Dairy Crest has pledged to do its utmost to get Vitalite back on Sainsbury’s shelves after the dairy-free spread was delisted last month.

Sainsbury’s stopped stocking Vitalite spread less than 18 months after it went into stores in May 2010, with 500g tubs delisted on 13 September [BrandView.co.uk].

Dairy Crest said it was disappointed at the decision, claiming it played a “significant role” in satisfying the needs of consumers on dairy-free diets. “We will continue to talk to Sainsbury’s about getting it back into their range,” said Louise Pike, head of marketing for butters and spreads at Dairy Crest. Sainsbury’s said it would not comment on its relationships with suppliers.

In March 2010, Dairy Crest revamped Vitalite’s design to emphasise its dairy-free credentials and ditched its shallow tub format in favour of tubs similar in shape to its Utterly Butterly brand.