Other meat and dairy companies that own vegan brands
At Ethical Consumer, we have found other cases of this ethical conundrum for vegans.
Arla, one of the world’s largest dairy companies, owns the Jord vegan milk brand; while the world’s biggest meat company JBS owns plant-based alternatives brand Vivera. JBS is notorious for alleged links to deforestation and corruption.
Pure dairy-free spreads are owned by the Kerry Group, whose other well known brands include Dairygold and Cheesestrings. Vitalite spreads are owned by Saputo, which also owns a wide range of cheeses and butters, including Cathedral City, Clover and Utterly Butterly.
In 2021, the company also bought Sheese (Bute Island Foods), a vegan cheese company based on the Isle of Bute, Scotland, which had been making vegan cheese since the late 1980s. Saputo stated that it would invest £3m in the local island community over five years.
In June 2022, Saputo’s UK subsidiary Dairy Crest admitted to 21 pollution incidents and permit breaches since 2016 at its creamery in Cornwall. The UK’s regulator the Environment Agency said local residents were forced to endure “horrendous smells” which left them with headaches and vision problems. It also found that “sludge” pollution from the company had killed fish in the River Inny, which is home to native wild brown trout among other species.
We also found links between the meat industry and cornerstone vegetarian brands such as Linda McCartney, whose public championing of the meat-free lifestyle has contributed significantly to the current boom in alternative diets.
The brand is currently owned by Hain Celestial, a company who sells poultry products in the US, as well as owning Ella’s Kitchen baby food, much of which contains meat.
One of the world's largest multi-nationals, Unilever, also has a stake in the vegan market through their dairy-free soya ice cream brand Swedish Glace. However, the group continues to profit from the meat and dairy industries through their other brands, such as Hellman’s, Ben & Jerry’s and Wall’s.
Applewood – another well-recognised brand from wholefood shops – is owned by TINE SA, Norway’s biggest dairy producer, along with Ilchester. And in 2024 Rude Health was purchased by Valio, Finland’s largest dairy producer.
Cauldron (which went fully vegan in summer 2023 after removing egg from the last few products) is owned by Monde Nissin whose other brands include Dutch Mill yoghurt and Lucky Me instant noodles (many containing meat). Flora has also gone fully plant-based in recent years, but its owner uses dairy in other brands such as Bertolli, Rama, and Country Crock.
Our article '15 ethical brands owned by unethical companies' expands on some of these companies, including Vivera and its owner JBS.
