FrieslandCampina has unveiled its latest vegan concept for its whipping agents portfolio, Kievit Vana-Monte V98. The versatile whipping agent is a new solution for bakers, dessert and ice cream manufacturers, and responds to the growing trend toward vegan and flexitarian solutions and the rising demand for plant-based alternatives.

According to FrieslandCampina, Kievit Vana-Monte V98 brings an “elevated vegan sensory experience, outstanding performance and increased convenience.”

With the company’s latest innovation, dessert manufacturers can make desserts such as a chocolate or fruit mousse and ice cream based upon Kievit Vana-Monte V98.

“Kievit Vana-Monte V98 marks a further addition to the FrieslandCampina ingredients portfolio, which spans both vegan and non-vegan options,” a company spokesperson tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

“Consumers want to have a choice, the choice for taste, mouthfeel and nutrients. Personalization is more and more possible, and for some consumers, that means plant-based. Others focus on free from gluten or high protein. The boundaries between vegan and non-vegan will become increasingly blurred too, as non-vegans selec plant-based options simply because they taste so good.”

Consumers are keen to understand the foods and beverages they are consuming. But at the same time, they want to enjoy the moments of indulgence they get from their favorite foods and drinks, the spokesperson notes.

“In retail, we are seeing an increase in segments such as ice cream and desserts, wher global market launches with a vegan label have doubled over the past two years. In bakery, we see similar growth in in-store bakeries. Foodservice is slowly opening up after the lockdown in many countries, and we expect more and more plant-based options will appear in this channel. Applications include, for example, Crème Chantilly and fruit mousse.”

Engaging all the senses
The Kievit Vana-Monte V98 engages the senses with a clean taste, creamy mouthfeel and an excellent flavor release, says the company.

It also delivers “perfect aeration, a high overrun with up to a 400 percent increase and good acid-stability.”

The product comes with  gluten-free label options and is robust even at low dosage, notes FrieslandCampina.

Bakery, desserts and ice cream sectors
Applications such as Crème Chantilly and fruit mousse are very simple to make yet very irresistible and indulgent, making it easy to turn recipes into new consumer favorites and personalize them with different flavors and toppings.

FrieslandCampina sees the global trend for more plant-based alternatives transfer more and more to the bakery, desserts and ice cream industries. 

Suzanne van den Eshof, global head of marketing food industry, says the company is “delighted to support our partners and consumers all over the world by giving them a vegan alternative for the perfect Crème Chantilly and sweet or acidic mousses.”

“The Kievit Vana-Monte V98 makes sure that producers can enjoy increased convenience wheras consumers don’t have to give in on indulgent taste,” she explains. 

“We consider it our mission to bring our valued partners and consumers every opportunity to make their creations exactly to their and the market’s liking.”

“We believe that moments of feeling good matter for everyone, so we have been offering a variety of dairy and plant-based options to fit consumer’s needs. We see demand for plant-based alternatives continue to rise, and we will continue to offer the market the finest ingredients in line with their needs,” the spokesperson adds.

Plant-based interest rises 
Recent research conducted by FrieslandCampina and published in its annual Trend Report confirms the growing interest in plant-based alternatives. 

FrieslandCampina has been seeing this trend develop over the past five years and anticipated with a vegan positioned portfolio back in 2016, the company states. 

The launch and latest addition to that portfolio through the Kievit Vana-Monte V98 emphasize the growing interest in plant-based alternatives shows no sign of stopping in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Consumers are not only more aware of their health but are also showing an increased interest in the source of their food, alongside a craving for a more varied and balanced diet. 

In addition, better taste is considered to be a new driver for vegan consumption. The demand for plant-based alternatives drives expansion to more market categories and regions, and vegan is appealing to mainstream consumers. 

The accelerated demand for new plant-based formats and more sophisticated alternatives is forecasted for upcoming successful launches. 

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

The flexitarian consumer is on the rise and does not want to give in on taste and experience while considering more plant-based, vegetarian and vegan alternatives.