Nestlé has made its largest foray into plant-based drinks in Europe with the introduction of Wunda, a new pea-based milk alternative.
The drink is made from yellow peas sourced in France and Belgium and Nestlé says it offers strong nutritional value compared to similar plant-based beverages on the market – high in fibre, low in sugar and fat, enriched with calcium and a source of vitamins D, B2 and B12.
According to Nestlé, the neutral taste and high protein content of the pea-based beverage allows it to be fully versatile for many uses including over cereal, in hot beverages, in cooking or drunk straight.
The Wunda range will come in original, unsweetened and chocolate varieties and will be available first in France, Portugal and the Netherlands, before rolling out to other European markets.
The pea-based beverage is also carbon neutral from launch – certified by the Carbon Trust – which has been achieved through using renewable energy in production and reducing emissions during distribution.
Stefan Palzer, Nestlé chief technology officer, said: “This truly versatile, delicious pea-based beverage is an excellent source of protein and fibre. Its great neutral taste, the ability to use it for different applications and the fact that it is carbon neutral make it an ideal plant-based alternative to milk.”
Wunda was initially developed as part of the company’s plant-based dairy R&D accelerator programme in just six months.
“Our young intrapreneurs created this great product based on their own consumer needs by leveraging our longstanding expertise in plant-proteins and dairy,” added Palzer.
Nestlé says the brand is already working on other innovations within the dairy alternatives space.
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024
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