Margarine Brand Flora Goes 100% Vegan

Global margarine brand Flora has gone vegan.

According to Flora, its new recipe is made with 100 percent plant-based ingredients and is free from preservatives as well as artificial colors and flavors. The updated range is also approved by The Vegan Society. It comes in four flavors — Original, Light, Buttery, and Dairy Free — and is made from a blend of plant-based oils and fats.

“Health and well-being has never been so important to consumers, people care more about what goes into the products they are feeding themselves and their families, but they are not prepared to compromise on taste – and they shouldn’t have to,” Steven Hermiston, UK and Ireland general manager at Flora parent company Upfield, said in a statement.

According to the website, the vegan margarine contains 60 percent less saturated fat than dairy-based butter. Additionally, the Flora highlights how its new formula has a third of the carbon footprint of dairy-based butter.

“With a great new recipe making Flora more delicious than ever, our new 100% plant goodness range can be enjoyed by the whole family. Plant-based nutrition is at the heart of the Upfield business and Flora, with its plant goodness, is set to lead the charge and marks a key moment for us and the wider category,” Hermiston continued.

Is Dairy Done For?

Butter and margarine are a household staple, but a growing body of evidence highlighting the environmental and health consequences of dairy has led to consumers taking a flexitarian approach to their diets.

According to PCRM (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine), a US-based nonprofit organization of more than 12,000 doctor members, dairy consumption has been linked to chronic health issues such as an increased risk for cardiovascular disease and certain forms of cancer. Additionally, 65 percent of the world is lactose intolerant.

Both brands and grocery stores are responding to the shift in consumer eating habits with new products. Denmark-based vegan food brand Naturli’ introduced its palm oil and dairy-free butter to Sainsbury’s last July. NYC-based food startup FabaButter is innovating with a a vegan butter made from aquafaba, the liquid from a can of chickpeas.

Flora’s new vegan margarine is now available wherever Flora is sold. A TV campaign will launch in early May.