Much has been said over the last 12 months heralding the positive health impacts of a plant-based diet, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Aside from reducing meat and dairy for environmental reasons, immunity has come to the fore. Consumers are increasingly seeking better-for-you food and beverages that will naturally boost their health and well-being. 

A big part of this is plant-based eating, and big brands and manufacturers have been tapping into opportunities for NPD over the last year.

The plant-based revolution had already well and truly arrived pre-COVID. Still, space is branching out to include a wealth of categories, as evidenced in Innova Market Insights’ #2 trend for 2021, “Plant-forward.” 

The trend highlights the evolution of plant-based concepts beyond the core dairy and meat alternatives categories.

Last year, no fewer than 67 percent of all new products with “plant-based” claims were launched outside of these pioneering sectors, according to the market researcher. And, it also points to plant-based confectionery space proliferating.

While total confectionery launches rose at a CAGR of less than 2 percent between 2016 and 2020, introductions of those carrying vegan claims increased at 17 percent CAGR. More dynamic still were confectionery launches under the “plant-based” banner, with introductions more than doubling in 2020 alone.

The accelerated demand for new plant-based formats and more sophisticated alternatives is forecasted for upcoming successful launches. In particular, lab-grown foods have the potential to disrupt the industry with acceleration from animal welfare interests, notes the market researcher.

Striving for sustainability 
Aside from immunity and health, there are other drivers of the plant-based arena.

Globally, consumers are more concerned than ever about wher their food comes from and its ethical and environmental impact.

Sustainability has become a significant part of branding strategies the world over.

“Better for people and the planet” has already become a key phrase from companies and brands across all manner of food and beverage launches.

The Innova Consumer Survey 2020 already indicated that the top four reasons for considering plant-based alternatives were health, diet variety, sustainability and taste.

Plant-based indulgence 
Launches of plant-based products have significantly increased in all sweet categories, answering consumers’ need for healthy and tasty products. Iconic brands, such as Magnum and Galaxy, have already got in on the plant-based indulgence action with their launches of products with indulgence at heart.

Nestlé continues its plant-based pivot with a major portfolio boost –  the first vegan KitKats impending launch. (Credit: KitKat)Meanwhile, Nestlé continues its plant-based pivot with a major portfolio boost –  the first vegan KitKats impending launch. Dubbed KitKat V, the vegan version of the iconic chocolate wafer bar promises no compromise on taste and texture.

“Taste was a key factor when developing the plant-based chocolate for our new vegan KitKat. We used our expertise in ingredients, together with a test and learn approach, to create a delicious vegan alternative to our original chocolate KitKat,” says Louise Barrett, head of the Nestlé Confectionery Product Technology Center in the UK.

Dairy-free chocolate
Barry Callebaut is a key player growing the plant-based category from its niche into the mainstream. The chocolate and cocoa giant has been tapping into demand from consumers seeking plant-based indulgence. 

“Plant-based products are making their way into the treat aisles,” notes the company.

Barry Callebaut has been ramping up its “Plant Craft” range of vegan and dairy-free indulgent chocolate, cocoa and nut products for food and beverage manufacturers.

Last year, Barry Callebaut launched a 100 percent dairy-free chocolate coined “M_lk Chocolate” as part of Plant Craft, which was developed to satisfy the growing demand for plant-based indulgence among centennials, also known as Generation Z. 

The company also helps add texture with visually appealing, plant-based decorations within the Plant Craft selecion, all of which are suitable for vegans.

Convincing natural colors 
Color is playing an essential role in the plant-based space in general. It significantly impacts consumers’ taste perception and signals interest in food and beverage products from the first glimpse. 

The social media concept of “Instagrammable food” is partly because of vibrant colors making the product stand out. This propels food and beverage formulation with color in mind.

As Christiane Lippert, head of marketing for food at Lycored puts it: “Coloration is essential to make products more visually appealing and familiar to consumers today.”

Consumer attitudes to plant-based products are shifting, and the vegetarian food industry is investing in creating substitutes nearly indistinguishable from real meat regarding taste, texture after cooking and presentation,” she explains. 

“There is a real need to develop and enhance what the consumer sees on the shelves as well as facilitate growth in alternative plant bases, such as soy sources. For these reasons, red, orange and yellow sources continue to be the solid contenders in these categories.”

It’s not just in meat alternatives wher color is important. Chr. Hansen has a vibrant color portfolio, with applications for beverages, confectionery, dairy-based or other prepared foods.

“The use of natural colors over artificial colors is gaining momentum in Southern Africa, wher F&B manufactures are being encouraged by a savvier consumer to include these safe, natural ingredients in their product ranges,” Colleen Ferrao and Mark Ferrao, managing partners at Barentz SK Chemtrade say with regards to a recent deal that sees Chr. Hansen Natural Colors appointing Barentz to distribute its natural color portfolio in South Africa and Zimbabwe. 

“A product that looks good on the shelf is no longer enough for conscious consumers. Their buying behavior is now influenced by whether the origin of the color is from a safe and natural source,” they say.

Covering natural colors and fruit and vegetable concentrates, the portfolio offers more than 600 unique products, including product ranges as FruitMax, CapColors and iColors.  

Fermentation focus
Chr. Hansen recently extended its FreshQ bioprotection solution into the fermented plant-based segment. Its FreshQ DA culture combines Chr. Hansen’s expertise in food microbiology focuses on fermentation solutions for plant-based products to help keep them naturally safe and fresh for longer.

The solution consists of lactic acid bacteria seleced for their ability to out-compete contaminants through fermentation. “It works in a variety of plant bases to help keep products fresh for longer,” says Peter Thoeysen, Chr. Hansen’s director of bioprotection.

Bioprotection uses “good bacteria” to fight “bad bacteria,” yeast and mold, to help keep food fresh from the inside out. Using fermentation for this is a well-known concept in the dairy world, and it offers similar potential for the fermented plant-based foods industry.”

“With the launch of FreshQ DA, we deepen our collaboration with players in the plant-based space at a time when consumers are more focused than ever on real food ingredients and healthy options.”

“As more consumers become interested in focusing their diets around healthy and sustainable foods, growing numbers of plant-based producers will enter the market to satisfy these demands, making this an increasingly competitive industry,” he says. 

“Using FreshQ DA in their fermentation helps our customers distinguish their products, protect their value chains, and deliver premium-quality results.”