Consumers are becoming more aware of animal cruelty and adopting ethical lifestyles and diets that seek animal-free products while reducing some of the adverse environmental impacts food can have on the planet. A growing flexitarian consumer base illustrates how consumers are scrutinizing the label more than ever. With this, innovation in the plant-based sector is at an all-time high, as major players ramp up their offerings. 

FoodIngredientsFirst takes a deep dive into the vegan sector, speaking to companies including DSM, Palsgaard and Biorigin, who continue to innovate in the plant-based industry. 

Ingrid Damen, global business development manager at DSM, believes 2022 is the year plant-based went inclusive. “No longer exclusively aimed at vegetarians and vegans, plant-based food’s soaring popularity is down to more people adding plant-based options to their diets, alongside traditional meat, fish and dairy.”

“When you look under the hood at what’s contributing to the rising numbers of flexitarians – the main reasons are twofold. As European consumers emerge from the pandemic, health and climate change are still front of mind. And, many people see incorporating more plant-based foods as an easy lifestyle change that helps them meet their health and sustainability goals,” she says. 

Meanwhile, consumers are becoming more aware of animal cruelty, notes Lara Rezende, food application specialist at Biorigin. “Thus, they adopt lifestyles and diets that aim to reduce animal cruelty and prevent adverse environmental impacts caused by animal-meat consumption.”

“Vegan consumers are becoming more mindful about what they consume and are reading the back of product labels more carefully,” Rezende asserts. “Moreover, Consumers are becoming aware of the food products they consume and thus, researching to understand their health implications.”

A competitive space 
Plant-based products compete directly with meat, fish and dairy products on supermarket shelves as more people add these products to their diets. 

“Advances in ingredient science also mean meat, fish and dairy alternatives can taste, feel and look like their animal-derived counterparts while offering the same nutritional value as traditional animal products,’ explains Damen. “But plant-based formulation is still not without its challenges. These factors combined have led to a highly competitive and fiercely contested market.”

These days, discerning customers want it all, taste, texture and health. And the main challenge for formulating with only plant-based ingredients is authentically replicating meat, fish and dairy alternatives that appeal to flexitarian customers who switch between both.

Challenges beyond taste
There is a growing consumer perception that plant-based foods are healthier for us, adds Damen. “But this is not necessarily the case. There is often a nutrient gap in plant-based alternatives compared to their animal-derived counterparts. This is why many of our plant-based customers opt for our nutritional premixes, alternative proteins and omega 3 solutions to help bridge this gap,” she explains. 

Another challenge that manufacturers often face is improving the taste and texture of products to imitate their animal-derived equivalent. 

“For cheese, eliminating off-notes and achieving the right sliceability can be a pain point. And for fresh plant-based dairy alternatives like beverages and fermented products, achieving the desired texture and mimicking authentic dairy flavors also present significant challenges,” Damen underscores. 

Similarly, emulating the flaky texture and signature flavors of fish without increasing sodium levels is a distinct challenge in the fish alternatives category. 

Biorigin’s Rezende believes that the key factors are taste, texture, certain nutrient deficiencies, and price. “Vegan ingredients and food are well known as healthy but can still suffer from the perception that they lack attractive tastes and texture. Good ingredients can overcome this hurdle if consumers are comfortable with them,” she comments. 

“Several manufacturers develop and launch vegan/plant-based alternatives in the market, but the production associated with such products sometimes are expensive and the prices comparatively higher than animal-based products.”

Yeast and NPD
Biorigin has been innovating, bringing yeast extracts that provide a naturally rich and savory taste, improving mouthfeel. Besides, yeast extracts contain carbohydrates, proteins, amino acids, vitamins and minerals from the yeast cell all in one ingredient.    

The company has a complete product line under Bionis and Goldcell brands that, besides all these benefits, may contribute with umami and juiciness, respectively, adds Rezende, noting how there are different kinds of yeast extracts, and each one provides specific benefits.

“Our entire line of yeast extracts is egg free. If you are looking for something to substitute eggs, yeast extracts can be excellent alternatives to improve mouthfeel and round off the overall taste.”’

Notably, Rezende believes the vegan market is set to grow rapidly in the coming years. “Growing acceptance of vegan products among the younger population contributes to market growth,” she continues. “This factor has prompted the companies to innovate and launch new products. Different styles and varieties of products have been launched to attract new consumers.”

From a final product perspective, a wide range of manufacturers and ingredient companies will further develop niche categories, such as cheese or fish replacements. Other areas with potential ahead include vegan confectionery and baked goods, explains Rezende. 

In terms of concepts, the growing preference for food and beverage ingredients perceived as somehow “clean” is one of the keys to watch out for in the future, she reflects. 

“We aim to support our customers with Biorigin’s biotechnology and our portfolio, which can bring sensory to nutritional benefits, rounding off taste and improving mouthfeel in just one ingredient.”

Milk alternatives rise 
Meanwhile, Palsgaard notes significant growth in not only milk alternatives but growth in non-dairy barista “milks,” “which are now being used by both professional and hobby baristas.”

A spokesperson says: “From our field research, we know that professional baristas have been very frustrated by the performance of non-dairy barista milks for some time, as they split or are not sufficiently heat resistant to be able to produce the same milk drinks as conventional cows’ dairy.”

In some coffee chains, requests for non-dairy milks can be up to 50% of the orders – with coconut and other nut blends being the most popular across Europe, they state. 

Palsgaard has developed solutions specifically for these issues – and by choosing the right emulsifier system, dairy alternatives for baristas can become much more robust and much more like their dairy-based cousins, the company spokesperson notes.