The Veggy Cornetto, a soy-based ice cream, is hitting the shelves this summer, making vegans very happy.

Unilever will release the dairy-free option of its flagship ice cream in Italy, where demand for vegan options has grown recently.

However, it’s unlikely the new release is aimed exclusively at the vegans as they count for just three percent of the Italian population.

Instead the brand is targeting a wider segment of health-conscious consumers who increasingly see dairy as unhealthy.

Are vitamin enriched ice creams on the way?

Similar to the gluten-free craze — the Veggy Cornetto actually has a gluten free option — many dairy-free diet followers have similar motivations.

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By GlobalData

Besides genuine intolerance reasons — which are few and far between — many Italian consumers now think going dairy-free could lead to weight loss.

Over a quarter (26 percent) of Italian shoppers attempting to lose weight are also trying to limit their dairy intake. Among those avoiding dairy entirely, 52 percent also think that milk proteins are bad for you.

Unilever will unlikely be the last to to jump on the vegan bandwagon. Ben & Jerry’s has also gone vegan with an almond milk-based ice cream that it claims is healthier.

In order to increase its healthy halo, vegan ice cream could soon have added vitamins.

Something like adding vitamin B12 — which vegans are more likely to be deficient in — could be a strong selling point.