Nestlé's Vegan Milo Hits Australian Shelves

One of the most popular cocoa malt health drink powders in the world and the most popular one in Australia - MILO, has released a vegan-version.

An official news release by the owners of the Milo brand, Nestlé said, "The new Milo replaces milk powder with soy and oats. The core ingredients are the same as the original Milo – malt, barley and cocoa. The Milo development team worked hard to make sure it kept the same unmistakable choc-malt taste and iconic crunch that Australians have grown up with." 

Image Credit: pedestrian.tv

Just last year, Milo had released a stevia-sweetened version with 30% less sugar than the original Milo, after it was criticised for high sugar content and not being as nutritious as it claimed to be, by experts. 

Nestlé clearly mentioned that they recognize the rising demand for plant-based products due to many consumers following a 'flexitarian' diet, that is lower on meat and dairy, these days. A common reason for that is the increasing awareness about the impact of animal agriculture on the environment.

Image Credit: Pedestrian.tv

Other vegan products by Nestlé, already being sold in the market include Ninho Forti+, in Brazil from December 2019, in a ready-to-drink carton with a paper straw and Nesquik Goodnes, a chocolate flavoured milk based on oat and pea protein.

This comes after confectionery giants like Mars releasing Vegan Chocolate Bars and Cadbury set to launch a vegan version of dairy milk too.

Interestingly, Nestlé has "around 300 R&D scientists, engineers and product developers located in eight R&D centers that are dedicated to the research and development of plant-based products. This includes its center in Konolfingen, Switzerland, that specializes in dairy."
With that kind of research focussed on plant-based products, it seems like we can expect Nestlé to roll out more vegan products throughout the world soon!

We hope other malted beverage brands like Bournvita, Boost, Complan, Ovaltine Horlicks etc. follow suit since it's clear that brands listen to consumer demands and the demand for plant-based products will only continue to rise!

Closer home, looks like we have a longer wait for such food giants to release their dairy-alternatives, although online markets like amazon have many smaller brands launching vegan products.

Featured Image Courtesy: Messyveggies.com

Read: Cadbury Confirms Vegan 'Dairy Milk' is Underway
Read More: Nestle To Launch Plant-based Infant Formula