Follow Your Heart (company) facts for kids
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| Industry | Vegetarian and Vegan Food |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | Johnny Weissmuller’s American Natural Foods |
| Founded | 1970 |
| Founders | Michael Besançon, Bob Goldberg, Paul Lewin, and Spencer Windbiel |
| Headquarters | Canoga Park, California |
| Products | Vegenaise |
| Parent | Danone |
Follow Your Heart is a company that makes delicious vegan and vegetarian foods. It started in 1970 as a small restaurant in Canoga Park, California. In 1977, they created Vegenaise. This is a special mayonnaise made without eggs. Its name combines "vegetarian" and "mayonnaise." Today, Follow Your Heart also makes many other plant-based foods. These include vegan cheeses, salad dressings, and VeganEgg.
Contents
How It All Started
Follow Your Heart began in 1970. It was a small sandwich counter. This counter was inside a market in Canoga Park, California. In 1994, a big earthquake hit Los Angeles. The restaurant and store were damaged. But they worked hard and stayed in business.
Becoming a Food Company
In 1977, Follow Your Heart started selling Vegenaise. This was a very important step! Vegenaise quickly became a top-selling vegan mayonnaise replacement in the United States. Bob Goldberg, one of the company's founders, invented it. Each year, up to fifty million gallons of Vegenaise are made. You can also find it in different types, like a soy-free version.
Expanding Product Lines
The company also created many other vegetarian food products. In 1988, they started selling deli items. A local grocery store asked them to package their tofu salads. This led to many plant-based foods. These foods are tasty replacements for traditional non-vegan items. For example, they make sliced cheese replacements. These taste like different kinds of cheese. Follow Your Heart products are now sold in 23 countries. The company earns about $50 million in sales each year.
Awards and Partnerships
In 2015, PETA named Follow Your Heart "Company of the Year." That same year, the company worked with musician Lil B. They created an app with emojis inspired by Follow Your Heart. The company's mascot is even called VegEmoji!
Joining Danone
In February 2021, a large European food company bought Follow Your Heart. This company is called Danone.
See also
In Spanish: Follow Your Heart (company) para niños
