Back when I followed a plant-based diet a few years ago, there weren’t really that many vegan treats out there on the general market, and to find them, you generally had to hunt around quite a bit. However, there has recently been a substantial surge in big companies releasing vegan versions of our favourite foods, such as Ben & Jerry’s diary free icecream, Gregg’s vegan sausage rolls and now, excitingly, Mars has announced that they will soon be launching a vegan Galaxy chocolate bar.
This new variant is certified by the Vegan Society, and will be available in three delicious flavours: caramel and sea salt, caramelised hazelnut and smooth orange. However, these 100g chocolate bars will cost £3, which is about double the cost of a typical bar of Galaxy chocolate and has sparked a fair bit of criticism.
Whilst the pricier cost is understandably a little frustrating for vegans and those with dairy intolerances, it is great that more big brands are listening to what consumer’s want and now bringing out more plant based alternatives, both for ethical and environmental reasons. It is a well known fact that the meat industry has a hugely negative impact on our planet, and it is becoming better understood that the dairy industry is also highly damaging. By having a greater selection of vegan foods and treats out there, cutting back on meat and dairy consumption, or eliminating it from our diets completely, becomes a much more manageable and realistic goal.
Chocolate, in my opinion anyway, is one of the hardest things to give up when swapping to a vegan diet. A lot of vegan chocolate, unfortunately, is pretty bland and disappointing, but hopefully with big brands such as Mars stepping in, the vegan chocolate market will up its game.
