Frequently Asked Questions

You can use all our products as part of a varied and balanced diet.  Soya products can replace milk products provided that they are enriched with calcium. Our Provamel® Soya-Calcium Drink is enriched with calcium and contains 120 mg calcium/100 ml. The other Provamel® Organic Drinks do not provide enough calcium. Therefore it is important to include an additonal source of calcium in your diet. Provamel® Organic Drinks are also a great snack.Don’t forget to have a look at Plant-based eating on our website, where you can find plenty of tips on how to follow a plant-based diet. This is good for you and for the planet too.

Absolutely. All our products are 100% plant-based and free from animal ingredients. They are therefore perfect for vegetarians and vegans, but also for people who simply want to eat something different. This is why we include the Vegan logo on all our packaging.

Provamel® soydrinks can be used as part of a varied and balanced diet from the age of three. Provamel® Soya-Calcium Drink is enriched with calcium and can replace milk. It contains high-quality proteins and as much calcium as milk (120 mg calcium/100 ml). The other Provamel® Organic Drinks should not be regarded as a singular milk substitute, but as an additional snack that is 100% plant-based. Plant-based products contain less saturated fat, more fibre than animal products and are less harmful to the environment.Provamel® Rice Drink and Rice-Coconut can be used from the age of five.If you have any questions about your child's diet please contact your pediatrician or a state registered dietitian

Provamel® soydrinks can be used as part of a varied and balanced diet from the age of three. Provamel® Soya-Calcium Drink is enriched with calcium and can replace milk. It contains high-quality proteins and as much calcium as milk (120 mg calcium/100 ml). The other Provamel® Organic Drinks should not be regarded as a singular milk substitute, but as an additional snack that is 100% plant-based. Plant-based products contain less saturated fat, more fibre than animal products and are less harmful to the environment.Provamel® Rice Drink and Rice-Coconut can be used from the age of five.If you have any questions about your child's diet please contact your pediatrician or a state registered dietitian

Diabetics have specific dietary needs, which is why we recommend discussing your diet with your doctor or dietician if you have diabetes. If they recommend a healthy dietary pattern, our products can be included.

Yes, all our products are naturally lactose and cow’s milk protein free.

You can find all information about lactose intolerance here.

You can find all information about gluten intolerance here.

You can find all information about cow’s milk protein allergy here.

You can find all information about nut allergy here.

Today we are producing hazelnut and almond drinks in separate locations from where we produce our Rice Unsweetened Drink, Rice Calcium Drink, Oat Drink and all our soya products. Recently we decided to anticipate on integrating the production of almond and hazelnut containing products at the site where we produce our Rice Unsweetened Drink, Rice Calcium Drink, Oat Drink and all our soya products. Production lines at this site will be dedicated to producing soya, rice and oat drinks OR to almond, hazelnut and coconut drinks. Any avoidable risk of cross-contamination is thus excluded. In our production site where we produce our PROVAMEL® blends, our almond, hazelnut, spelt, macadamia, cashew and coconut drinks, all measures are taken to avoid possible cross-contamination. In this light the claim ‘may contain traces of’ is no longer necessary for soya, rice and oat drinks, soya alternatives to cream and soya desserts, but it is necessary to keep it on alternatives to yogurt as well as nut drinks such as almond, hazelnut, but also for spelt, macadamia and coconut.

We currently produce all our drinks with hazelnuts and almonds at separate locations from where we produce our Unsweetened Rice Drink, Rice Calcium Drink, Oat Drink and all our soya products. We recently decided to start preparations to integrate the production of products containing almonds and hazelnuts in our branch where we produce our Unsweetened Rice Drink, Rice Calcium Drink, Oat Drink and all our soya products. The production lines in this branch will be separated, so any preventable risk of cross-contamination is excluded. Drinks, desserts and cream alternatives based on soya, rice and oats do not have a ‘may contain traces’ claim. In our production site where we produce our PROVAMEL® blends, our almond, hazelnut, spelt, macadamia, cashew and coconut drinks, all measures are taken to avoid possible cross-contamination. However, there is limited experience about nut allergen management on these specific production lines. Only if validation of the production lines confirms there is no avoidable risk for cross-contamination, the claim 'may contain traces of’ may be removed. As we are convinced that honesty is the best policy, the claim will remain until there is a guarantee that the products do not contain these allergens.

If you want to lose weight, it is important to eat a healthy and balanced diet. This means making good choice and sufficient variation. Our products can be used in any healthy and balanced dietary pattern. All products also clearly mention nutritional information, such as energy value, on the packaging.

Absolutely, see Good for the planet.

Yes, our production process has been CO2-neutral since 2010 as a result of saving energy, replacing fossil fuels by green energy and the investment in external projects to reduce CO2 emission.* 

*Following energy efficiency programs in our production sites in Europe, 2,450 t direct CO2 emissions remain attributed to Provamel production (2019 Scope 1+2, Greenhouse Gas Protocol). All 2,450 t are compensated by financial support to re-forestation project in India (The Khasi Hills Community REDD+) through www.weforest.org (Provamel CO2 Retirement Certificate, 11.07.2020).

The material of our 1 L Drinks and 4 x 125 gram dessert pots consists of Tetra Pak®. Tetra Pak® has the lowest environmental impact of all strong drinks packages. Tetra Pak® is made of eco-friendly materials and no harmful substances are used during the production process. When you’ve finished your Provamel® drink, the Tetra Pak® can therefore be completely recycled. Discover more on www.tetrapak.com

Yes, Alpro, which Provamel is part of, became the first European food company to be part of the WWF Climate Savers programme in 2011. Specifically, this programme means that leading companies such as Alpro can draw up ambitious plans with WWF to considerably reduce the emission of GHG (greenhouse gasses). With this they show that economic growth and a lower CO2 emission can easily go hand in hand. Climate Savers was founded in 2000 and in total 30 companies are part of this WWF programme, including well-known brands such as Tetra Pak, Sony, HP, Volvo and Coca-Cola.

All our drinks, plant-based alternatives to cream and desserts can be heated. Our plant-based alternatives to yogurt cannot.

All our drinks are delicious in coffee or tea. Sometimes, depending on the type of coffee or tea used, there is a chance that our soya drinks might curdle. Pour the soya drink in the cup first, before adding coffee or tea to reduce the chance of curdling.

Yes. Pour Provamel® Cuisine into a cup and then pour the coffee.

Our Soya Single Alternative to Cream can be beaten in combination with agar-agar to a nice foam. This enables you to give all sweet and savoury dishes an added touch. Make organic cooking delicious!

Absolutely. The cooking time may be a little longer or shorter depending on which drink you use.

We do not recommend this as the quality or structure of the products can diminish when thawing.
Recipes using Provamel® products can be frozen according to the freezing guidelines.

Provamel gets all its soya beans directly from non-GMO farms, an essential characteristic of organic farming, in Europe.  Since early 2012 we no longer use soya beans from Brazil because our quality requirements (quality beans, GMO-free, etc.) can no longer be guaranteed there.
 

Yes, soya protein is a high quality protein and therefore contains all essential amino acids (protein building blocks), which the body cannot make itself. These amino acids are sufficiently present to be a good alternative for animal protein.

Provamel soya drinks, alternatives to yogurt and desserts are a source of protein. An adult needs 0.8 g protein per kg bodyweight every day. Pregnant and nursing women have a higher protein need. Children also need more protein, depending on their age. Soya products provide high-grade protein that contains a sufficient amount of all essential amino acids that cannot be made by the body itself. You can find the protein content of the various Provamel® products on the nutritional table of the products.

No, only soya protein is a good alternative to animal protein. All Provamel products are 100% plant based and naturally lactose free. Provamel nuts and grain drinks are a pleasant snack and fit in a healthy diet. For instance, Provamel® Oat Drink is a source of fibre. The nutritional information can be found on each product.

Soya has been part of the daily diet in Asian countries for ages. Soya products are also part of the Active Food Pyramid and therefore fit in with a healthy and varied diet. Three-four glasses (450-600 ml) of calcium enriched soya drinks or derived products and 15-30 g tofu (alternative for meat, fish and eggs) are recommended a day. It remains important though to have a varied diet.

A healthy lifestyle including a varied and balanced diet is important for  health. Excessive intake of one single food component in the diet is to be avoided.1-3 Soya products per day fit in a varied and balanced diet; as an example starting the day with a soyadrink on cereals , having a soya meat alternative at lunch and enjoying a soya alternative to dairy yoghurt as a dessert or healthy in-between.See specific info regarding use in children and during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Soya products can be consumed during pregnancy. 1 portion of soya products per day fits in a varied diet during pregnancy.
Provamel®  soya products are 100% plantbased, source of protein, low in saturated fat .
Always consult your dietician or doctor for specific dietary advice.

Soya products can be consumed during breastfeeding. 1 portion of soya products per day fits in a varied diet during breastfeeding.
Provamel® soya products are 100% plantbased, source of protein, low in saturated fat .
Always consult your dietician or doctor for specific dietary advice.

Three elements are important for the purchase of our ingredients:
1) Where do these ingredients naturally grow?
2) What is the ecological footprint?
3) What is the relationship with our current suppliers? We always prefer long-term relationships with our farmers.
Taking this into account, we buy our almonds in Europe.
All information about almonds can be found here.

On average 50 almonds are needed to make 1 L Provamel® Almond Drink.

Yes, the almonds are peeled and roasted first before they are used to make Provamel® Almond Drink.

Three elements are important for the purchase of our ingredients:
1) Where do these ingredients naturally grow?
2) What is the ecological footprint?
3) What is the relationship with our current suppliers? We always prefer long-term relationships with our farmers.
Taking this into account, we buy our hazelnuts in Europe.
All information about hazelnuts can be found here.

Three elements are important for the purchase of our ingredients:
1) Where do these ingredients naturally grow?
2) What is the ecological footprint?
3) What is the relationship with our current suppliers? We always prefer long-term relationships with our farmers.
Taking this into account, we buy our rice in Europe.
All information about rice can be found here.

Three elements are important for the purchase of our ingredients:
1) Where do these ingredients naturally grow?
2) What is the ecological footprint?
3) What is the relationship with our current suppliers? We always prefer long-term relationships with our farmers.Taking this into account, we buy our oats in Europe.All information about oats can be found here.

Three elements are important for the purchase of our ingredients:
1) Where do these ingredients naturally grow?
2) What is the ecological footprint?
3) What is the relationship with our current suppliers? We always prefer long-term relationships with our farmers.Taking this into account, we buy our macadamia nuts in Kenya and Guatemala.
All information about macadamia nuts can be found here.

Well, quite a bit. Grab a glass of our cold Almond Drink and get comfortable. 
Production: since 2011, we’ve been making investments for efficient energy use and switched to 100% green electricity. By doing that, we reduced the direct CO2 emissions per product by 35%. By 2025 we're aiming for another 30% CO2 reduction. But there’s more we want to do by then: our other goal is to have 50% of the energy use in our factories coming from renewable sources.
Other than that, we’re also working on an action plan to significantly reduce food waste. And minimise the risk of food getting lost in the supply chain, by investigating every step in the process. We’re also enhancing the recycling of waste generated in our operations and reducing the non-recycled waste stream to a bare minimum. You see, we already recycle most of the waste from our factories. Only a little ends up as landfill, yet we’re working to minimize this even more. The final part is our water consumption: we’re committed to reduce it by 60% per kg product by 2025. We’ve started implementing advanced water treatment installations in our production sites, allowing us to reuse water that would otherwise go to waste (like water from cleaning for example).
Packaging: we are
- switching to paper straws in 2021 and paper pots by 2025 (producing paper packaging emits far less carbon).
- using PP (polypropylene) instead of PS (polystyrene) for our dessert-packaging by 2022.
- changing the composition of our small pots to 50% PET and 50% RPET (recycled PET) by 2022.
We already successfully reduced plastic by removing the plastic lids on our big pots, saving 8 tonnes of plastic per year. And for our drink packs, we're committed to go for 100% (instead of 88%) plant-based and recycled materials by 2025.
Transport: we’re figuring out how to use more railway transport and (river) boats instead of trucks for our EU ingredients. To get the ingredients from across the oceans to us, we use sea transport (to minimize our carbon footprint). Of course our main goal is to source our core ingredients as close to home as we can.
Raw Materials: we’re working with farmers to help them reduce their emissions - or even to become carbon positive - through regenerative agriculture. Check out our commitments on healthy soils here (link to save our soil page).For more information, check our sustainability page and our Manifesto.
Okay, you can breathe again. Next question?