These 15 Butter Alternative Brands are Going Dairy-Free and Vegan

It really wasn’t that long ago when dairy-free butter alternatives were hard to come by. One by one, options have popped onto shelves. But now the largest producer of margarine and buttery alternatives aims to make plant-based the norm. In a move toward sustainability, Upfield has vowed to go completely vegan with all of their brands by 2025. And they’re already making big dairy-free transitions.

These 15 Butter Alternative Brands Owned by Upfield are Going Vegan

Just a few weeks ago, Imperial margarine, an old-school Upfield brand, began sneaking a new formula of sticks onto store shelves. It’s easy to miss the change, as the only difference in the packaging is a small “lactose-free” note on the front. The new lactose-free version is actually dairy-free and vegan, while their old formula contains whey. Once the old formula sells through, Imperial margarine will be a completely vegan brand. And all other Upfield brands plan to follow suit. Here’s a break down of the products they currently own and manage.

North American Brands

• Becel – Canada’s leading margarine company has many dairy-free and vegan options, but they still have a few whey-containing versions to update.
• Bertolli – The transition or Bertolli might take some time (or perhaps they will sell the brand). Their olive oils and vinegars are naturally dairy free, but they make many pasta sauces and meals that are still filled with dairy.
• Country Crock – They launched a dairy-free, plant butter line a few years back, and have been busy reformulating their other spread without dairy. At last check, their baking sticks still contained milk.
• Flora – They made their North American debut with a purely plant-based line of buttery sticks. But in other countries, they do still make some buttery spreads and margarines that are made with milk.
• I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! – Their “It’s Vegan” spread is obviously made without dairy, but so is their Light buttery spread. They still have to make dairy-free transitions with their other spread, spray, and stick products.
• Imperial – This age-old margarine brand has been around for many decades. They have gone dairy-free, but the products on the shelves are still transitioning. The new ones with a tiny “lactose-free” label are made without whey, or any other dairy ingredients.
• Violife – This Greek company was founded as a purely plant-based company, and was Upfield’s first big dairy-free play. Their vegan cheeses and other dairy alternatives are sold throughout the world, and have become quite popular in the U.S. and Canada.

More International Brands

Blue Band, Elmlea, Fruit d’Or, Lätta, Planta Fin, ProActiv, Rama, and Stork are also owned by Upfield, but are not typically found in North America. You can find one or more of these brands in most countries around the globe. Many of these brands still use milk in some of their products. But based on the company’s promise, they should be reformulated without dairy in the next few years. For more information, visit upfield.com.

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