Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi Invest in Vegan Brand Miyoko’s 

Celebrity couple Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi recently invested an undisclosed amount in vegan brand Miyoko’s Creamery to support its efforts to launch new products in 2020. “Being kind to one another is not just about people, it extends to animals as well,” DeGeneres said. “Portia and I have been customers of Miyoko’s Creamery for several years now and [its] cheeses and vegan butter have become staples in our home. As we learned more about the mission behind the products and about [founder] Miyoko [Schinner] herself, we knew this was a special and exciting company that we wanted to support.” Miyoko’s recently announced that it is looking to partner with a California dairy farm to transition it into a plant-based research and development facility for its vegan products. “We are particularly impressed [with its] holistic perspective to the challenge of moving our society away from animal agriculture,” de Rossi said. “[It] understand[s] the big picture—that farmers are part of the solution and require our support to transition away from current practices—it takes this holistic view to transition our world to plant-based diets.” In early 2020, the company plans to release new nut-free cheeses in meltable flavors such as American, Cheddar, and Jack, along with cultured oat-based vegan butter, an endeavour that will benefit from the celebrity couple’s investment. “We have long admired and appreciated how Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi have used their platforms to advocate for a better world,” Schinner said. “With their support, Miyoko’s Creamery will be better equipped to do our part in helping to further this important shared mission.” As plant-based dairy alternatives continue to thrive, the dairy industry is facing a steep decline, as evidenced by Dean Foods’—the largest producer of milk products in the United States—recent filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.