(Hackensack, New Jersey, Thursday, January 16, 2020) – Upfield, the leader in plant based nutrition and parent company of iconic brands like Country Crock and I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter in the U.S. and Flora in the U.K., has teamed up with Veganuary, a non-profit organization that is encouraging people to try eating vegan for January.

Research from the University of Oxford indicates that if 350,000 people were to do Veganuary for January, it would save 41,200 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent from the atmosphere, the same as 450,000 flights from London to Berlin. It will also prevent 650 tons of over enriched water, which induces excessive algae growth, from entering our water ways and will conserve over 66,000 gallons of water, which is enough water to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

There are also many vegan products that perform like their dairy counterparts, such as our Country Crock Plant Butter. It also generates less than half the greenhouse gas emissions of dairy butter production, which is equivalent to taking 1.3 million cars off the road.

Dr. Kadri Ozen, European head of corporate affairs and communications, discusses research that reveals consumers’ openness towards changing their food choices.

SOUNDBITE #1:

TWO THIRDS OF CONSUMERS THINK THE FOOD THAT THEY EAT HAS AN IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT. THEY WOULD ALSO CONSIDER CHANGING THEIR CHOICE OF FOOD IF THEY SEE CLEAR EVIDENCE THAT THIS CHOICE WOULD HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT. MORE THAN EIGHTY PERCENT OF CONSUMERS THINK THAT THEY WOULD BE OPEN TO CHANGE THEIR CHOICE OF FOOD IF THEY SEE CLEAR EVIDENCE THAT IT WOULD BENEFIT THEIR HEALTH.

For those who are interested in adding more plant-based options into their diets, Priya Tew, registered dietitian and nutrition professional, explains some of the health benefits of incorporating more plant-based foods for “Veganuary” and beyond.

SOUNDBITE #2:

EATING A PLANT BASED DIET MEANS EATING MORE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES AND INCORPORATING MORE WHOLE GRAINS, NUTS, SEEDS, LEGUMES, AND PULSES INTO YOUR DIET. THIS MEANS YOU ARE GOING TO BE HAVING MORE FIBER, WHICH IS BENEFICIAL FOR GUT HEALTH. YOU ARE GOING TO BE HAVING MORE ANTI OXIDENTS AND LOWER SATURATED FAT, THAT HAS BENEFITS FOR HEART HEALTH AND ALSO MEANS THAT YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE LOWER COLESTERAL.

For more information, visit https://upfield.com/.