Gilbert Verschelling, Director of Business Development & Innovation, DSM Food Specialties
As consumers, we pay more attention than ever to the food we eat; considering not only how it affects our health, but also its impact on the environment. This increasingly conscious mindset is driving interest in plant-based lifestyles, like flexitarian, vegetarian and vegan diets. Brands have been quick to broaden their offerings as a result, developing new plant-based options alongside traditional dairy and meat varieties. The competition in this growing market is high, so how can brands make the cut? It is no longer enough for products to just be plant-based; they need to provide authentic taste and texture, and a high-quality nutritional profile fit for today’s health-aware climate.
The latest ingredient innovations – from enzymes to yeast extracts – in the plant-based alternative market hold the answer; these solutions can help brands develop delicious, nutrient-rich meat- and dairy-free foods and thereby meet consumers’ evolving expectations in this space. Enzymes like DSM’s Delvo®Plant range, for example, can make the starch in plant-based drinks more soluble to create the mouthfeel that consumers expect. These ingredients leverage the glucose (high sweetness) and maltose (low sweetness) inherently present in raw materials like rice and oats to help producers achieve the perfect sweetness for their target region/s without or with limited added sugar. Meanwhile in meat alternatives, yeast extracts and hydrocolloids such as DSM’s Maxarome®, Multirome® and GELLANEER™ portfolios, can be used to mask the off-flavor notes that are typically associated with plant-based protein to create the authentic ‘umami’ taste and chewy, juicy mouthfeel that animal fat brings. The pure, concentrated Maxarome® and Multirome® taste solutions can also support producers in managing the sodium levels in plant-based varieties by adding flavor, not salt, to products. In addition, ingredients like vitamins, minerals and omega-3 fatty acids can be added to both dairy and meat alternatives – which typically have a lower nutritional value than their traditional counterparts – to create nutrient-rich plant-based options with enhanced health appeal.
For more information on how to deliver on-trend plant-based products that shine on the shelves, contact the author at [email protected] or visit our website.
