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Organic food is close to our heart and for this reason, we are concentrating on whether we can offer an organic version of Simply V. Predominantly due to the almonds, it is not that easy and almonds are what distinguishes the taste of Simply V.

We haven’t found any almonds in organic quality to date that offer the same incomparable taste experience. This is why we (still) use almonds from traditional farming. After all, we do want to offer the best plant-based cheese alternatives around!

We attach great importance to our suppliers treating mother nature cleanly and respectfully, even if their cultivation is traditional. And we also satisfy ourselves on site.

With a recommended retail price of € 2.99 for each product – Vegan Spread, Vegan Slices and Vegan Grated - Simply V is not necessarily a “bargain”, that is correct. But it is also right that our products have a unique quality. In addition, we have put so much heart and soul into the development of our products and still are doing to offer the best alternatives to cheese around. We have the highest possible demands on
the quality of our raw materials and are also mindful during their cultivation that our high requirements are fulfilled. After all, really good ingredients are needed for a really good product.

As well as that, we have developed a completely new production process to guarantee the unique Simply V taste experience. We also (still) see to many work steps manually. All of that has its price, which may appear somewhat high – but high quality food is certainly worth its money.

Simply V is now available in the refrigerated aisle of many supermarkets. At Kaufland and REWE as well as at EDEKA supermarkets. In addition, it is listed on Tegut, Globus, Wasgau and Feneberg, four larger regional supermarket chains in the middle and south of Germany.

Consumers that don’t find us in the refrigerated aisle can also order it on the Internet from the comfort of their own home.

Simply V is manufactured in the Allgäu region. We manufacture all of our products ourselves at our factory in Oberreute, the Vegan Spread as well as the Vegan Slices and the Vegan Grated. And we attach great importance to that: This is the only way we can ensure our high demand on quality, and also that the products are certain to always be vegan. After all, solely vegan products are manufactured in our factory.

That, of course, depends on which food doesn’t agree with you. Simply V contains neither lactose nor gluten and is thus suitable for people with such intolerances.

Almonds form the basis of Simply V. Together with the right mixture of water, coconut oil, salt and spices, herbs and vegetables, depending on the sort - these ingredients result in a unique taste experience, as Vegan Spread, Vegan Slices or Vegan Grated.

Simply V is manufactured on the basis of real almonds. However, the almonds must be prepared for that accordingly – similar to how an almond drink is. The almond product for Simply V comprises an accurately balanced ratio of almonds and water, depending on the product.

No, Simply V contains neither lactose nor gluten.

Besides many other nutrients, almonds also contain a good portion of calcium. As our products are manufactured on the basis of almonds and coconut oil, they indeed do not have the same content of calcium from almonds, but Simply V can by all means contribute towards meeting the calcium requirements. Our Vegan Spread contains up to 26mg/100g calcium depending on the sort, the Vegan Slices contain up to 11mg/100g.

In our products – the Vegan Slices and the Vegan Grated – we use starch common for food: Modified starch. It goes without saying that this starch is purely plant-based. And anybody wishing to go without starch: Our Simply V Vegan Spread doesn’t contain any.

We attach great importance to using as many natural products as possible. We thus do not use and artificial colours whatsoever in our products. Instead, our Vegan Slices and our Vegan Grated contain plant extracts such as from apples or carrots. With our Vegan Spread, we can even go without that.

Preservatives extend the shelf life of food. We use this effect when it is necessary, i.e. we only make use of them where we actually need them. And at present, that is only the case with Vegan Grated.

Our Vegan Grated contains the preservative ascorbic acid, which is deemed harmless as it is metabolised like every other kind of fatty acid.
Our Vegan Slices contain an antioxidant, namely sodium ascorbate to stop them discolouring. Sodium ascorbate is the sodium salt of ascorbic acid. It is frequently used to increase the content of vitamin C. By the way, it can be declared as vitamin C if this is the only reason it is being used.

An independent institute has tested how environmentally compatible Simply V Vegan Spread is in comparison to a heavy-cream cream cheese. The result was unambiguous: The manufacture of 1 kg of heavy-cream cream cheese incurs the equivalent of 5.0 kg of CO2 – the manufacture of 1 kg Simply V incurs the equivalent of only 1.1 kg CO2. We find: These figures clearly speak for themselves and for Simply V.

The climate and the environment generally benefit from an increase in the share of plant-based food on our menu. This is shown by various studies that presume that a significant part of all greenhouse gas emissions is caused by the production of food of animal origin, which also includes the cultivation of animal feed for cows etc. A diet containing a high proportion of plant-based food is simply environmentally friendlier – and when it comes to protecting the climate and the environment, we are all called upon: Companies as well as consumers. Our responsibility as a company is to offer corresponding products, as this kind of diet will only be commonly accepted if there are products that taste really good and which are practical to handle, i.e. “convenient” as it is commonly called, especially in our fast-living era. That will be when consumers purchase them.

For Simply V, we solely use almonds from California – and for very good reasons: Only Californian almonds are 100% sweet, a fact that is absolutely vital for the taste of Simply V. The percentage of bitter almonds from European growing areas lies in fact at “only” 1 to 2%, a fact that, at first glance, appears to be a minutely low percentage, but plays the decisive role in the taste of Simply V: Even this small percentage of the bittern has a negative impact on the taste. We have tested that in detail.

We have thus decided to consistently use only Californian almonds because that is the only way we guarantee the delicious taste and the unique taste experience of Simply V. After all, we are always being told that vegan alternatives have to be just as tasty and uncompromisingly functional as “proper” cheese products. And that is exactly our target: We would like to offer you the best plant-based cheese alternatives around! After all, if you like it and you are satisfied, then we are, too.

Almond trees originally come from the hot and dry climate of the Middle East and South Asia and thrive best in a Mediterranean climate, i.e. hot summers and mild winters, like in California. They do not adapt particularly well to other climatic conditions. Characteristic of a Mediterranean climate are winter rainfalls and distinctive dryness in the summer. And then there are droughts now and again, if the winter
rain hardly falls or if it doesn’t rain at all, as was the case mainly in the south of California until the beginning of 2016. In January 2016 it then rained a good 70 litres per square metre in Los Angeles, and in the meantime, the water reservoirs are full to the brim again.

This year (2018), a different weather phenomenon could impact the almond harvest: In February, temperatures of below the freezing point were registered in the entire Central Valley. The extent to which that damaged the blossoming of the almond trees cannot be said yet. However, this frost is once again bringing home to us how all agriculture is dependent on the weather – worldwide!

Not all sorts of almonds from every growing area are suitable for the manufacture of Simply V. The reason is that almonds from Europe still contain minor percentages of bitter almonds, around one to two percent. Although that is a very low percentage, you would taste it immediately. That is why we cannot use European almonds for für Simply V; instead we have consequently decided in favour of almonds from
California. For only Californian almonds are 100% sweet, a fact that is absolutely decisive for the taste of Simply V. You can get more information about this in the answer to question 2 “Where do the almonds for Simply V come from?”

We acquire our coconut oil from plantations in South Asia. Monkeys are not used on these plantations to harvest the coconuts.

We find it highly important to treat the subject of packaging with great awareness. At present, the elements of our current packaging are recyclable, if they are separated properly – and we can all contribute towards this. We are also working intensively on finding alternative raw materials for packaging. To be precise, we are currently working on a fully compostable tub.

However, we still cannot get by without plastic packaging because, as a company manufacturing food, we have to fulfil certain requirements. The package itself must fulfil various functions. It has to protect the food from microorganisms for example, it must make the product storable and must also be easy to transport – just to mention a few functions.

The disadvantage of glass, for example, when being transported, is that it is much heavier than plastic and the transportation efforts are thus much greater. Raw materials for packaging made from natural fibres or similar are mostly not as hygienic or they harbour the risk of a reaction to the food.

There is no general answer to how quickly an open product has to be consumed. It depends on a multitude of various factors. We recommend storing open products for no longer than a couple of days. To be honest, do the Vegan Spread, Vegan Slices and Vegan Grated have such a long “chance of survival” with you or are they not eaten up in no time at all because they are so scrumptious?