Plant-based Global Phenomenon
According to Innova Market Insights, plant-based concepts have moved well beyond the core dairy and meat alternatives categories. In 2020, no fewer than 67% of all new products with ‘plant-based’ claims were launched outside of these pioneering sectors. In the confectionery market, for example, more and more milk-free and gelatin-free products are hitting the shelves, as highlighted in a report from Innova Market Insights.
While total confectionery launches rose at a CAGR of less than 2% over 2016-2020, introductions of those carrying vegan claims increased at 17% CAGR. More dynamic still were confectionery launches under the simpler ‘plant-based’ banner, with introductions more than doubling in 2020 alone.
According to Innova, a review of vegan and plant based confectionery NPD also demonstrates the shift of animal-free products further into the mainstream. While vegan claims were once predominantly used as secondary or tertiary claims in combination with other ‘free-from’, organic or health positionings, they are now coming to the fore as a primary focus.
“Mars’ introduction of vegan Topic and Bounty bars in the UK this month demonstrates the growing importance of the vegan message,” says Lu Ann Williams, Director of Innovation at Innova Market Insights. “Although the bars are also positioned as gluten- free, ‘vegan’ is the most important claim on the packaging, while the Vegan Society logo is also prominent.”
Oat Extracts
Meurens Natural, an expert in natural solutions from cereals for over 30 years, looks to its innovative range of oat extracts providing oat taste, natural color, sweetness, and texture.
Oats are suitable to formulate original and tasty recipes of cereal bars, biscuits, crunchy, dairy & non-dairy products, etc., the company highlighted. Due to a natural production process (free of chemical additives & processes), the original characteristics of the raw material are preserved, allowing a cleaner and shorter labeling: “oat syrup” instead of “glucose syrup” or “sugar”. Oat extracts from Meurens Natural are also available in organic quality.
One of the newest products in its range is Sipadry-Oat 19, is a clean-label alternative to maltodextrin. It is a tasty organic oat powder providing texture, viscosity, structure, crispness, which also prevents crystallization. Its properties enable bakers to limit the sugar content in food preparations, meeting consumer’s needs for healthier foods.
Plant Protein
Plant protein is continuing to gain traction as the plant-based revolution marches on. Plant-based eating has continued to evolve, reaching not just mainstream but what might even be described as global phenomenon status, says Innova Market Insights.
Plant-based has continued to be featured in Innova Market’s Top trends as consumers demand new formats, new plant proteins and an extra level of sophistication. Innova’s 2020 Consumer Survey indicated that the top four reasons for considering plant-based alternatives were health, variety, sustainability and taste. Health was the clear leader, cited by 53% of respondents globally.
You can read the rest of this article in the July/August Issue of European Baker & Biscuit magazine, which you can access by clicking here.