine, diets, food waste and packaging.

In 2019 M&S launched over 50 products in its Plant Kitchen range offering a broader plant-based portfolio to its customers that are going veggie or wanting to avoid eating meat and dairy products.

Boasting some unusual additions, customers can find items such as a Beetroot Bourguignon Crumble and Jackfruit Bon Bons. This range was voted as the ‘Best own-brand vegan supermarket range’ by Vegan Food and Living Magazine in 2021

M&S also have a section on their website called ‘Sustainable Suppers’ which explains how incorporating more plant based foods into diets can help reduce carbon emissions, and they are supporting WWF’s ‘Sustainable Basket Initiative’ with a  commitment to halve the environmental impact of UK baskets by 2030 across 7 areas: climate, deforestation and conversion of habitat, agricultural production, marine, diets, food waste and packaging.

Waitrose has a range of over 600 vegetarian and vegan options.

The retailer recently (Feb 2023) launched its Juicy Marbles fillet steaks as part of its Valentine’s Day Meal Deal this year. As well as the steaks, the meal deal offers a starter of Vegan Layered Mushroom Parfait and a side of PlantLiving Dauphinoise Potatoes.

The steaks are raw and unseasoned, making them a versatile option for both cooking novices and pros, as they can be simply cooked as they are, or used to replace animal meat in dishes like Wellingtons, vegan roasts, broths and bowls.

In January 2020 Waitrose doubled is Vegan Range to 120 Products, and in June 2020 introduced its new line from Moving Mountains which includes the bleeding plant-based burger and sausages.

Climate Targets

In August 2023, Tesco announced its plans to become carbon neutral across its global operations by 2035 and across its entire value chain by 2050.

It has set a validated science-based target for slashing emissions from forests, land and agriculture. These have been approved by the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) – the official global body that defines, promotes and validates the best practice in setting climate targets in line with the Paris Agreement goals of limiting warming to 1.5C.

Sustainable Diets

Tesco launched its Balanced diet for a better future (Jan 2021), in a bid to provide its customers with a simple approach to both healthy and sustainable eating.

With “7 in 10 Tesco customers actively trying to reduce their intake of meat”, the report helps customers navigate this transition through a series of hints and tips plus a detailed 7 – Day Meal Planner.

The report encourages Tesco customers to “eat more veg, fruit and wholegrains… and to rebalance protein sources to include more plants.”

The report also outlines Tesco’s commitment towards a “300% increase in sales of meat alternatives by 2025”. 

Plant-based alternatives

Tesco first launched their plant-based range Wicked Kitchen in January 2018. The range was an immediate success, with initial sales exceeding forecasts. It did so well that Tesco doubled the range in October of the same year.

In 2019, Tesco launched a new own-brand range of plant-based foods under the Plant Chef label, which the retailer’s head of plant-based innovation, Derek Sarno, says responds to a ‘clear opportunity’ for ‘affordable, more familiar dishes’.

Tesco said it had launched more than 30 new plant-based products across its Wicked Kitchen and Plant Chef ranges in July 2020, including BBQ, Asian-inspired and meal kits.

In June 2019, Tesco announced its intention to increase vegan products by 837% in a bid for leadership in the Plant-Based category.

In December 2019, Sainsbury’s launched their own-label Plant Pioneers vegan range. The range of 31 plant-based ambient, chilled and frozen lines includes fresh meat alternatives like vegan steaks and Shroomballs as well as plant-based comfort food lines like Fishless Fingers and Southern Fried Bites. They have also introduced over 100 alternative protein products led by their Love Your Veg range.

Sainsbury’s has recorded a 45% increase in sales of plant-based products year-on-year and the brand is set to tap into the growing demand for meat-free alternatives by expanding its vegan range.

To mark the start of Veganuary in January 2020, ASDA launched 48 new plant-based products under the ‘Asda Plant Based’ label, with most products hosting the new ‘live better’ logo - Asda’s new health icon helping to signpost the healthiest choices in the range.

In January 2020 Aldi launched its Plant Menu range containing 14 products and added 20 more to this in 2021.

Their options range from veggie burgers, hot dogs, meatless meatballs, vegetable pot stickers, and eggplant ravioli to an array of dairy-free cheeses, healthy plant-based milks, and vegan ice cream.

In addition to this, Aldi has created a ‘Healthy and Sustainable Basket’ in partnership with the British Dietetic Association. The basket has been designed to encourage people to make healthy food choices while also reducing their impact on the environment by encouraging customers to eat more plants than the average diet. They have also made the suggestions affordable so that the options can be purchased on a budget.

The basket gives ideas of what items to buy including suggestions of products certified to animal welfare assurance schemes and also promoting some higher animal welfare items. They provide health tips and encourage people to eat more fruit and vegetables, as well as provide meal ideas which can be made from items in the shopping basket.

Other sustainability initiatives Aldi focuses on include making a commitment to increasing the percentage of sales from healthier products, working to reduce their environmental impact by focusing on tackling climate change, boosting their energy efficiency and reducing, reusing and recycling their waste.

In 2021, ALDI Italy became the first large-scale retailer in Italy to officially support Veganuary by promoting a variety of plant-based products.

Discount retail giant Lidl announces a progressive strategy to expand its plant based offering whilst reducing its animal products.

Christof Graf, chief buyer for the 100-billion-turnover retail giant, told the trade magazine Lebensmittelzeitung that he wants to replace more animal proteins with plant-based alternatives.

According to Graf, there is “no alternative” to this step; that as a human species, we must live within the boundaries of the planet, and that this can only be achieved with fewer animal products. He says a change is “without alternative because there is no second planet.”

Bargain supermarket Lidl promotes a range of plant-based products, including its vegan sausage roll, Just Free oat milk and coconut-based yoghurts, Jackfruit Bao Bun, and 'No Pork' Pies.

Compassion will now engage and support Lidl in their strategy, using their extensive bank of interactive tools, roadmaps and industry insights to help shape the future of food.

Lidl’s W/O Meat Vegan Burger won the 'Best Veggie Burger' category of Good Housekeeping’s BBQ Taste Test, in which burgers were assessed on their appearance, aroma, taste, and texture.

Morrisons has been tapping into the trend towards plant-based food by targeting younger consumers and providing options for those who wish to cut down on their meat consumption.

Since 2018, due to successful sales figures and customer demand, they have expanded their own-brand vegan line, V-Taste, with the addition of plant-based ready meals such as: Jackfruit Biryani, Celeriac Steaks & Portobello Mushrooms with Skin-On-Fries, Vegan Garlic Mushroom Spaghetti, No Chik-in Jalfrezi and The Best Mushroom Steamed Buns.

In July 2020, Morrisons launched the nation’s first supermarket vegan ‘no pepperoni’ pizza with a plant-based cheese and a vegan pepperoni alternative which uses a blend of pea protein and spices to mimic the meaty taste and texture.

They have whole sections on their website dedicated to vegan and vegetarian options.

Rewe Group is one of Europe’s leading retail and tourism groups operating in 21 countries. They have a large presence in Germany operating around 6000 stores including the Rewe and Penny supermarket chains, nahkauf convenience store franchises, the bakery chain Glocken-Bäckerei and the butcher Wilhelm Brandenburg. Internationally they have a further 3500 stores including discounter Penny, supermarket Billa and multiple convenience store chains.

The group strives to raise the awareness levels of children and adults about more sustainable consumption and more balanced nutrition and integrates their customers into its involvement in biodiversity and environmental protection. To do this, they conduct campaigns in their stores such as participatory events, informative action weeks and fundraising drives on selected products. They have a number of initiatives which help to reduce their impact on the environment and encourage customers to have a more sustainable diet. These include:

• Rewe have added the ‘PRO PLANET’ sustainability label to its products which takes into account the social, environmental and animal welfare aspects to help customers make informed choices about the products they are purchasing.
• Penny was the first retailer in Germany to develop an own brand vegan range across all of its product categories with its Food for Future range. The range includes plant-based burgers, rice nuggets and egg and cheese substitutes and is also climate neutral.

• In September 2020 Penny teamed up with the University of Augsburg to calculate the ‘true prices’ for eight conventional and organically produced private-label products (apples, bananas, potatoes, tomatoes, mozzarella, Gouda, milk, and mixed meat). They factored in the impact of nitrogen, greenhouse gases, energy, and land-use change from each product’s supply chain and found that the retail price would need to increase by an average of 62% for conventional products and 35% for organic products if the impacts of all the factors were considered in the price. Taking dietary habits into account as well resulted in an increase of 52% for conventional and 32% for organic products. Both prices were shown on the products to demonstrate the real cost of consuming that product, although customers only paid the retail cost.
• At the same time as its ‘True Prices’ project, Penny opened its first interactive sustainability market “PENNY Grüner Weg” in the Spandau area of Berlin. This store contains 20 stations to make the company’s most important sustainability issues more visible and tangible. It answers questions such as ‘Which products will still be on the shelf if there were no more bees and other pollinating insects?’ and also offers products such as vegetables which are usually rejected as being too big, small or wonky, and items with less packaging.
• In July 2021 Rewe Germany introduced the ‘Better Half’ brand containing classic meat items which replace 50% of the meat content with vegetables. The range has launched in 1800 stores with two options, minced beef and sausages, with plans to add more sausage products following the launch. The vegetables used in the products include peppers, carrots, onions, tomatoes, pea flour, herbs, and natural spices, but no flavour enhancers. As well as offering an option to consumers who wish to reduce their meat consumption, a further benefit of the hybrid mince is that it contains significantly less fat and calories than classic minced beef.

• Rewe Germany received the ‘Most Vegan-Friendly Supermarket 2021’ award from Peta due to its wide range of plant-based products on offer, and Penny received the ‘Best Own Brand’ award for its Food for Future range.