Cadbury Confirms Vegan 'Dairy Milk' is Underway

Cadbury, the almost 200 year-old UK-based brand that manufactures the popular, well-loved 'dairy milk' chocolates that most of us have probably grown up eating, has confirmed that it is indeed working on a dairy-free, vegan version of the same chocolate bar- allegedly, since two years.
"We're always listening to our consumers, so we can develop and provide people with a greater choice of products. This includes looking at a plant-based Cadbury Dairy Milk bar," a spokesperson for Mondelez International- the US-based multinational company that owns Cadbury- said in a statement.

With the rising demand for dairy-free and vegan products,  Cadbury, the second largest confectionery brand in the world operating in 50 countries, doesn't want to be left behind.
The largest confectionery brand- Mars- became the world's first confectionery giant to launch vegan chocolate bars under their 'Galaxy' brand. With not one or two but three different flavours. They came up with the vegan chocolate bars due to the "impossible-to-ignore vegan buzz in the UK."

Mondelez International is also the world's largest snack company that owns not just Cadbury but brands like Oreo, Halls, Tang, Toblerone and many more. They mentioned that they have "no immediate plans" to launch the vegan chocolate bar. They would launch it only when they achieve the "best taste and texture that is expected from Cadbury."
"We are very aware of the rise in consumer interest towards vegan products. We have a brilliant R&D team in Bournville who are focused entirely on new products and innovation," they said, in an official statement. 
They have previously invested in Hu Master Holdings, a vegan/paleo NYC-based snack company and an allergen-free snacking brand called Enjoy Life, that also happens to be vegan-friendly.
They were reportedly set to launch in January 2020, in line with the Veganuary Campaign, but it got delayed as they "grapple with finding a dairy substitute which is also suitable for consumers with nut allergies," The Sunday Telegraph (UK) reported.

It's also interesting to note that in a press release, Mondelez International said, "We take climate change very seriously because of the negative impact it has on people and planet, including within our own value chain." 
Hope they consider bringing more vegan products in the market, not just to answer consumer demand but also to stand by their belief in environmental sustainability.

It will be very exciting to have non-dairy 'dairy milk' chocolate bars in the market, especially because 'dairy milk' chocolates started, 115 years back, with more milk content than any other chocolate bar. They are now probably one of the most famous chocolates in the world.

From the current reports, it looks like they would launch it only in the UK and maybe in the US. We hope to see it hit the Indian markets too. 

According to Forbes magazine, the vegan food market is expected to reach $24.3 billion. We hope other brands take note and realise that veganism is here to stay and grow the world over.

Feature Image (Cadbury's Vegan Chocolate Bar) Source: Livekindly

Read: Mars 'Galaxy' Vegan Milk Chocolate Bars
Read More: 10 Vegan, Dairy-free Chocolate Brands to check out this Season