Delicious Alternatives - Plant - Flipbook - Page 7
Plant-Based
Trends for 2022
Vegan and plant-based diets are nolonger a trend but a movement - and
a fastmoving one at that - with a
plethora of new products launching
every month. More often than not,
operators tend to focus on broad
food trends across the industry,
however the vegan and plantbased sector is now so significant,
we are witnessing specific trends
develop within it. Stir it Up
have identified 5 areas that
we predict will continue
to drive innovation and
sales in plant-based food
throughout 2022.
INNOVATION IN TASTE
& TEXTURE
As one of the most
significant issues raised by
consumers when reviewing
vegan or plant-based food,
taste and texture will see
some dramatic improvements
over the next 12 months. Dairy
and meat substitutes will
be the main focal point as
manufacturers try to replicate
the experience of eating meat,
cheese and eggs, tapping
into the flexitarian market.
This could mean applying
technological advances to
transform soy, peas and nuts
to taste like meat, developing
dairy substitutes using
extrusion techniques, investing
in bio-technology or identifying
new methods of combining
different plants to create a more
fibrous texture.
Dairy and meat subst itutes
will be t he main focal point
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CHEESES PLEASES
It is predicted that the plant-based cheese
market will reach $7billion by 2030. Despite
lagging behind milk alternatives, there is
significant interest in developing cheese that
works across the hospitality sector – pizza
toppings in particular. The holy grail of perfecting
the perfect cheese is still to be discovered but
the race is on, and a few brands are claiming to
be exceptionally close to creating (what
they claim is) an authentic product.
While for some of us the prospect of
accessing a full spectrum of vegan
cheese that tastes exactly the same as
their counterpart may seem like a pipedream, chefs such as Reuben Waller from vegan
food consultancy, Plant Candi believe that the
retraction of traditional dairy production will fuel the
fire for continued innovation in vegan cheese.
PLANT-BASED FISH
One of the more recent innovations in vegan
and plant-based food is the introduction of fish
substitutes. Driven by the demand for comfort
food – replacing traditional fish and chips,
scampi, tempura prawns, fish burgers and pies
— fish substitutes are now highly sought after
to create healthier vegan meals. Moving into
2022 we will see a fresh wave of better-quality
fish substitutes entering the market, including
Vuna by Nestle which has already launched in
Switzerland and is a plant-based product that
mimics the flavour and flaky texture of tuna.
FERMENTED PROTEINS
Fermentation is poised to solve many challenges
for consumers on a vegan or plant-based diet,
by producing proteins that match the nutritional
qualities found in animal-based food. Investment
from high-profile food and beverage companies
such as Danone, Kraft Heinz, Mars and Kellogg
have hit record-breaking levels, applying
microbial fermentation, a process commonly
found in the pharmaceutical industry, to food.
Algae, fungi found in one of Yellowstone’s hot
springs, Koji, bacteria and mycelium are just a few
sources currently under the microscope.
Fermentation is set to change the plant-based
industry over the next year, giving
life to new products with more
nutritional value as well as improved
taste and texture. From egg white
protein to kombucha, vegan
yoghurt, ice cream and
tempeh, we predict the
market will become busy
with disruptors introducing
innovative solutions
throughout 2022.
T here is significant
interest in developing cheese t hat
works across t he hospitality sector
- pizza toppings in part icular
VEGAN PATISSERIE
The rise of new plant butter
alternatives made from nuts or
oats and the introduction of
improved egg substitutes is leading
to development in vegan baking
- and more noticeably - patisserie.
Television shows such as the Great
British Bake Off featuring the first
vegan baker are supporting the
trend and manufacturers are
competing to produce both fresh
and frozen patisserie to increase
their share of the vegan baked
foods category. Whether savoury
or sweet, vegan patisserie is
waving goodbye to its reputation
of being bland and boring thanks
to new ingredients such as aquafaba
(chickpea water), cassava and
arrowroot, paving the way for
tasty new treats such as fruit
pies, meringues, macarons
and flaky croissants.
Left (main)
Vegetarian
Beetroot Burger
Above
Vegan Cheese
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