Swiss giant Nestlé is targeting accelerated growth in sales of plant-based products. The company this week unveiled a new R&D centre in Switzerland that will develop new dairy products but also new plant-based alternatives to traditional food products.

Speaking to news agency Reuters, Nestlé CEO Mark Schneider said the interest in plant-based alternatives has been on the rise for a number of reasons such as health perceptions but also because of the recent problems seen in the meat industry where meat plants all over the world were forced to close due to COVID-19 clusters.

Nestlé's new research facility in Konolfingen, Switzerland.

Nestlé is launching a plant-based version of its famous Nesquick milk drink and is also launching a new version of its vegan burger option. The company also said it plans to introduce plant-based alternatives for chocolate and ice-cream in the coming year.

In the first half of 2020, Nestlé’s sales of plant-based products jumped by 40% to reach €185m. However, this is just a tiny fraction of Nestlé’s overall business with annual sales close to €90bn.