The dairy category is facing key challenges amid changing consumer tastes. Among the notable shifts in purchasing behavior is the increasing demand for plant-based dairy alternatives. The market for dairy alternatives has been around for several years now. However, Symrise notes that the last five years have been dominated by rapid change with versatile plant-based sources and product experiences coming to the fore.

The demand for plant-based dairy alternatives is driven by health-conscious consumers seeking sustainable products which are better for both people and the planet. 

Environmental concerns are growing and the plant-based space continues to rapidly expand. There has been significant NPD, notes Symrise, with a myriad of brands and manufacturers seizing the opportunity to diversify their product portfolios with plant-based sources that resonate with consumer needs. 

Alternatives to classic dairy products
Symrise’s forthcoming webinar entitled “Unlock great taste for your plant-based dairy alternatives,” hones in on the space. It will offer insights into how to understand what drives or or what restrains consumers to move from dairy to dairy alternatives.

Better understanding plant-based consumers is key, while it’s also important to understand how to overcome the taste and texture challenges that can be associated with plant-based dairy alternatives. 

Getting taste and texture on-point is a must and so knowing how to use high-quality ingredients and understand consumer preferences is a winning combination. 

 Symrise will be examining how recent developments have changed the landscape of product offers with an increasing number of alternatives to classic dairy products. These include milk, yogurt, desserts and ice cream, with a broad range of tastes and textures.

Dairy trends
As plant-based trends reach global phenomenon status, this year’s Top Ten Trends report from Innova Market Insights sees a renewal of 2020’s “Plant-based Revolution” Trend. As a natural progression, this years’ “Plant-Forward” theme spotlights expansion to different regions and categories in 2021.

The accelerated demand for new plant-based formats and more sophisticated alternatives is forecasted for upcoming successful launches, notes the market researcher – and this will be prominent within the plant-based dairy alternative arena throughout 2021 and beyond. 

Symrise representatives will be going though more trends impacting the plant-based dairy alternatives space next week.