The most creative at the moment is the Tesco line advertised as “an alternative to pasta”, for those who want to reduce the presence of carbohydrates in their diet. Carrot spaghetti, cauliflower couscous and zucchini tagliatelle are the products. Which promise low calories and no gluten, winking at domestic chefs looking for something new to amaze their friends with at dinner, because, as the Tesco fresh produce buyer, Emma Bonny, said: “Vegetable substitutes carbohydrates such as potatoes, pasta and rice are increasingly popular, and not just among those on a diet”.
But Tesco is not the only private label which has decided to meet the needs of vegetarians, an increasingly numerous category.
Pam Panorama has just launched “Veg&Veg”, a line of products which flanks the Pam Panorama Bio line, which includes various specialities containing only vegetable protein: natural tofu and seitan but also ready-prepared products such as vegetarian rissoles, oatmeal heart nuggets, seitan burgers, croquettes, spelt and soy frankfurters, quinoa and lupine burgers, all designed for those who have decided to embrace a Veg lifestyle. The same step has been taken for example by Coop Viviverde and the Carrefour Bio line.
According to Eurispes, in 2014 nearly 6 million Italians have moved towards to a vegetarian diet and 3.5 million families have decided to follow a vegetarian diet, 13% more than in 2013. Meeting the needs, old and new, of consumers is the route taken by the retail chains to promote their private labels.
