Philadelphia Cream Cheese launches plant-based spread
Dive Brief:
- Philadelphia Cream Cheese is launching a plant-based version of its original-flavored spread. This is the first time a big brand of cream cheese in the U.S. has made a plant-based variety.
- Philadelphia Plant-Based spread is launching at select retailers in the Southeastern U.S., including the Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Miami and Nashville markets. It will roll out nationwide — in both the original flavor and two others — next summer.
- Following increased consumer interest in plant-based dairy, Philadelphia’s parent company Kraft Heinz has quickly jumped into the space. This is the CPG’s second launch of a plant-based cheese product in just over a month, following Kraft NotCheese slices through the company’s joint venture with NotCo.
Dive Insight:
After a slow start, the plant-based cheese sector is quickly accelerating.
The fact that there will be a plant-based version of Philadelphia means two things: Plant-based is recognized as a sizable market force, and Kraft Heinz is endorsing the quality of its plant-based variety by launching it under the Philadelphia brand.
Robert Scott, Kraft Heinz president of R&D, said in a statement there are 20 times more flexitarian consumers — people who choose to sometimes eat plant-based — than vegans. And while many consumers have tried plant-based spreads, fewer than half are repeat customers, according to the IRI and Mintel stats shared by Kraft Heinz.
“We realized the current options weren’t meeting consumer expectations and there was no trusted leader,” Scott said in the statement. “Philadelphia Plant-Based spread not only provides a solution that mirrors the taste and texture of our iconic Philadelphia brand, but it also reinforces Kraft Heinz’s bet to bring plant-based offerings to the masses.”
Kraft Heinz’s Philadelphia entrance into plant-based could be made easier by the dominant position the brand already has with its core…
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