Laïta Nutrition is increasing its focus on plant-based ingredients, with the nutrition division of the Laïta dairy cooperative acknowledging that eating habits are changing. 

Plant-based products have come to be seen as of primary importance, and consumers have a keen eye for health claims, the business notes.

“This plant-based trend is challenging for dairy companies. They need to reinvent themselves to innovate and offer new solutions for their customers,” it states. 

Therefore, Laïta Nutrition is turning toward plant protein sources like soy, lupin, lentils, rice, corn and hemp. The company currently offers a range of plant-based products for clinical nutrition and is developing a plant-based formulation for sports nutrition, set to launch by 2022.

Its range also targets the specialized medical and infant nutrition sectors. Laïta Nutrition says this expansion of its finished plant-based protein products opens up “new perspectives for innovation to satisfy all types of consumers.”

Mimicking dairy’s characteristics
According to Laïta Nutrition, the difference between dairy and plant-based proteins is the taste and quality of the proteins added to the formulas. 

“As a formulator, we have developed strong expertise in adapting to any ingredients. We have done a lot of work on the selecion of raw materials and are very active in studying new ingredients that can be tested in our formulas,” says marketing manager Mathieu Lucot. 

“Today, we are able to come up with formulas containing plant-based proteins of many origins while maintaining functional and organoleptic stability in our finished products.”

The business controls the products, processes, and traceability in order to guarantee the quality and food safety of the products. Identification and control of the various risks in Laïta Nutrition’s activity ensure that the company’s products meet international safety standards.

Additionally, all the vegetable proteins have a European origin policy, tapping into consumer demands for transparency. 

Dairy companies pivot
Laïta Nutrition argues that COVID-19 has further accelerated the transition of consumers to a plant-based diet, with dairy companies driving new strategies for the nutritional and food transition. 

“In these days of increased awareness of plant-based alternatives, the market in plant-based beverages is looking more promising than ever,” notes the company.

Laïta Nutrition is not alone in identifying plant-based potential. Kerry is also actively promoting alternative foods and beverages, despite its strong ties in the dairy world. 

Meanwhile, an expert from FrieslandCampina Ingredients previously argued that there is space in the market for both dairy-derived and plant-based products. 

Symrise recently observed that the last five years in dairy alternatives have been dominated by rapid change, with versatile plant-based sources and product experiences coming to the fore.

Rise of plant-based
Laïta Nutrition estimates that the market for plant-based proteins represents nearly €10 billion (US$12 billion) around the world, with plant-based food sales outpacing total retail food sales by 35 percent. 

Meanwhile, Innova Market Insights reports 51 percent CAGR between 2015 and 2020 in F&B launches with a plant-based claim. 

Health is the biggest driver, with 53 percent of global consumers citing this as a reason for considering plant-based alternatives. 

Other reasons include bringing variety to diet (35 percent), better for the planet (32 percent) and better taste (19 percent).  

However, ADM notes that plant-based dairy alternatives still lack many of the nutritional properties of traditional dairy.