Vegan Demand In the Middle East Soars
From Starbucks debuting Beyond Meat sandwiches across the region to supermarkets adding popular vegan brands like VBites, demand for sustainable plant-based protein is soaring in the Middle East.
The Beyond Meat Triple Cheese Wrap and Beyond Meatball Arabian Ciabatta. Credit: Beyond Meat
Leading brands and top vegan companies are launching plant-based protein options across the Middle East as demand for sustainable, animal-free food continues to soar across the region.
Starbucks has launched two new Beyond Meat sandwiches in stores across the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. Though the two sandwiches aren’t vegan as they both contain dairy, the collaboration marks a massive milestone in making plant-based protein accessible with over 190 Starbucks locations in Dubai alone.
In the same week as Starbucks’ Beyond Meat launch, popular vegan food company VBites announced the debut of nine of its products in 90 supermarket stores across Dubai.
The likes of VBites’ plant-based burgers and ‘chkn’ chunks will be readily available at the Spinneys supermarket.
And that’s not all: this Veganauary has also seen one of UAE’s biggest frozen food producers release its first ever plant-based protein product. Al Islami Foods, famous for their frozen chicken and meat products, have launched a plant-based ‘beef’ burger. Made from sunflower, fava beans, and pea protein, the burger is the company’s first in an upcoming line of plant-based protein products.
Credit: Al Islami
“We believe that the plant-based food trend is here to stay as people explore different ways to diversify their protein intake and become more health-conscious”, explained Zubair Ahmad, head of marketing at Al Islami Foods, on the company’s plant-based protein debut.
The growing popularity of plant-based protein in the Middle East is reflective of a wider global trend, as more and more consumers are looking to reduce their meat intake on environmental, health, or animal welfare grounds.
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