Nestlé's New Pea-based Milk Tastes Wunda-ful In Everything

With more customers turning to milk alternatives for their daily cereal, latte, baking or cooking, a lot of companies are launching their own vegan products. 

However, it's very difficult to find one great plant-based milk alternative for every use. Most milk alternatives have a specific taste, are low in protein, or don’t mix or foam well in hot beverages. This means sometimes you may need three different vegan milk products in your fridge. 

Food giant Nestlé aims to change that with the launch of Wunda. 

The company claims that their new pea-based beverage is 'epic in everything'. That means you can drink it straight, eat with cereal, use in hot tea and coffee, cook with it and bake with it. 

Wunda is made from yellow peas sourced in France and Belgium. The drink will have high-quality protein content and offers strong nutritional value compared to similar plant-based beverages on the market. Wunda is high in fibre, low in sugar and fat, enriched with calcium and are a source of vitamins D, B2 and B12. 

The peas are also one of the most environmentally friendly sources of plant-based protein. The Wunda beverages are carbon neutral from launch and certified by the Carbon Trust. This is achieved through several measures along the supply chain such as using renewable energy in production, while reducing emissions during distribution. For emissions that cannot be eliminated, the brand will invest in high-quality offsetting projects.

New products were developed as part of Nestlé's R&D Accelerator initiative. Nestlé 'intrapreneurs' created and scaled-up this great tasting beverage in only six months. They had access to the company's plant protein expertise as well as proprietary technologies and small to medium scale equipment. 

Commenting on the launch, Stefan Palzer, Nestlé Chief Technology Officer, said: "This truly versatile, delicious pea-based beverage is an excellent source of protein and fibre. Its great neutral taste, the ability to use it for different applications and the fact that it is carbon neutral make it an ideal plant-based alternative to milk. Our young intrapreneurs created this great product based on their own consumer needs by leveraging our longstanding expertise in plant-proteins and dairy."

Initially Wunda will launch in France, the Netherlands and Portugal, with a roll-out to other European markets later. Wunda will come in three versions: original, unsweetened and chocolate. All flavours achieved a Nutri-Score A in Europe.

As Cédric Boehm, Head of Dairy for Europe, Middle East and North Africa, says:"There is a quiet food revolution underway that is changing how people eat. In Europe, at least 4 in 10 shoppers are already choosing some dairy alternatives. People are asking for better plant-based drinks that are nutritious, versatile and taste great. We have the expertise in plant-based and experience in dairy to be at the forefront of this shift, and we're sure people will be convinced by Wunda."