PETA recognizes Aldi for vegan line
PETA, the animal organization supporting the ethical treatment of animals, has named Aldi its first-ever “Top Grocer” for its wide range of exclusive vegan foods.
Aldi’s on a roll, after earning the “Value Leader” award from the Market Force Information Grocery Benchmark Study, and announced it would be growing by 70 stores, passing 2,000 total in the United States. Aldi U.S. CEO Jason Hart discussed the growth in a Q&A.
The discount grocer’s line of meat-free, vegan alternatives include veggie burgers, hot dogs, meatless meatballs, vegetable pot stickers, eggplant ravioli, dairy-free cheeses, plant-based milks and vegan ice cream.
Aldi will receive a framed certificate from PETA. The organization told Store Brands that it felt Aldi set a great example for other retailers and wanted to find a way to honor them.
"Aldi recognizes that consumers today care about animal welfare, their own health, and the impact that a meat- and dairy-heavy diet has on the environment — and it deserves to be recognized for offering shoppers a host of tasty vegan foods," says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. "These are times when consumers are contemplating numerous changes in their lives, and many of them, especially young people, do not want their money to support slaughterhouses and factory farms."
In addition to more choice for consumers, plant-based foods are growing steadily as a category overall, accounting for 2% of all U.S. dollar sales for retail packaged meat, and dairy-free substitutes are on track to pass $1 billion in earnings in 2020.