Kerry is drawing attention to new frontiers for the alternative meats sector, wher regional plant-based appetites are developing.

Speaking to FoodIngredientsFirst, the ingredients player also weighs in on Europe’s latest move to reject a ban on “meaty” terminology from vegan offerings – while enforcing a similar law upon dairy alternatives.

“We’re seeing huge potential across all European markets and further afield in Asia Pacific/Middle East/Africa (APMEA) and North America,” says Darren O’Sullivan, director of plant-protein at Kerry.

“The UK market has traditionally been the most active with new launches but this is changing now with increased interest in plant-based.”

As plant-based trends reach global phenomenon status, this year’s Top Ten Trends report by Innova Market Insights sees a renewal of 2020’s “Plant-based Revolution” trend. The market researcher recently announced its second-ranked top product trend, “Plant-Forward.”

Kerry responds to “meaty” terminology ban
Last week, the European Parliament rejected a proposal to ban the use of words like “sausage” and “burger” to describe vegan and vegetarian products, in what plant-based industry leaders describe as a “victory for common sense.”

Novel protein sources and new exciting flavor profiles are expected as plant-based products move from niche to mainstream.Responding to these developments, O’Sullivan tells FoodIngredientsFirst: “It’s positive news for the plant-based meat alternatives space that the naming of fantastic products in the market will not need to be curtailed. 

“Consumers are smart and I don’t believe labeling of a veggie ‘burger’ is misleading the consumer in any sense,” he stresses.

In a surprising and contrasting move, MEPs also voted to ban any indirect reference to dairy products for plant-based foods, which means descriptors like “yogurt-style” or “cream imitation” will be prohibited.

“The ruling regarding dairy-like products may potentially confuse consumers as dairy alternatives will have more obscure names,” O’Sullivan remarks. “We’ll have to watch this space closely and see.”

Plant-based appetite grows 
In a diversifying market, more emphasis is placed on taste by consumers selecing plant-based foods, with one in three consumers looking for better tasting products, according to new research carried out by Kerry.

“A lot of F&B innovators are watching the flexitarian trend very closely,” adds O’Sullivan. “Our bespoke research on the European plant-based food consumer has brought a new level of detail to this emerging consumer group.”

“We can classify flexitarianism into four subcategories: Eco-ethical, natural nutrition, lifestyle embracers and body performance, all with their own unique needs and motivators for adopting a more plant-based diet.”

Forty-two percent of Kerry’s surveyed consumers say they are choosing plant-based products on a more regular basis. They now seek a broader range of products to choose from.

“Plant-based seafood alternatives will emerge as a key trend in the next 12 to 18 months,” adds O’Sullivan. “We should also expect to see novel protein sources and new exciting flavor profiles as plant-based products move from niche to mainstream.”

With the European plant-based market growing and expected to reach a value of €18.3 billion (US$21.5 billion) by 2023, Kerry carried outesearch among regular consumers of plant-based products, which revealed the following:

• 42 percent are choosing meat alternatives more often than they were 12 months ago.
• 37 percent of plant-based protein consumers in Europe want better tasting products.
• 26 percent want a better range of products to choose from.
• 28 percent are looking for meat alternatives with better texture.
• 50 percent view plant-based products as healthier or better-for-you.

Radicle by Kerry
To stand out in a saturating marketplace, plant-based players need to ensure that their offerings provide nutrition, functionality and great taste, while delivering on sustainability credentials.

Kerry’s holistic plant-based portfolio, Radicle by Kerry, was developed to address these benchmarks.

“[The portfolio] is designed to meet taste, texture, nutrition and functionality needs in plant-based products as we partner with companies to create great tasting products with cleaner and shorter labels,” O’Sullivan details.

“Our Authentic Savoury range of taste solutions was developed to address the key challenges associated with plant proteins. Our umami solutions leverage Kerry’s fermentation expertise to deliver succulence and depth of flavor in a category wher taste is often compromised.”

Formulator’s guide
Kerry has recently released a 25-page eBook that examines consumer and market themes in the plant-based arena, as well as innovation in the sector and taste trends. 

“Innovating in the plant-based food space can be challenging in many ways, from complex processing procedures to the cost of creating a product to the time it takes to launch to market,” says O’Sullivan.

“For these reasons, failure rates are high for launches of new vegan products,” he adds.

“Our new eBook contains a breadth of information from our experts, as well as exclusive proprietary research, insights, and an innovation framework to help manufacturers successfully launch a product,” he concludes.