Coca-Cola to Launch Vegan Smoothie Line in UK

Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP) will launch the Adez line of vegan smoothies in March in the United Kingdom. The new line will feature plant-based milks in three flavors: Amazing Almond Mango-Passionfruit, Mighty Oat Strawberry Banana, and Courageous Coconut Berry. Coca-Cola bought the Adez brand—which launched in the UK in 2006—from Unilever in 2016 for $575 Canadian dollars ($466 USD). CCEP customer marketing director Simon Harrison believes re-launching the brand will be profitable, as demand for dairy-free products is on the rise in the UK. “There has been a lot of fantastic work done by other manufacturers in this area,” Harrison told media outlet The Grocer UK. “It is already such a bigger market than people would think. There are a lot of trends happening at the moment that we think this is a great fit for.” At the recent dairy-industry conference in Glasgow, Scotland, sustainability expert Judith Capper predicted that if the dairy alternatives continue to grow, and consumers continue to learn about the negative impact of animal products, the entire dairy industry will collapse in no more than 10 years.