Plamil Foods facts for kids
Quick facts for kids  |
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| Private | |
| Founded | 1956 as the Plantmilk Society, 1965 as Plantmilk Ltd. |
| Founder | Leslie J. Cross, C. Arthur Ling |
| Headquarters |
Folkestone, Kent, England
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Key people
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Adrian Ling, managing director |
| Products | Vegan goods |
Plamil Foods is a British company that makes vegan food products. Vegan foods do not contain any animal products like meat, dairy, or eggs. Plamil started in 1965 and was one of the first companies to make soy milk widely available.
They have also created other popular vegan items. These include egg-free mayonnaise, milk made from peas, yogurts, and different types of chocolate. Plamil Foods began in 1956 as the Plantmilk Society. It was started by Leslie Cross to find a way to make soy milk for people who choose not to eat dairy.
Contents
What is Plant Milk?
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Plant milks have been made for hundreds of years. They were especially popular in China. For example, almond milk was first mentioned in English around the year 1390.
Later, people in the West started talking about milk from soy beans. This happened in the late 1800s. In 1909, an American doctor named John Ruhräh created the first soy milk and soy-based baby formula in the West.
Bottled soy milk was sold in China starting in the 1920s. In 1931, a group called Seventh-day Adventists in Tennessee, USA, began making soy milk with added calcium. By 1940, Vitasoy in Hong Kong was selling soy milk door-to-door. In the US, some dairy companies tried to stop plant-based drinks from being called "milk." So, some companies used names like "Soya Lac" instead.
Plamil Foods: A Brief History
Plamil Foods has an interesting history that started with a group of people who wanted to create plant-based alternatives.
The Plantmilk Society
Plamil Foods began as the Plantmilk Society in June 1956. It was founded by Leslie Cross, who was a leader in The Vegan Society. The Vegan Society started in 1944. It formed because some vegetarians felt that eating dairy and eggs was not kind to animals. Leslie Cross became vegan in 1942. He often wrote about how dairy farming could be cruel.
One of the main goals of The Vegan Society was to find a way to make plant-based milk for everyone. In 1956, Leslie Cross suggested creating the Veganmilk Association. Their goal was to "produce and make available... a milk... of plant origin." This new milk needed to be healthy, taste good, and be easy to use like regular dairy milk.
Members decided to name it the Plantmilk Society. The London Evening News newspaper even wrote a story about it, with the headline "Now your milk may come from a plant." C. Arthur Ling became the chairman, and Leslie Cross was the treasurer and secretary. Today, one of C. Arthur Ling's sons, Adrian, is the managing director of Plamil Foods.
Becoming Plantmilk Ltd
It took several years of research and a lot of money (about £20,000) to create the soy milk. This milk was made even better with added calcium and vitamins B2, B12, and D2. In 1965, the society became a company called Plantmilk Ltd. Leslie Cross was their first full-time employee.
They started making their milk, which they called Plamil, in a factory in Iver, Buckinghamshire. Later, a group of 16 vegans helped buy a factory in Folkestone, Kent.
In 1972, the company changed its name to Plamil Foods. During the 1970s, like in the US, the company was not allowed to call its product "soya milk" in England. They had to call it "liquid food of plant origin" or "soya plantmilk" instead.
Plamil Foods Today
Arthur Ling moved the company from Slough to Folkestone in 1972. The old factory was taken down to make way for a new highway. In the 1980s, Arthur asked his son Adrian to help make vegan chocolate. Adrian was studying mechanical engineering at the time.
Plamil Foods became the first chocolate maker in the UK to be certified as organic. Adrian later became the director of Plamil Foods.
Plamil Products
Plamil makes products that are perfect for vegans. They make all their products in their own factory. The company is also known for making "free from" foods. This means their products are safe for people with allergies, as well as for vegans.
Their organic chocolate products are approved by the Soil Association. Plamil used to have their products registered with The Vegan Society. However, Plamil stopped using the society's trademark in 2009. This was because The Vegan Society started certifying products that might have tiny amounts of dairy, eggs, or fish from the factory. Since then, Plamil has used its own vegan logo.
Plamil sells many chocolate products to other companies. They also sell seasonal and everyday products under their "Plamil So free" brand. You can find their products online and in stores like Waitrose and Holland & Barrett.
See also
- Alpro
- List of vegetarian and vegan companies
- Silk (soy milk)
- So Good (soy beverage)
