Bollywood star couple Riteish and Genelia Deshmukh’s plant-based ‘chicken nuggets’, ‘the Happy Bugs’, have won the accolade for the Best Vegan Meat at the 2021 PETA India Vegan Food Awards. The Deshmukhs have been developing plant-based meat alternatives under their Imagine Meat label. PETA, a global animal rights organisation, has been campaigning for people to switch over to a vegan diet. The other winners ranged from Sofit soy milk to Haldiram’s ‘soan papdi’, besides a vegan cheese, mayonnaise and even ghee. The online store Vegan Dukan was also among the honourees. PETA announced the awards ahead of World Vegan Day and World Vegan Month. In a statement, it stated that 63 percent of Indians are inclined to replace meats with plant-based options and 75 percent are unable to digest milk properly. “From creamy, dairy-free chocolate ice-cream to meat-free chicken, all these innovative foods are making it easy for people to pamper their taste buds without harming animals,” says PETA India`s vegan foods and nutrition specialist, Dr Kiran Ahuja.