The Aussie spread has been certified by Vegan Australia, to coincide with World Vegan Day on November 1.
Vegemite became officially vegan without changing its recipe because – surprise – it has always been vegan. Among its ingredients are yeast extract (from yeast grown on barley and wheat) as well as salt.
Vegemite’s ingredients haven’t changed since it was first rolled out in Australia back in 1923. More than 22 million jars made each year.
Vegemite is all good for vegetarians and is certified as kosher and halal.
“To keep Vegemite relevant today, it needs to appeal to all Australians,” Matt Gray, Senior Marketing Manager, Vegemite said in a statement. “With over 10 per cent of Australians choosing a vegan or vegetarian-based diet, it’s important that they can still enjoy the nation’s favourite spread – so we sought official certification from Vegan Australia.”
Vegan Australia certifies a variety of vegan products such as food and beverages, cosmetics, fashion and cleaning products. Its certification process ensures a product doesn’t have any animal products, isn’t tested on animals, and has been made without using animal products during production.
Vegemite joins a growing list of companies that have opted to get their products certified by Vegan Australia. More than 500 Aussie products have received the certification, such as Over The Moo dairy free ice cream and Nature Bake Australia’s gluten free cake mixes and flour.
“We’re excited that Vegemite has approached Vegan Australia to be certified, ensuring that their customers and the estimated 500,000 vegans who live in Australia know that Vegemite meets the high standards set by Vegan Australia,” Heath Kilgour, Certification Manager of Vegan Australia said.
In 2018, analysis from Google Trends showed Australia had the highest percentage of searches for the word “vegan”.
IBISWorld highlighted that the number of people on a vegan diet in Australia is set to keep rising over the next five years.
“As demand for vegan products rises, food manufacturers are expected to increase the range and quality of their plant-based foods, driving further demand,” the organisation said.
Source: Business Insider Australia
