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Nesquik Syrups– Available in strawberry or chocolate flavours, there are no animal-derived ingredients. But, as we describe later, there are some ingredients you might well want to avoid.
The likes of corn syrup, malic acid, soya Lecithin, potassium sorbate and xanthan gum are basically derived from plants and hence vegan. Meanwhile, propylene glycol alginate is derived from processed kelp, which is a type of algae and also vegan. Nesquik Choc Pots– These chocolate desserts contain milk (in various forms) and so they are not vegan friendly. Nesquik Cereal– There are no obviously non-vegan items amongst the ingredients, but this also contains vitamin D. Based on the information provided by Nestlé we believe this vitamin D also comes from lanolin (i.e. sheep). Strawberry Syrup– Sugar, Water, Corn syrup, Less than 2% of malic acid, Propylene glycol alginate, Artificial flavour, Potassium sorbate (preservative), Xantham gum, Red 40, Blue 1, Salt, Yellow 6. There are plenty of alternatives to Nesquik powders that do not contain animal derived ingredients. For instance, Cadbury Chocolate Milkshake Powder Mix. Available in many supermarkets, this milkshake mix from Cadbury includes soya lecithin and maize fibre, both from plants, and no dairy products. There is a chance of cross-contamination as there is a warning that it “may contain milk”. But people will make their own decision about whether this is a problem for them.It is common for companies to not state their products are vegan in such cases. For instance, Oreos would be vegan were it not for the chance of cross-contamination in their factory. Of course, many vegans will be fine with products that don’t contain animal-derived ingredients despite the risk of contamination with milk products (although those with sever allergies should of course be more careful). The only Nesquik products that could be described as vegan are the Nesquik syrups and the All Natural Cocoa Powder. The syrups are available in strawberry and chocolate flavours, though they are not widely available in the UK. They can be added to (vegan) milk to make a drink or used as a dessert sauce. Produced by Nestlé, Nesquik has been around since 1948 and this powdered milkshake has many fans across the globe. Available in various flavours and fortified with vitamins and minerals, the drink might well conjure memories of childhood treats. But if you are (or were!) a fan of the flavoured milk powders, the question is: is Nesquik vegan?
Nescafe Dolce Gusto Nesquik Chocolate Pods– This Nesquik tie-in with another Nestlé brand contains whole milk powder. Hence is it not vegan. When we asked Nestlé which Nesquik products were vegan friendly they initially suggested that “Our Nesquik range is not suitable for a vegan diet as it has milk proteins in it.” But with one of their products (Nesquik Powder Strawberry tub) showing up on the Nestlé Foods Suitable for a Milk Avoidance Diet list, we sought further clarification.
Banana Powder: Sugar, Maltodextrin, Natural Flavouring, Vitamins (C, Thiamin, D), Natural Colours (Beta Carotene, Curcumin), Minerals (Iron, Zinc)
There are some people who would suggest that wool from sheep, and therefore vitamin D produced using lanolin, or “sheep oil”, should be vegan. After all, it doesn’t hurt when you go for a haircut, does it? (If it does, change hairdressers as a matter of urgency!). But as we discuss in detail in our is wool vegan? article, there are numerous documented instances whereby sheep farmed for wool are mistreated and even abused. You might happen across some of the following Nesquik products in the UK, but none of the following are vegan. Nesquik Ready To Drink– At present, these all contain dairy milk and/or milk derivatives and so the Nesquik Ready To Drink products are not vegan. However, a new plant-based Nesquik Ready To Drink offering was released in Spain in 2020. Branded as “Nesquik Go Vegetal”, the drink uses oats and peas instead of dairy. Hopefully it will appear in the UK before long (almost certainly with a different name).
Nesquik Chocolate Flavour Milk Slice– This is definitely not vegan as it contains various ingredients that are derived from dairy milk. And, to top things off, it also contains egg powder. Aside from that, you can make you own Nesquik alternative using your favourite vegan ice cream. Just add a scoop of your vegan-friendly ice cream of choice (Booja Booja works a treat!) to a pint glass. Let the ice cream melt a little then top up with your choice of vegan milk. We find oat milk works really well. Just stir until smooth and you’ve got yourself a very tasty, vegan-friendly milkshake. Technically, there are no non-vegan ingredients including in the syrups… but there are plenty of ingredients you might wish to avoid. The All Natural Powder, in contrast, has very few ingredients, and (as the name implies) nothing artificial.
The answer is, unfortunately, no, Nesquik is not vegan. At least the standard Nesquik powder products aren’t vegan. And we’ve heard that from the horse’s mouth (also known as Nestlé Consumer Engagement Services – see below). But there are two Nesquik products that are vegan – or at least that don’t contain non-vegan ingredients:
What Is Nesquik?
Strawberry Powder: Sugar, Maltodextrin, Natural Flavourings, Natural Colour (Beetroot Red), Vitamins (C, Thiamin, D), Minerals (Iron, Zinc) So, now you know: the standard Nesquik powder is not vegan. But the All Natural powder almost certainly is vegan. As are the syrups (if you don’t mind the artificial colours!). Of course, the Nesquik powder products are designed to be made with milk. If someone uses dairy milk, clearly the resultant drink would not be vegan anyway. But even when using vegan-friendly milk alternatives (such as soy milk), the animal-derived vitamin D would scupper things for vegans. Unfortunately though, there is no getting away from the sheep-derived vitamin D, even if it is the only definitely non-vegan ingredient included in the Nesquik powders in the UK. This is a shame for vegans who used to like Nesquik. Especially those who thought they could just make it with oat milk and be fine. But fear not, there are plenty of vegan-friendly alternatives to Nesquik, which we’ll investigate later. Are Any Nesquik Products Vegan?
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