Unilever Launches Organic Vegan Snack Line

International corporation Unilever announced this week the launch of vegan snack line Growing Roots. The line features clusters of organic plant-based foods—such as seeds, corn, and coconut—in flavors such as Cocoa Chipotle, Pineapple Coconut Rum, Maple Bourbon, and Coconut Curry. Unilever will donate 50 percent of its profits to urban-farming initiatives, including New York City-based Green City Force, an organization with which it partnered in 2015 to help it open six urban farms in the state that currently grow 32,000 pounds of organic produce. “What’s so special about Growing Roots is that it started as a social mission that our employees were passionate about, borne from the belief that everyone should have access to affordable, nutritious food,” Unilever North America Vice President of Foods Matthew McCarthy said. “Seeing the transformational impact urban farms have in communities, we created a brand from the ground up to help fulfill and extend that mission.” The Growing Roots line will be available this month at ShopRite stores in the Northeast before expanding to nationwide retailers—including Amazon Fresh and Amazon.com—in coming months. Several Unilever brands—such as Ben & Jerry’s, Breyers, and Talenti—have expanded their plant-based options in the previous two years, and the brand’s chefs signed a “Chef’s Manifesto” in October with the mission to organize a better global food system.