World Vegan Chocolate Day 2024
With the world vegan chocolate market estimated to increase to over $2billion by 2032, according to Transparency Market Research, its not surprising that Adrian Ling, known as the Vegan Willi Wonka, is once again trailblazing the third World Vegan Chocolate Day.
Celebrating all things vegan chocolate on the 31st of January, the day comes as the chocolate treat at the end of the ever-popular Veganuary.
Adrian’s message for 2024 day is –
“This year I’m encouraging producers and suppliers to celebrate all things vegan chocolate on line. Getting the message out there that vegan chocolate ‘is here, now and happening’! Promote, have fun, giveaway, engage, smile, but overall take part in any way you can to celebrate World Vegan Chocolate Day. Let’s have some fun. If as many brands get involved as possible, doing their own ‘thing’, all will benefit. Let’s show what a wonderful industry we are in… and it’s a great way to end Veganuary.
Adrian is using the coming year to highlight what he sees as outdated Cocoa and Chocolate product regulations. The current labelling regulations are in addition to the general food label regulations and have hardly changed in essence since the 1960’s.
Current label regulations are unfit for the 21st century
‘I firmly believe the current label regulations are unfit for the 21st century. They prescribe what chocolate description are to be used with exacting percentages of cocoa ingredients. It is difficult enough to find an industry professional that has a good understanding of the logic of regulations, let alone a consumer.
I am aware other confectionery companies agree with my position, but multinationals are reluctant to promote legislative change even if the parameters they operate within are illogical. I recognise the benefit of labelling regulation equivalence throughout Europe, or even to rest of the world, but the whole industry would benefit long-term if the regulations were updated.
In addition, from a vegan point of view, Adrian sees the regulations as ‘vegan discriminatory,’ he continues,
’It is a crazy world in which the use of additional ingredients prohibits the use of the term chocolate, for instance when rice, whole oats or many other ‘milking’ ingredients are used. This can lead to a situation in which vegan chocolate, equivalent in cocoa content to dairy milk chocolate may not be legally described as ‘chocolate.’ This is quite a separate argument from vegans wanting to use the dairy term milk.”
‘The label regulations are in place to ensure the consumer is protected and informed. I believe the industry should come together to seek comprehensive and logical amendments to the current regulations, which could be holding back innovation and understanding of cocoa content in chocolate, vegan or not.’
Wishing everyone a happy World Vegan Chocolate Day.
For further information contact [email protected] 01303 850588
