Plant-based and dairy-free: Delivering on consumer taste and texture expectations

14 Aug 2018 --- The demand for dairy-free and plant-based products is growing. However, taste continues to reign supreme as consumers want dairy-free products but without budging on flavor or texture. Such demands have led to a range of R&D moves to overcome textural, stability and flavor challenges while aiming to keep ingredient lists as short as possible. NutritionInsight speaks to suppliers on how they are responding to the ever-expanding dairy-free trend, with a focus on plant-based protein and milk options. 

Plant-based product claims have increased by 62 percent globally from 2013 to 2017, according to Innova Market Insights data. “The dairy alternatives market has been a particular beneficiary of this trend,” says Lu Ann Williams, Director of Innovation at Innova Market Insights. “With the growing availability and promotion of plant-based options to traditional dairy lines, specifically milk beverages, and cultured products such as yogurt, frozen desserts and ice cream.”

Within this plethora of plant-based claims, a stand-out group are the plant-based milks, with Innova consumer research indicating that US consumers have increased their consumption of plant-based milks (as well as yogurt) in the two years to the end of 2017.

“The plant-based trend is rooted in two consumer-driven objectives: sustainability and a desire for more protein. The idea of what is healthy is going beyond human health to include the wellness of the planet. Consumers are embracing more protein in their diets while cutting out sugar and other carbohydrates, but want to do so in a way that is better for the planet,” Anne Sinha, Senior Strategic Segments Manager at CP Kelco tells NutritionInsight.

Consumers may see plants and nuts, as opposed to meat and dairy, as more sustainable sources of energy. However, what do they expect in terms of taste and experience?

Matching dairy-free alternatives with the “real deal?”
Consumers may want to cut down on animal-based products, but they do not want to sacrifice on taste or texture. Protein stabilization, texture and mouthfeel pose challenges when formulating plant-based products, according to Sinha of CP Kelco and often, new products in this space are replacing an animal-based product with unique features that are difficult to imitate.

Stability and texture
Essentially, “stability in beverages or texture in products like plant-based yogurts can be difficult when you cannot count on the proteins in the system to create the functionality of a dairy protein,” says Sinha.

One way of achieving such textural similarities are hydrocolloids, Sinha explains, such as Kelcogel Gellan Gum or Genu Pectin from CP Kelco which create the necessary suspension of insoluble proteins and calcium or create smooth, creamy textures in plant-based products.

A recent Palsgaard report, Controlling stability for non-dairy alternative drinks, similarly highlights the sensitive emulsion of plant-based milk drinks, with sedimentation, flocculation and fat separation all being constant issues. 

It notes that the introduction of Ultra-high temperature (UHT) processing Technology has dramatically enhanced shelf-life for such products, while the use of emulsifier molecules stabilize the blend, thereby reducing the fat separation in the product and improving the creaminess of the drink. Common emulsifiers used in this space are edible vegetable fats and oils. Adding stabilizers further helps create the network required to suspend particles, increase viscosity and improve mouthfeel.

Flavor masking
Regarding plant-based protein sources, such as soy or pea powders, manufacturers often face the task of “flavor or texture masking to make the product more appealing to consumers,” Jeff Smith, Director of Marketing at Blue Diamond Almonds Global Ingredients Division tells NutritionInsight. This is particularly salient as a clean taste is the most critical characteristic for consumers concerning protein, he adds, according to the Global Food Forum’s Protein Ingredients R&D Report.

DuPont Nutrition & Health, a business unit of DowDuPont Specialty Products Division, is optimizing taste and texture through protein blends. By blending proteins, manufacturers can utilize the specific sensory aspects of different proteins such as pea, rice and soy, explains Kimberly Hogan, Group Manager of NAFTA Sensory Science. “So you can minimize the chalky or gritty mouthfeel that comes with pea protein and highlight more the solubility that you see with soy protein – blend them together to get the best flavor,” she explains. Gums and hydrocolloids are also vital in improving texture she adds, but by blending them with different proteins, ingredient lists can be well managed, thereby appealing to consumers who seek shorter and cleaner ingredient lists.

According to Smith, Almond Protein Powder – which has recently been launched by Blue Diamond – fills a genuine need for a clean tasting and more natural protein source and does not require flavor masking.

“Most other protein powders require flavor masking agents, which discourage consumers who are looking for a clean label. The product is also dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free and non-GMO. It works well with a wide range of products and compliments most applications with its clean taste and smooth texture, allowing manufacturers more versatility when formulating products,” he explains.

“Formulators need not deal with masking agents to neutralize unwanted taste and flavors. In fact, including Blue Diamond Almond Protein Powder as a part of a protein blend can assist with masking unwanted flavors resulting from other protein sources.”

Whats next for plant-based?
The plant-based market should brace itself for an explosion of new flavors, according to Hogan, speaking for DuPont Nutrition & Health. The market can handle this more extensive range of flavors as less traditional flavors do not only help from a flavor masking perspective but in the plant-based protein space, there are fewer consumer expectations, she adds. This allows for “more leeway,” meaning, manufacturers can work with more flavors and be a bit more lenient in this fresh, yet expanding, market.

“Don’t be afraid to step out of the box concerning flavors,” notes Hogan. “Mostly in the industry in beverages, it’s been vanilla, chocolate and strawberry and now we see some growth outside of that.” Flavor innovation in the plant-based space includes cinnamon and nut-based products, which “are working with the proteins and the blends.”

Diversification of flavors and NPD in the dairy-free and plant-based space has reached even the most mainstream of outlets. Starbucks recently announced its newest menu addition: Protein Blended Cold Brew made with almond milk, plant-based protein, almond butter and banana date fruit blend.

Indeed, the market will be an interesting one to watch as consumers continue to demand plant-based and dairy options for health and sustainable reasons.

By Laxmi Haigh