Nestlé made its plant-based debut in China today with the launch of its Harvest Gourmet brand at an event in Beijing.
The range includes burgers, sausages, nuggets and mince, as well as plant-based alternatives to favorites such as kung pao chicken, braised meatballs, pork belly, and spicy wok.
Harvest Gourmet products will be available in retail and for out of home, meeting growing demand from Chinese consumers for tasty, nutritious and sustainable plant-based options.
Nestlé also inaugurated its first plant-based production site in Asia. Located in Tianjin, China, the facility is already fully operational and will provide a wide range of plant-based food under the Harvest Gourmet brand.
Rashid Qureshi, CEO of Nestlé Greater China Region said: "Nestlé wants to make plant-based food part of everyone's everyday life, which is why we're excited to offer our delicious and nutritious products in China. We see China leading the trend towards a new generation of plant-based food in Asia, as people look for options that are good for them and good for the planet."
Nestlé already has a strong plant-based presence in Europe with Garden Gourmet and in the United States with Sweet Earth brands. Harvest Gourmet products are already available in Australia and will now build a strong presence in Asia. Nestlé will use its industry-leading innovation capacity to continue to create new dining experiences tailored to Chinese tastebuds.
People around the globe are paying more attention to their health and looking to diversify their diets to lower their environmental footprint. That is why Nestlé is committed to providing more delicious, nutritious and sustainable plant-based options.
This announcement follows Nestle's unveiling last week of its detailed, time-bound plan to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As part of that, Nestlé is continuously expanding its offering of plant-based food and beverages and is reformulating products to make them more environmentally friendly.
In the past 18 months, Nestlé has introduced new plant-based burgers, sausages, mince, new plant-based alternatives to chicken and tuna, as well as an array of plant-based meals including pizzas and lasagna. It has also debuted a fully plant-based 'bacon cheeseburger' for food service customers in the U.S.
Globally, Nestlé has around 300 people dedicated to the research and development of plant-based products. The company's deep expertise in protein science as well as its global research, prototyping and accelerator facilities mean it can accelerate new product development despite the current challenging environment.
Nestlé food scientists, product developers and culinary chefs work together to get the right taste, texture and appearance, as well as a great nutritional profile. Products are the further tailored for use in professional kitchens, taking into account their specific cooking and serving requirements.
Read the full press release (pdf, 150Kb)
Find related images on Flickr