According to Mintel, meat flavour is an important purchase factor for 44% of Brazilians who consume meat substitutes. This growing audience is made up of people who adopt diets such as vegan and vegetarian, and by “flexitarians”, consumers who are looking for the occasional substitution of meat for plant-based products, as they consider them natural and nutritious. 

While searching for health and well-being in food, consumers are not willing to give up the odour, taste and texture attributes of traditional foods, according to Duas Rodas.

“This has been a great technical and sensorial challenge for food companies, considering the characteristics of the plants, which are quite different from those of meat. To meet this growing market demand, we invested in the unio of technology, research and studies by our multidisciplinary team of flavour specialists to develop the Plant based Solutions portfolio, which makes it possible to bring the flavour, texture and juiciness of meat to hamburgers with vegetable protein, meeting the sensorial expectations of consumers,” said Steven Rumsey, Director of Innovation and Technology at Duas Rodas. 

The new Plant based Solutions brings together aromas and condiments, which are said to give a flavour similar to beef, with hints of grilled and roasted meat, onion, garlic and black pepper. Technologies such as bioprocess have been used to translate the authenticity of meat flavour from natural sources. 

The portfolio also has a Tasteful Technologies flavour modulator that acts directly on the “off notes” unwanted by consumers from soy and pea proteins, in addition to solutions for juiciness and texture, with technology developed exclusively to increase the texture of plant based products. 

“Knowing the consumer deeply, understanding the trends of food in the future, as well as their needs and desires today, led us to believe and invest in this line that offers complete solutions to the food industry, and those who use our technology will be a step ahead of its competitors and closer to serving a slice of the market that only tends to grow,”said Marketing Manager of Duas Rodas, Paulo Fernando Roquette Mokarzel.