Plant-based proteins are at the forefront of food and beverage innovation, highly regarded for their versatility in plant-based food formulations, functional beverages, bars, snacks, dairy, and meat alternatives.
While these ingredients were traditionally the domain in vegan-only products, today they offer exciting solutions for the growing flexitarian movement.
One in four consumers globally now call themselves flexitarians - in effect, a flexible or casual vegetarian. With no strict definitions defining their diet, flexitarians typically focus on whole, plant-based proteins while enjoying meat, dairy, eggs, and fish in moderation.
Flexitarians typically want access to a broader range of food products, and natural and sustainable ingredient listings are important to them.
In addition, they are finely tuned to climate change and the environmental impact the food, particularly the animal protein industry, can have on the planet. This has resulted in a renewed interest in products that can replicate the experience of eating traditional meat and dairy products while limiting greenhouse gas emissions.
Plant-based and the environment
According to a recent article, plant-heavy flexitarian diets could help limit global warming to the 1.5C target set by the Paris Climate Agreement. To avert the worst impacts of climate change, it is imperative that global warming be limited as much as possible.
The meat industry is estimated to account for nearly 60 percent of all greenhouse gases in global food production systems. Reducing global beef consumption by just 20 percent could halve deforestation in the next 30 years.
As one of the six essential nutrients that the human body needs to function, access to quality protein is non-negotiable for our health and well-being, and at ACI, we believe that the rise in flexitarian consumers will continue to drive demand for sustainable protein sources.
Predictions show that by 2027 three out of four alternative proteins will be sourced from plants and vegetal sources. This means that brands and manufacturers will continue the hunt for plant-based protein solutions that offer great formulation stability, and a great taste and texture experience for consumers.
At ACI, we offer a wide range of wheat, soy, and pea protein plant-based branded products that can meet some of the biggest challenges around formulation complexity while matching shoppers’ sensory expectations. But first, let’s unpack two of the biggest challenges in plant-based protein formulations.
Texture and taste
Historically, high-protein plant-based products have often struggled to meet the stringent taste demands of consumers. While some shoppers are willing to sacrifice taste for their health and well-being, most are not. Familiar challenges in plant-based formulations include off and bitter notes in the final product, a ‘woolly’ and brittle texture, and a strong aftertaste.6
These issues are easily solved by utilising masking technology in meat or pairing plant-based ingredients with popular flavour concepts, such as vanilla in bars, snacks, and baked goods, resulting in a rounder flavour profile and a more pleasant eating experience for consumers.
Additionally, texture, bite, and mouthfeel play a critical role in product enjoyment, particularly in meat and dairy alternatives and these organoleptic properties are often a key purchasing factor for flexitarian consumers.
To win market share, formulators and new product developers who can replicate the taste and texture of traditional animal products by simulating the complete experience of the original product will deliver on the culinary expectations of consumers – particularly mouthfeel, chew, and bite. When it comes to alternative animal products, authenticity isn’t just about replicating flavours but simulating the complete experience of the original product.
At ACI, we know that incorporating high protein plant-based ingredients in product formulations should never affect the pleasure taste, and texture of a product.
By Trish Fellowes, Food Sales Manager at ACI Group
