Vegan KitKat set to be discontinued amid sales decline and manufacturing challenges
As Veganuary draws to a close, and four years after it was first introduced to a global marketplace, the vegan version of Nestlé’s core KitKat brand is being withdrawn amid dwindling sales, reports Neill Barston.
Known as the kitKat V, it had been initially launched to significant fanfare, and won industry plaudits for its comparative taste profile and has been made with sustainable cocoa, is now considered to be no longer viable.
It comes amid a period of notable strain on confectionery manufacturers that have continued to face major increases in cocoa prices that have resulted in some companies seeking out replacement ingredients.
Today, which is also World Vegan Chocolate Day, draws to a close the month-long celebration of the vegan movement, which last year saw a total of 1.8 million people try products, including snacks within the category for a month.
As a major confectionery brand, Nestlé’s decision to enter the vegan market was widely hailed in 2021 as potentially hailing a milestone moment for the segment, with further launches being anticipated within the company, and from other major players. However, that has largely failed to materialise, and with heightened production costs surrounding the pandemic and beyond, many manufacturers have been cautious about entering the vegan space.
Moreover, as Confectionery Production previously reported, there had been considerable development work into the product from Nestlé’s specialist research teams in York, UK, with its launch being supported by the Rainforest Alliance.
A Nestle spokesperson said: “We know that KitKat Vegan has been popular for those looking for dairy or vegan alternatives. Unfortunately, global demand has been reducing to the point that production was making manufacturing more and more complex, and we have now made the difficult decision to discontinue the product. We know there will be some disappointment however, it will still be available in the UK and Ireland until the summer.”
