Sproud earns B Corp certification with pledge to put planet first

Sproud, the Malmö, Sweden-based company known for its pea protein milk alternatives, has achieved B Corp Certification, marking a significant milestone in its mission to build sustainability and accountability into every part of its business.

The certification, awarded by B Lab, recognizes companies that meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. It places Sproud alongside a growing number of businesses that seek to balance profit with broader societal impact.

Sara Berger, CEO of Sproud, said the recognition reflects the company’s values from the ground up. “We are delighted to be verified by B Lab for this certification. Achieving a score of 109.4 reinforces that we see the planet as our biggest stakeholder and our commitment to being a business that is a force for good,” she said.

For Sproud, the certification comes after years of initiatives aimed at reducing environmental footprint and embedding responsible business practices. Since launching in 2018, the company has sought to position itself as both an innovator in plant-based milks and a challenger brand focused on measurable impact.

Sproud’s products are based on yellow split peas, a crop chosen for its environmental advantages as well as nutritional qualities. The peas require little water to grow and actively contribute nutrients back into the soil, reducing the need for synthetic inputs. The company highlights that its product line has a long shelf-life, which eliminates the requirement for chilled distribution and helps cut food waste – a factor that remains a persistent challenge across the food sector.

To measure progress, Sproud tracks the carbon footprint of its products throughout the production and distribution chain. Data published daily on the platform CarbonCloud shows its CO₂e/kg ranging between 0.26 and 0.38, a figure the company says is lower than all leading brands in the wider plant-based milk category. By benchmarking performance in this way, Sproud provides consumers with evidence of its environmental claims at a time when transparency is becoming increasingly important in the plant-based sector.

The company’s pursuit of recognized standards has also set it apart from peers. In 2023, Sproud became the first food company in the European Union to be verified according to ISO 26000, the international standard on corporate social responsibility. That verification, combined with the new B Corp Certification, signals a sustained effort to align the business with international best practice on governance, ethics, and environmental responsibility.

The certification also adds momentum to Sproud’s growth in the UK market, one of its largest outside Sweden. Since first entering the country in 2019 through select channels, the brand has steadily expanded its distribution. In 2025, Sproud launched nationwide in Sainsbury’s stores, adding to its availability via Ocado, Amazon, Sproud’s own website, specialty coffee shops, restaurants, and Joe & The Juice outlets.

Sproud’s profile received an additional boost in 2024 when television and radio presenter Maya Jama became an investor in the company. Her involvement helped bring the brand to a wider consumer audience and underscored its potential to compete in a crowded plant-based dairy category dominated by oat, almond, and soy products.

Founded in Malmö in 2018, Sproud has charted a rapid trajectory in its seven years of operation. Key milestones include its UK launch in 2019, ISO 26000 verification in 2023, Jama’s investment in 2024, and the nationwide Sainsbury’s rollout in 2025. The new B Corp Certification represents the latest step in this timeline, but one that cements the company’s long-term positioning as a sustainability-driven player in the sector.

For Berger and her team, the recognition is not just about the label but about the operational and cultural framework that comes with it. B Corp Certification requires companies to consider the impact of their decisions on workers, customers, suppliers, community, and the environment, and to make those principles central to how the business is run.

With plant-based milks continuing to grow in popularity, Sproud’s move positions it strongly among consumers looking for products that align with their values as well as their dietary preferences. As the category matures, brands are increasingly judged not only on taste and price but also on demonstrable sustainability credentials.

By combining a low-impact core ingredient with long shelf-life logistics, carbon transparency, and internationally recognized certifications, Sproud is attempting to meet that demand head-on. Its B Corp Certification may help reinforce its credibility with both consumers and retailers at a time when the plant-based milk sector is under scrutiny for its environmental claims.

For Sproud, the message is clear: growth and impact must go hand in hand. As Berger put it, the planet itself is the company’s “biggest stakeholder.”