TORONTO – Tapping into growing consumer demand for tasty foods made from plants, Upfield brand Becel® introduces Becel® with Oat Beverage, a vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free margarine made from a blend of plant-based oils and a new hero ingredient, oat beverage, also known as oat milk. Becel with Oat Beverage is the newest addition to Canada’s popular line of Becel spreads, which also includes Becel Plant-Based Bricks.
“Becel aims to satisfy the appetites of Canadians whose food interests are ever changing,” said Mandy Au, Brand Lead Becel, Upfield North America. “With plant-based eating on the rise, oat milk has emerged as one of the fastest growing non-dairy beverage choices in Canada. That’s why we are thrilled to bring consumers Becel with Oat Beverage which complements the buttery taste of Becel with the rich creaminess of oat beverage, or oat milk, for a delicious, dairy-free plant-based margarine to spread, cook, and bake with.”
New Becel with Oat Beverage is a good source of Omega-3, has no artificial flavours, colours or preservatives, and is low in saturated fat. One serving has 80 per cent less saturated fat than a serving of dairy butter and can be swapped 1:1 in any recipe. It’s also kosher, halal and Certified Plant Based through a partnership with the Plant-Based Foods of Canada.
Kind Hearts Doing Good
As Becel with Oat Beverage arrives in stores, a new Becel purchase-to-donate program is underway. Through the Kind Hearts Fund, Becel is supporting charities across Canada to provide meals made with nourishing food to people facing food insecurity. For any Becel product purchased from February through April 30, 2021, Becel will donate $1.00, for up to a total of $100,000 donated, to local charities providing meals to those in need throughout Canada. This follows the brand’s 2020 initiative which gifted over $40,000 to non-profit organizations and individuals making a difference in their communities during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Plant-Based is Good for You, Good for the Planet
Becel with Oat Beverage joins other Upfield products, including Becel Plant-Based Bricks, that are helping consumers embrace plant-based diets, driving positive change for the environment and people’s health. In fact, the production of foods made from plants generally use less land, less water and release less carbon than dairy-based products. Maintaining a plant-based diet may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes.
Available at major grocery stores nationwide, Becel with Oat Beverage is made at Upfield’s Rexdale, Ontario facility, with production set to move to the company’s new facility in Brantford, Ontario that will open in late 2021. For more information visit, www.Becel.ca.
ABOUT UPFIELD
Upfield is the leading producer of plant-based margarines and spreads in the world. In Canada, our iconic brands are well known to consumers, including Becel®, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!® and Imperial®. Becel® Plant-Based Bricks and Violife™ 100% vegan cheese joined the portfolio in 2020. In 2022, Upfield B.V. will open a new food science research center in Wageningen, Netherlands with a focus on plant proteins and innovative new plant-based foods. Upfield is leading the way to creating a “Better Plant-based Future.” For more information visit www.upfield.com.
