You might happen across some of the following Nesquik products in the UK, but none of the following are vegan. To the untrained eye, if you glance through the ingredients of the three main Nesquik products, there’s nothing obviously non-vegan. Let’s take a closer look at what goes into the chocolate, banana and strawberry Nesquik powders. Many vegans will automatically be wary when “natural flavourings” appear amongst ingredients. But there is no mention of dairy products (which have to appear in bold in the UK). And dextrose is usually vegan, whilst maltodextrin almost always is. Thiamin – aka vitamin B1 – is usually derived from plants; as it wasn’t mentioned by the Nesquik team as being non-vegan, we believe the thiamin used here is plant based. What’s more, given these items are fortified with iron and zinc, which can be difficult for vegans to obtain, it may seem like Nesquik should be all systems go for plant-based eaters. 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: 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.

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. 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. However, there are serious question marks over the safety of some of those artificial colours. Notably, Red 40 has been linked with allergic reactions and even the development of ADHD in children by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. These syrups might be a way for vegans to get their Nesquik hit, but alarm bells are sure to ring. Other Nesquik ProductsBanana Powder: Sugar, Maltodextrin, Natural Flavouring, Vitamins (C, Thiamin, D), Natural Colours (Beta Carotene, Curcumin), Minerals (Iron, Zinc) Hopefully that answers your query but why not read on anyway as we explain a little more about what Nesquik is and what else would cause most of the Nesquik products to be unsuitable for vegans (aside from the vitamin D). Note that we have focussed on the main Nesquik powders in this article but we will also look at some of the other Nesquik-branded products as well. What Nestlé Said About Nesquik Powder Chocolate Powder: Sugar, Fat Reduced Cocoa Powder (21.2%), Dextrose, Emulsifier (Soya Lecithin), Vitamins (C, Thiamin, D), Minerals (Iron, Zinc), Salt, Natural Flavouring Nesquik All Natural Cocoa Powder– Raw Cane Sugar (62%), Fat Reduced Cocoa Powder (36%), Emulsifier (Soya Lecithin), Natural Flavouring, Cinnamon

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. 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? Nesquik Choc Pots– These chocolate desserts contain milk (in various forms) and so they are not vegan friendly. 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). 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).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? 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.

Chocolate Syrup– Sugar, Water, Cocoa Processed with Alkali, “Less than 2% of” Salt, Citric Acid, Artificial Flavor, Potassium Sorbate (Preservative), Xanthan Gum, Caramel Color, Red 40, Blue 1, Yellow 6. Minimum life based on 'use-by' date of product. Average life based on last week's deliveries. Life guarantee shown based on delivery tomorrow with the Life guarantee starting the following day. 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. Nesquik All Natural Cocoa Powder– Contains just five ingredients: Raw Cane Sugar (62%), Fat Reduced Cocoa Powder (36%), Emulsifier (Soya Lecithin), Natural Flavouring, Cinnamon. There is a chance that the “natural flavouring” could contain animal products. We are awaiting confirmation on this point from Nestlé and will update the article accordingly. But it looks as though this product should be vegan friendly.

What Nestlé Said About Nesquik Powder

Nescafe Dolce Gusto Nesquik Chocolate Pods– This Nesquik tie-in with another Nestlé brand contains whole milk powder. Hence is it not vegan. 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!). 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.