Plant-based consumption was already rising before COVID-19, but consumers are making more informed choices about what they are eating during the pandemic. In line with Innova Market Insights’ #2 trend for 2021, “Plant-Forward,” FoodIngredientsFirst speaks with key ingredient suppliers who share their insights on the ever-evolving movement.

According to Signe Causse, global marketing leader for bakery and digestive health at DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences, there has been an increased focus on health and well-being overall during the pandemic. 

“This has paved the way for boosting further the consumption of plant-based food and beverages, especially plant-based meat alternatives,” she states. 

Acceleration across the board
The plant-based segment will continue to grow heavily, as per the indicator of consumers paying more attention to health and well-being, strongly associated with rebalancing their diets toward more plant-based food, notes Causse. 

“COVID-19 has accelerated interest in plant-based across the board, with 42 percent of consumers eating meat alternatives more often,” flags Karen Emerson, plant-based business development manager, North and South Europe at Kerry. 

“Consumers are looking to their diet to support their physical health and the health of the planet,” she asserts. Kerry research also reveals that 50 percent of European consumers call nutrition a key motivator for purchasing plant-based products.

For Sylvain Jouet, global product manager for savory at Givaudan, many factors have played into the continued and sustained growth of plant-based products during COVID-19. 

Firstly, the pandemic caused many global consumers to spend much more time at home than usual. During that time, media consumption and, in particular, social media has increased substantially, notes Jouet. 

“These types of factors, combined with a focus and concern on healthfulness and overall well-being, led to a great interest in plant-based products.”

With more consumers seeking out plant-based products, short and simple ingredient lists are essential to maximizing their success, adds Lorraine Jansen, GNT’s communications manager. 

“Plant-based claims do provide a health halo, but that can be easily undermined when products contain additives or ingredients that are difficult for consumers to understand,” she underscores. 

Extending from niche to trend
Consumers are increasingly savvy and more engaged about their nutritional needs and the nutritional quality of their food, says Mindy Leveille, strategic marketing manager for protein at Kerry. 

“Plant-based has extended itself from a niche trend for the few to a full-fledged phenomenon for many. COVID-19 is drawing deeper attention to health, the safety of animal-based foods and the environment, which propelled the plant-based trend,” she explains.

Moreover, consumer awareness about protein quality is growing, with consumers able to find information very easily on blogs and social media, adds Leveille.

Plant-based applications spotlighted
Causse of DuPont says the plant-based beverages segment is “more mature and is forecasted with a smaller growth,” wheras more is still to be done in the plant-based meat alternatives and even more in the plant-based cheese alternatives segment. 

“According to ProVeg consumer research in Europe, cheese is what consumers miss the most in terms of product availability and quality,” she flags. 

Meanwhile, Leveille notes that “many plant-based protein sources don’t have the same nutritional quality as dairy or egg protein.”

For instance, plant-based dairy alternative beverages dont have as much protein as products using dairy, she says. “There is an opportunity for plant-based dairy alternative manufacturers to fortify their plant-based dairy with plant protein to enhance the nutritional profile of these beverages.”

Beyond plant-based dairy and meat alternatives, there remains a significant untapped potential for the plant protein movement in applications such as nutritional bars, waters, cookies, ice cream, yogurt and snacks, highlights Leveille. 

“Consumers want healthier, more nutritious and more sustainable food, and plant protein can deliver on these demands.”

Expanding traditional offerings
Emerson expects to see continued demand for plant-based meats such as burgers, sausages and nuggets for the year ahead. “For these core items, novel proteins and processing techniques will improve texture delivery,” she notes. 

“We also foresee line extensions across deli meat and cured meat and fish alternatives as demand for these products widens across the product category.”

Jouet at Givaudan believes that all plant-based applications will see success in 2021. 

“Plant-based meats and dairy alternatives offerings will continue to expand and grow. Likewise, we expect to see plant-based fish and seafood grow significantly as technologies, capabilities and demand converge,” he says. 

Seafood alternatives forecast for growth 
Jansen at GNT says the company has been creating some exciting possibilities with plant-based fish products such as smoked salmon and tuna carpaccio.

“We can provide effective color solutions for almost any plant-based product, and we see a significant rise in interest in our colors as a result,” she explains. 

Plant-based fish is an area that remains ripe for expansion, according to Jansen. 

“It still represents a tiny fraction of the global seafood market, but there are many reasons to believe it could be the next big trend. Beyond ethical and environmental issues, there’s also the expectation of a significant fish demand-supply gap in the coming years,” she flags. 

Manufacturers have now developed innovative ways to recreate the tastes and textures of plant-based fish products, including salmon fillets, canned tuna and even sashimi. “We can provide these seafood alternatives with highly realistic colors while supporting clean labeling,” Jansen adds. 

Emerging ingredients
As knowledge on plant protein increases, as well as plant protein processing technologies, the possibilities for plant-based are endless, notes Leveille at Kerry.

“Furthermore, plant protein sources such as canola, sunflower, hemp or fava bean broaden the solutions available for plant-based protein food and beverage innovation,” she concludes.