A new certification seal aims to help consumers easily find plant-based foods and vegan products on store shelves.
Plant-Based Foods of Canada (PBFC) has partnered with the U.S.-based Plant-Based Food Association (PBFA) to make its “Certified Plant-Based” food certification program available in Canada.
The first products carrying the seal have already hit shelves in Canadian grocery stores.
“We want to make it easy for Canadian consumers to confidently identify plant-based products as the plant-based food industry continues to grow and new products enter the market,” said Leslie Ewing, PBFC executive director, in a press release. “The Certified Plant-Based seal provides assurance that products contain no animal-derived ingredients.”
The protocol, owned by PBFA, focuses on plant-based alternatives to animal-based foods and specifies the criteria to use the Certified Plant Based seal.
The protocol defines plant-based food as a finished product consisting of ingredients derived from plants that include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds and/or legumes (peas, beans, pulses, etc.). The product cannot contain any animal-derived ingredients.
Foods that are eligible to receive the certification include:
- meat alternatives
- egg substitutes
- dairy alternatives such as plant-based milk, cheese, yogurt, butter and ice cream
Recent research from Nielsen shows plant-based foods in Canada continue to post strong sales growth even throughout the pandemic, and are now valued at over $500 million.
Research conducted by Nielsen for PBFC found identifying products as “plant-based” is important to consumers as they’re looking for assurance that products are not from animal-based sources. PBFC said the new seal would instill consumer confidence, build awareness of plant-based food options, and establish a consistent identifier for the plant-based foods industry.
Plant-Based Foods of Canada is a division of Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada.
