Netherlands-based The Flower Farm has launched at Sainsbury’s, marking the first major UK supermarket listing for the brand’s vegan and palm oil-free spreads.
The spread is made with shea butter, which has similar properties to palm oil but does not contribute to deforestation. Other ingredients include sunflower oil, lemon juice, carrot juice and sea salt.
The flower farm estimates that it has already saved 726,000 kilos of palm oil and more than 1.85 million square meters of palm oil plantations. 17.6 million products have been sold so far.
“We are delighted to be endorsed by Sainsbury’s”
Previously, the spread was launched in a supermarket chain’s booths in the north of England. In the Netherlands, the product is widely available at major retailers including Albert Heijn.
“We are delighted to be endorsed by Sainsbury’s as we seek to increase our palm oil-free presence across the UK retail landscape, while raising awareness of the role palm oil production plays in destroying the world’s most biodiverse rainforest,” said Marcel van Wing, founder of The Flower Farm. said
Alternatives to palm oil
The palm oil industry is becoming increasingly controversial due to its association with deforestation and habitat destruction. As a result, many brands are trying to move away from the ingredient.
Using different oils like shea butter is one option, but some companies are working to develop other alternatives. These include cultivated palm oil derived from cells, along with fermented fats. One company, Estonia’s ÄIO, is upcycling wood and agricultural industry by-products with microbes called “red bugs” as an alternative to palm oil.
“In the same way we make kombucha, yogurt, bread and beer, we can turn sawdust or other low-value organic materials into valuable and healthy ingredients. Our “red bug” can’t turn water into wine, but it can turn sawdust into food,” said ÄIO co-founder Nemaila Bonturi.