Summary
Despite having the word ‘cream’ in the name of the product, Coffee Mate products do not actually contain any cream in it. However, most of their products from their line have a small amount of micellar casein (a milk derivative also sometimes called modified milk ingredients) which is a protein from milk. They do have a range of ‘plant-based creamers’ that have vegan ingredients, yet Nestle does not mark these products as vegan.
What is Coffee Mate?
Coffee Mate creamers are a Nestlé brand designed to be added to coffee to take some of the bitterness away and to add a little sweetness to your morning joe. They have a wide range of flavors and from oatmeal cream pie to Snickers liquid coffee creamer and powder to fat free liquid creamers.
Digging deeper
I asked Coffee Mate’s customer support in the US if their ‘plant-based creamers’ range were vegan. This was their response:
Coffee Mate February 2021:
“Coffee mate® natural bliss Almond and Coconut milk creamers are not certified vegan at this time. As a vegan, you can make a determination if this product can be included in your diet based on the ingredient list. Our focus was an audience of consumers looking for non-dairy plant-based creamers”.
It seems a little strange that they would not mark these items as vegan. We can only guess why this might be, but think it could be because of one or more of the following reasons:
- They have not yet decided exactly what their formula is for these milk and they are reluctant to commit to disappointing their customers if they change their mind in future;
- The cane sugar in these products can not be confirmed as vegan;
- They just don’t care;
Who owns Coffee Mate?
Coffee Mate is also known by Nestlé, a large Swiss multinational food company and the largest food company in the world. Many vegans choose to avoid buying food from this company, as they produce a huge number of products that are not vegan.
Many vegans and non-vegans concerned with other social justice issues also may choose to boycott Nestlé. This is because of the large number of controversies over the years. These include, among many others: its marketing of infant milk formula, its relentless production and promotion of plastic bottled water and the use of child labour in the harvest of cocoa beans for its chocolate products.
The Good News
If you decide to give Nestlé creamers a miss, there are many coffee creamers that are marked vegan and are owned by companies that are less dubious than Nestlé.
There might be less problematic vegan brands available in your supermarkets. You will find them in the refrigerated section and on the shelf near other long-life non-dairy milks. These days, vegan creamers come in many different flavors, textures and with different base ingredients (like soy, coconut, oat, etc.). While it might be a bit daunting to ditch your preferred non vegan creamer from your coffee, there are many brands out there. If you don’t like one, try another brand or give it some time. This was how we adjusted to vegan creamers and milks in our tea and coffees.
Be Aware
Most Nestlé coffee-creamers are not vegan due to the casein (a milk protein).The plant-based range of Coffee Mate creamers look vegan, but they are not marked as vegan.Nestlé is not a beloved company, by many vegans or non vegans. For this reason, some prefer to choose other brands of vegan.
Let’s Discuss!
We’d love to hear from you! Do you have any questions? What’s your favorite vegan coffee creamer? Let us know in the comments below!
