Some experts pointed out that the continued growth of consumers’ interest in health and sustainability will drive the vigorous development of plant-based food and beverages.

The SPINS report shows that the plant-based market is growing at a rate of 29% per year. That’s almost double the 15 percent growth rate for the overall food and beverage market, SPINS said.

Likewise, plant-based protein products are growing twice as fast as animal-based protein products in most segments. Experts expect this trend to continue as more people look for healthier, more natural products.

Plant-based products are no longer a niche product. This has prompted major CPG companies to redesign and innovate new product lines. Consumers are turning to plant-based products for many reasons, but the two reasons we hear most often are that plant-based products are considered better for their health and the planet.

A June 2020 survey by the International Food Information Council (IFIC) reported that nearly 70% of consumers believe plant-based protein is the healthiest; 24% said they eat more plant-based dairy; According to Cargill, more than 40 percent of people believe that plant-based products are healthier than non-plant-based products. In addition, sustainability is also an important factor for consumers to choose plant-based.

In addition to health and sustainability, the pandemic itself has boosted interest in plant-based products. According to the IFIC Food and Health Survey, 85% of Americans have changed their eating habits due to the pandemic, 28% ate more protein from plant sources, 24% ate more plant-based dairy products, 17 % ate more plant-based meat alternatives.

Trendy protein

Plant protein advanced technical service experts pointed out that soy protein is still the dominant plant protein in the market because it is inexpensive, powerful, and one of the few that can be determined to be nutritionally complete based on its protein digestibility corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS) One of plant protein. But pea protein has emerged as a notable competitor due to its label-friendly status as well as its nutritional and functional attributes.

Nutritionally speaking, pea protein is very high in protein. PURIS Pea Protein contains at least 80% protein, enabling it to have higher levels of protein than many other plant-based options. Although pea protein is not a complete protein, its PDCAAS value is as high as 0.78, which is much higher than most vegetable proteins. Functionally, pea protein has good texture, emulsification and water binding properties, and high solubility – all key attributes for beverage applications.

Not only that, but the current market presents ripe opportunities for new plant-based protein options, including barley protein options.

Challenge

Experts also pointed out that despite the popularity of plant-based proteins, consumers still have high expectations for the taste of the products.

While early consumers of the plant-based movement may have been more tolerant of taste in plant-based products, today’s consumer base has grown significantly, along with their expectations for good taste and texture, and the ability to switch to a plant-based diet. Fortunately, plant proteins have also come a long way, with many solutions to formulation challenges that generally arise.