Lidl Becomes First Major Retailer To Use ‘Gold Standard’ Plant-Based Trademark

Lidl has become the first major retailer to use The Vegetarian Society’s Plant-Based Trademark.

The budget supermarket chain will include the trademark’s logo on its Vemondo Plant! range’s packaging. According to The Vegetarian Society, the Plant-Based Trademark is designed to be the “gold standard” of accreditation for meat-free products.

All items bearing the Plant-Based Trademark must have a “key plant-based characteristic” and include no animal-based ingredients. The Lidl Vemondo Plant! range includes plant-based ingredients, vegetable-based products, and vegan ready meals.

“Developments in the marketplace see customers looking for different terminology,” explained Vanessa Brown, Head of Trademarks, the Vegetarian Society. “‘Plant-Based’ is a term which resonates with them and manufacturers too.”

“The Vegetarian Society offers third-party checking, registration, and trademark services for products which meet the plant-based criteria and companies who would like to use plant-based terminology, to give customers the confidence to make informed purchases.”

Read more: New Research Highlights Growing Plant-Based Shift In The UK

Lidl triples meat-free range

The Vegetarian Society was founded nearly 130 years ago and the UK-based charity’s trademarks and symbols appear in thousands of products in the UK, EU, US, and around the world. The Plant-Based Trademark is its newest symbol, and it launched at the end of last year.

In October, Lidl announced plans to triple its plant-based range with 28 new products in the updated Vemondo Plant! line (previously just Vemondo), including vegan deli items, meat, and dairy. The supermarket reported a 12 percent rise in meat-free sales over the preceding year and aims to make 25 percent of its protein sales from plant-based products by 2030.

“It’s fabulous to have Lidl on board with its fantastic Vemondo Plant! range now being certified to use the Plant-Based Trademark. Customers are looking for reassurance from an easy-to-read label and will be able to see the Plant-Based Trademark on products in Lidl stores soon,” said Brown.

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