Nestlé ambitious with launch of third generation dairy substitute

Food giant Nestlé is launching Wunda, a new type of vegetable drink as an alternative to milk in all possible applications. The Netherlands, France and Portugal get the scoop, the rest of Europe will follow soon.

‘Epic in everything’

Wunda, a new drink based on yellow pea protein, is ‘epic in everything’ that you would otherwise use milk for, says Nestlé. The multinational company sees more and more people reaching for alternatives to milk in their daily breakfast cereals, latte, desserts, cakes or dishes, but it is very difficult to find one plant-based milk alternative for every use. Most milk alternatives based on cereals, nuts or peas have a specific taste, are low in protein or do not mix or foam well in hot drinks. This means that consumers need two or three plant-based options for different uses.
 

Wunda changes that: you can drink it straight, pour it over cereal, use it in hot drinks, froth it for cappuccino, cook with it and much more. The drink is high in fibre but low in sugar and fat, enriched with calcium and a source of vitamins D, B2 and B12. All products carry the Nutri-Score A. Peas are also one of the most environmentally friendly sources of vegetable protein: partly because of this, Wunda is also carbon-neutral. The product comes in three flavours: natural, unsweetened and chocolate. Nestlé will first launch the new brand in France, the Netherlands and Portugal, followed by a roll-out to other European countries.

Ideal alternative

According to Nestlé, the potential is huge: four out of ten European shoppers already buy some dairy alternatives. With its experience in both traditional dairy and plant-based nutrition, Nestlé wants to be at the forefront of this consumption shift.
 

Stefan Palzer, Nestlé Chief Technology Officer: “This truly versatile, delicious pea-based beverage is an excellent source of protein and fiber. Its great neutral taste, the ability to use it for different applications and the fact that it is carbon neutral make it an ideal plant-based alternative to milk. Our young intrapreneurs created this great product based on their own consumer needs by leveraging our longstanding expertise in plant-proteins and dairy.”