Nestlé has revealed it will discontinue the vegan version of its popular KitKat chocolate bar in a blow to the plant-based confectionery market.
KitKat V was first introduced in 2021, responding to consumer demand for a vegan-friendly and dairy-free version of the brand’s beloved chocolate wafer bar. It features a rice-based plant-based chocolate alongside KitKat’s trademark crispy wafer, made with ingredients including cocoa butter, corn fibre and vegetable fats.
Now, less than four years after its launch, Nestlé has confirmed it will be discontinuing the product due to slowing sales.
A spokesperson for Nestlé told The Plant Base: “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.”
This latest decision follows Nestlé’s axing of its plant-based Wunda and Garden Gourmet retail offering in the UK and Ireland in 2023 as the company looked to focus its investment on its ‘core’ portfolio. The Garden Gourmet brand is still available in the UK and Ireland for foodservice businesses through the company’s Nestlé Professional arm.
