As 2025 comes to a close, we’re looking back on some of the biggest stories of the year. There have been major ups, like the expansion of vegan businesses and a wave of new plant-based products. But with the good comes the bad: we lost two major icons in the vegan space, John Robbins and Jane Goodall, and Miyoko Schinner had to say goodbye to her eponymous brand for the second time. Still, it’s not all bleak—below, find out why Schinner has big hopes for the year ahead, plus many more of the biggest stories from 2025.
Photo illustration by Richard Bowie
1 While Everyone Was Arguing Over Food Dyes, Kennedy Sidelined Beans
Public debate has centered on food dyes throughout 2025. Still, in August, we reported that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was quietly sidelining beans in America’s nutrition guidelines. Despite strong scientific backing and a federal advisory committee’s recommendation to elevate legumes as key protein sources—citing fiber deficits in meat, chronic disease prevention, climate benefits, and affordability—Kennedy rejected the proposal and chose to “start from scratch.”
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Mr. Charlie’s
2 Welcome to Mr. Charlie’s: The Anti-McDonald’s That’s About to Be Everywhere
Back in May, we highlighted the fast-growing vegan fast-food chain, Mr. Charlie’s, and its plans to open 18 new locations in Arizona. In an exclusive interview, founders Taylor McKinnon and Aaron Haxton told VegNews that this is just the beginning (and since then, a new location in San Diego has opened). “We’re not dropping stores—we’re planting roots,” said Haxton. “That means choosing cities, partners, and timing with precision. It’s about building relationships that allow the brand to thrive authentically, not artificially.”
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Canva
3 France’s Soy Crackdown Sparks Debate Over Science, Sustainability, and Plant-Based Policy
France’s food safety agency ANSES made headlines this March after it urged public catering services to avoid soy-based foods, citing potential reproductive risks from estrogen-mimicking isoflavones. The decision sparked debate, however, as it was not in line with most scientific evidence. A review from the European Food Safety Authority, conducted more than 10 years ago, found no adverse health impacts when assessing isoflavone intake in menopausal women, for example.
“We are surprised by the ANSES recommendation to exclude soy-based foods from catering despite their well-documented health and environmental benefits,” said Anna-Lena Klapp, head of research at ProVeg International. “We would like to see large-scale meta-analyses that support [ANSES’] recommendation.”
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Photos by Yves Veggie Cuisine | Photo illustration by Richard Bowie
4 Iconic Vegan Brand Yves Veggie Cuisine Shutters
In August, we reported that iconic vegan brand Yves Veggie Cuisine would be closing for good after 40 years in operation. The brand, which was known for products like veggie dogs and deli slices, confirmed the news on its social media accounts. “We’ve made the difficult decision to discontinue the Yves brand,” a statement read on Instagram. “This wasn’t a decision we made lightly—it was made after careful consideration of how we can best focus our efforts to ensure long-term growth across our brand portfolio.”
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Paul McCartney
5 Serving Meat at a Climate Summit? Paul McCartney Says It’s Like “Handing Out Cigarettes at a Cancer-Prevention Conference”
The 30th United Nations climate change conference (COP30) kicked off in Belém, Brazil this November. But the event’s catering sparked a strong reaction from Paul McCartney, a long-term vegetarian. “Protecting the life-sustaining Amazon must be a top priority for environmentalists of all nationalities, so I was shocked to learn that only 40 percent of the food served at COP30 is currently slated to be vegetarian,” the musician wrote in a letter sent on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). “Serving meat at a climate summit is like handing out cigarettes at a cancer-prevention conference,” he added. “The animal agriculture industry is a top driver of deforestation and the climate catastrophe that is wreaking havoc on the planet.”
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Denny’s
6 Vegan Breakfast Finally Hits Denny’s Menu
Denny’s surprised many when it quietly added the Plant-Based Pancake Slam to menus nationwide this June. The notoriously meaty diner chain has struggled this year, and it recently announced that it will go private after selling to a group of investors in a $322 million deal. This may affect the menu going forward, but for now, the plant-based pancakes are still available to order.
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Photo illustration by Richard Bowie
7 After a Dramatic Battle, the New Owner of Miyoko’s Creamery Is Revealed
Miyoko Schinner, founder of Miyoko’s Creamery, announced plans to try to buy back the company that bears her name. She had separated from the brand in 2023 after a decade at the helm. But her November bid was ultimately unsuccessful, and just over a week later, Prosperity Organic Foods—the Idaho-based maker of Melt Organic plant butter—officially acquired Miyoko’s Creamery.
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8 John Robbins, Author of ‘Diet for a New America’, Dies at 77
The hugely influential author and plant-based activist John Robbins died at the age of 77 this June. Robbins was best known for his 1987 book Diet for a New America, which highlighted the links between diet, health, the environment, and ethics. “Robbins drove home the message that every ethical decision one makes may be a ‘drop in the bucket’ but that the bucket soon overflows and becomes the tide of history turning. Follow his example by making kind choices every time you eat and shop,” PETA stated in a tribute.
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Mondelez
9 The Reese’s and Oreo Collab Is Here — And Yes, They’re Vegan
In September, we revealed that everyone’s favorite accidentally vegan cookie was teaming up with Reese’s to make a new snack: Oreo Cookie + Reese’s Peanut Buttery Creme. “The rumors are true,” Hershey’s, the makers of Reese’s, shared in a statement. “The Reese’s and Oreo brands are answering fans’ call to collab and unite their iconic flavors with not one, but two new products for fans to enjoy.”
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Apple Music
10 Billie Eilish’s O2 Arena Vegan Takeover Proves She’s the Most Subversive Musician Today
Throughout the year, Billie Eilish continued to show why she’s one of the most influential and subversive musicians of her generation. In July, she turned London’s iconic O2 arena vegan for six consecutive nights, the second time she’s done so—the first was during her 2022 tour. She kept the momentum going throughout the year, bringing her climate-focused eco villages to stadiums everywhere and pushing concession stands to go plant-based.
“She’s not sitting cross-legged in protest outside government buildings; she’s filling stadiums and whispering climate cues between songs,” our editors wrote. “Less defiant than Greta Thunberg but no less impactful, Eilish is a kind of pied piper for a generation that might not attend a climate rally but will gladly take her lead if it comes with a merch table and a message.”
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Squarespace
11An Ode to Loma Linda, the Canned Vegan Meat Brand That Almost Made It
After Atlantic Natural Foods filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, there was uncertainty surrounding the future of Loma Linda, an OG vegan meat brand owned by the company. Editor Jill Ettinger wrote an ode to the brand in May, reflecting on its legacy. “Loma Linda’s products were not fancy,” Ettinger wrote. “They were not made to garner likes on Instagram. They were made to fuel a vision—one where the earth was treated gently, the body was a temple, and convenience did not mean compromise.” Loma Linda was ultimately acquired by Century Pacific Foods for less than $10 million come August.
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Photo illustration by Richard Bowie
12 Miyoko Schinner Loses Bid to Buy Back Her Namesake Cheese Company
As mentioned earlier, Schinner attempted to buy back Miyoko’s Creamery in November. The story of her ultimately losing that bid was also one of our top reads of the year. In conversation with VegNews at the time, the founder reflected on the support she received from fans as she worked to raise funding. “I was incredibly touched by everyone rallying around me,” Schinner said. “I think it’s a reflection of the times, of what’s happening across the country politically, where people are saying, ‘We’re done with the way things have been done. We want to put our money where someone’s ethics are truly there.’”
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Megan Thompson
13 Miyoko Schinner Outlines Next Chapter After Losing Her Vegan Dairy Brand
Showing just how invested readers were—and still are—in Schinner’s journey, our story highlighting the next chapter of her career was also a top read of the year. “Whether or not I ever get back the trademark ‘Miyoko’s,’ I will commit myself to working toward creating a food system that offers economic opportunity for more people to make a living, not just a handful making a killing,” Schinner wrote in a reflective LinkedIn post at the end of November.
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The Sweet Box
14 Reese’s Pieces Go Dairy-Free, But You May Still Want to Avoid the Hershey’s Classic
This summer, we were excited to learn Reese’s Pieces would be going dairy-free for the first time since their launch in the 1970s. However, we were less excited to discover they still wouldn’t be vegan due to the inclusion of confectioner’s glaze—a glossy coating made with shellac, which comes from lac insects.
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Meati Foods
15 $450 Million Mycelium Meat Darling Meati Foods Faces Sudden Collapse
News broke in March that mycelium meat giant Meati Foods was facing a major financial crisis and lacked the funding to keep operating. The company ultimately had to lay off most of its staff, though the brand’s new owner, Yasir Abdul, has insisted that the coming year will be one of growth.
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Délice de Bernay
16 Manhattan Welcomes Its First Fully Vegan French Pâtisserie
Délice de Bernay opened its doors in September, becoming the first fully vegan French pâtisserie in Manhattan. The force behind the new business is Christophe Caron, the co-owner of the vegan French bistro Délice & Sarrasin in New York’s West Village. Caron’s new venture saw him partner with French-trained chef Laurent Dupal. “Partnering with a non-vegan legend like Laurent Dupal shows that even the most iconic French pâtisserie can be reimagined—vegan and elevated. Laurent is a true pioneer in French pâtisserie, celebrated from the US to France for his technique and traditional recipes,” Caron said.
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Presidencia de la República del Ecuador | Wikimedia Commons
17 Vegan Menu at Prince William’s Brazil Event Stirs Culinary Controversy
Founded by Prince William in 2020, the Earthshot Prize is one of the world’s most high-profile environmental awards, but it recently faced controversy over its catering choices. In November, the final awards in Rio de Janeiro served a vegan menu, prompting acclaimed Brazilian chef Saulo Jennings to believe he had been pushed out for planning to serve pirarucu, a freshwater Amazonian fish. The Earthshot Prize later clarified that this was not the reason Jennings was no longer catering the event, but the incident sparked debate over what sustainable eating looks like in Brazil.
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18 Jane Goodall May Be Remembered for Her Work With Chimpanzees, But Her Real Legacy Is Fighting Factory Farming
The world lost an icon this October with the passing of renowned English primatologist and anthropologist Jane Goodall, aged 91. This top story reflected on Goodall’s legacy—not just her vital work with chimpanzees but also her calls to end cruel factory farming practices. In a 2024 essay published by the Jane Goodall Institute, Goodall described factory farms as “amongst the worst atrocities ever perpetrated by humanity.”
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19 Billie Eilish Just Made the Messiest Vegan Dubai Chocolate
Sure, Eilish is a great performer and influential activist, but she’s also pretty good at making plant-based sweet treats, too. In the summer, she demonstrated how to make a dairy-free version of the viral Dubai chocolate bar by toasting dökmɛ tel kadayıf and stirring it with pistachio spread and melted vegan chocolate before setting it all in the fridge.
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Raph_PH | Wikimedia Commons
20 Bruce Springsteen’s OMAD Diet Keeps Him ‘Lean and Mean’ at 75
Earlier this year, we took a look at the One Meal a Day diet (OMAD) and its A-list fans, including Bruce Springsteen. The musician told The Times in 2024 that eating just one meal a day (plus fruit snacks) keeps him “lean and mean.” However, when we spoke to dietitian Ana Reisdorf, MS, RD, she advised caution when following this extreme diet for long periods.
“I would not recommend anyone follow this diet for any extended period of time,” she said. “If you want to fast like this one to two days a week for short-term weight loss and you are generally healthy, it’s probably fine. But this is not a sustainable or healthy way to eat.”
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Photo illustration by Richard Bowie
21 So … a Tick Just Made 500 People in Martha’s Vineyard Vegan
Over the years, we have covered many reasons why people choose to go vegan. Animal rights, the environment, and health are the main driving factors for many. But earlier this year, we explored a new phenomenon: vegan by tick.
Lone star ticks—tiny external parasites that feed on the blood of deer, dogs, raccoons, coyotes, and even humans—can transmit a condition called alpha-gal syndrome. The syndrome can cause a life-threatening allergy to red meat and other mammal-derived foods (think dairy or gelatin), and on Martha’s Vineyard alone, there have been more than 520 documented cases.
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The Kraft Heinz Not Company | Photo illustration by Richard Bowie
22 What Kraft Heinz’s Big Split Means for Its Vegan Foods
Back in September, we explored what Kraft Heinz’s big split might mean for its vegan portfolio. For now, there has been no indication that the corporation will discontinue any of its plant-based offerings, which include Oscar Mayer’s NotHotDogs and NotSausages, as well as Kraft’s NotMac & Cheese. There has also been no word on what will become of The Kraft Heinz Not Company.
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23 Nutella’s First New Flavor in 61 Years Is Dairy-Free and Extra Nutty
This spring, we celebrated some exciting news: Nutella Peanut, Nutella’s first new flavor in more than 60 years, is dairy-free. The formulation includes sugar, peanuts, palm oil, peanut flour, cocoa, hazelnuts, lecithin, salt, and vanillin. Notably absent? Milk powder.
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Nestle
24 Vegan KitKat Is Officially Gone—Here’s What Happened
The food gods give (Nutella Peanut) and take (vegan KitKat). One of our top reads in September explored exactly what happened to Nestlé’s vegan KitKat—and why, just three years after its launch, it disappeared from shelves for good.
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Gage Skidmore | Wikimedia Commons
25‘Wicked’ Star Jeff Goldblum Says He “Stopped Eating Meat” Because of the Film
As the world prepared for November’s release of Wicked: For Good, Jeff Goldblum spoke about the impact filming the movie had on his diet. The Wicked sequel has strong animal-rights themes, and stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are both vegan, so it’s only natural Goldblum was left with a lasting impact. “Working with [director] Jon Chu [is] amazing,” Goldblum said on This Morning. “It’s changed me,” he added. “You know, after doing this movie, we talked about the animal cruelty, I stopped eating meat and poultry.”
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England's southern coast.
