Yesterday Chilean giant NotCo announced that within the next few days, it will appeal a ruling banning the use of the NotMilk trademark in Chile.
In late 2020, the Valdivia Dairy Farmers Union, Approval, filed an “unfair competition” lawsuit in the 1st Civil Court of Valdivia, accusing Notco of taking advantage of its “milk prestige”.
The approval argued that NotMilk’s advertising strategy uses the word milk to sell its products and, at the same time, disqualifies natural milk, saying it is harmful to health and the environment.
The court, which ruled in favor of the dairy union, “ordered the cessation and prohibition of the use of any sign, labelling, distinctive or figure of any nature (on its product packaging or in advertising material) containing a cow. Or any figure, cut, inverted or other common to the dairy industry.” Changed in some way,” reports local media outlet La Tercera.
Chile’s food industry is resisting change
Recently came the Chilean companyLaunched a marketing campaign in Argentina called NotCow, encouraging consumers to switch to cruelty-free, healthier, and more sustainable options.
“At NotCo, the challenge has always been with a high level of precision in the products we traditionally take, but plant-based and more sustainable. We want to be an engine of innovation that is always with us and with us all Argentines can change our daily lives for themselves and our planet,” Matias Latugaye, NotCo’s CM Argentina, said at the launch of the campaign.
but Chile’s plant-based industry is fighting a war The food industry fiercely resists change. in april, chileof Govt pass A the bill To redefine the concept of meat and ban meaty terms in plant-based foods.
Reinventing the food industry
NotCo has announced that the NotCo range will be available nationwide (Chile) to retailers when applying the “full time” process. Vegan milk The range includes original, low fat, chocolate, coffee-caramel, nutmilk zero and high protein.
Last November, the plant-based company expanded into the cheese category, launching NotCheese slices for the first time in Chile. This NPD joins the company’s animal-free portfolio: NotMilk, NotBurger, NotIcecream, NotMayo, and NotChicken. Some of NotCo’s products are retailed throughout Latin America in Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Argentina and Ecuador.
With an estimated valuation of $1.5 billion, NotCo achieved unicorn status in 2021. It has raised over $350M in funding (investors including Jeff Bezos) and achieved B Corp certification. Since its inception, this unicorn trailblazer has reiterated its strong commitment to people, environment, innovation and reinvention of the food industry.
“We have reviewed the consequences of the judgment in detail with our legal team. Our company will present in the next few days, under the protection of the law, the corresponding appeal aimed at reversing the declaration of this first instance, so that it can be reviewed by the Court of Appeal of Valdivia”, NotCo told Tercera la.