DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences is launching its Grinsted Plant-Tex egg white replacement system, with three different formulae appropriate for vegan alternatives to burger patties, cooked sausages and cold cuts. Plant-Tex is touted as being cholesterol and allergen free, as well as naturally sourced. The egg white replacement system is currently available in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, with products manufactured with Plant-Tex expected to reach the market by Q3 or Q4 this year and a worldwide roll out planned for 2020.

“This is a very fast growing and innovative market, and Plant-Tex products are very much designed around what customers have been asking us for,” Linda Yvonne Friis, Global Business Development Manager, DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

Plant-Tex is currently available in three different forms. Plant-Tex MA1201 for burger patties increases protein content and improves juiciness and umami flavor, while also being lower in salt. Plant-Tex MA1301 for cooked sausages aids shape maintenance and mimics the “snappy” bite of cooked sausages, both hot and cold. Plant-Tex MA1110 for cold cuts gives vegan deli ham an authentic taste and texture.

“We have very strong sensory capabilities that helped us to line up our solutions with consumer ‘drivers of liking’, and working closely with customers always tends to keep us on track and moving at pace,” Friis adds.

However, she explains that there were some specific technical challenges to overcome, such as achieving the right texture. “The goal on these types of projects is to deliver the optimum overall experience rather than fixing just one particular issue. For example, a good meat-alternative sausage deserves a good meat-alternative casing,” explains Friis. 

She adds that fortuitous timing aided product development, with Dupont having recently brought in additional texturant product lines relevant to plant-based foods.

The continuing rise of the vegan market
There is a promising market for plant-based meat alternatives, with 37 percent of Americans attempting to consume more plant-based foods, and 46 percent of Europeans saying they consume meat alternatives at least once a week. This has been reflected in new products available, with there being more than a 45 percent average annual growth in food and beverage launches with a vegan positioning (CAGR, 2013-2017), according to data from Innova Market Insights.

“Our research points in the direction of the primary driver for plant-based being consumer’s own health with sustainability and animal welfare being key factors also – and, of course, as plant-based solutions continue to improve, we should see more consumers including some level of meat alternatives in their diet,” Friis continues.

Additionally, she notes that unlike vegans or vegetarians, consumers who seek alternatives to meat occasionally are looking for products that are quite similar to meat with regards to bite, juiciness and appearance. “In many plant-based products, egg white is used as the binder of the plant proteins, in order to approximate meat. This launch is focused on replacing egg white and to get as close as possible to the meat product experience,” she says.

This is not DuPont’s first foray into the vegan market, with its subsidiary, Danisco, offering a line of plant-based products including fermented spreads (plant-based alternatives to cream cheeses), fermented snacks (plant-based alternatives to dairy yogurts), and plant-based beverages (nut and oat). DuPont plans to release more solutions for non-fermented spreads and to produce more meat analogs later this year. “For the meat alternatives, I am convinced that we will see more “whole muscle” type products, more ready meals and more variety,” adds Friis.

The plant-based egg space has enjoyed a spate of innovations recently. In May, Bill Gates-backed Renmatix developed Nouravant, an egg-replacement ingredient created from the botanical building blocks of plants – cellulose and lignin. It offers food manufacturers and bakers a multi-functional, allergen-free ingredient at a “fraction of the cost of current ingredients.” 

Meanwhile, in April it was reported that Ingredion was leading a Series B funding round in Clara Foods, a San Francisco-based biotech start-up. This round of financing will fast-track commercialization of the worlds first chicken-less egg proteins, expand research and development capabilities, and broaden Claras product roadmap into many other animal proteins beyond the initial focus on egg white proteins.

By Katherine Durrell