Eleplant — origin, manufacturing and ownership

Eleplant is a commercial plant-based (vegan) butter alternative developed and launched by Walter Rau Lebensmittelwerke GmbH as a retail plant-butter product (branded Eleplant) and positioned for spreading, cooking, baking and frying. (wuv.de)

The product and brand were launched in Europe (market introduction from late 2023) and have been marketed across Germany and other European markets (including launches in Poland and Finland). Eleplant's formulation is described as a high‑fat (approx. 79%) plant-based blend with an oat drink fraction and a patent-style recipe intended to replicate butter functionality. (sweets-processing.com)

Manufacturing and supply footprint: Eleplant is produced by the legacy Walter Rau production facilities in Germany (Hilter/Kleve) under the Walter Rau / Bunge group operations; regionally the product is also manufactured or supplied via Bunge's Polish operations (Zaklady Tluszczowe Kruszwica / Bunge Polska) for local markets — so manufacturing occurs in multiple European locations depending on market and SKU. (walter-rau.de)

Ownership and corporate structure: Walter Rau Lebensmittelwerke has been part of the Bunge group for years (Bunge acquired or consolidated Walter Rau businesses), and Bunge is the ultimate corporate owner of the Eleplant brand through its food/refined oils & specialty fats businesses. In 2025 Bunge reached an agreement to sell its European margarine & spreads business (including the Eleplant/Beleaf portfolio) to Vandemoortele; that transaction was announced publicly and was expected to complete subject to regulatory approvals in 2026. As of early 2026 the sale remained subject to customary clearance, so Bunge remained the ultimate owner until completion. (heuking.de)

Why this matters for origin/labeling: Eleplant's brand origin is German (Walter Rau), manufacturing is multi-site across Europe (primarily Germany with regional production in countries such as Poland), and ultimate ownership sits with the multinational Bunge group (with a pending European divestment to Vandemoortele that may transfer ownership of the Eleplant brand in Europe once closed). This means country-of-origin marking and supply‑chain details can vary by SKU and market — look at local pack labeling (producer line, factory address or pack code) to determine the exact production site for a given item. (walter-rau.de)