Future of plant-based protein lies in blends and flavor combinations: DuPont Nutrition & Health

24 Jul 2018 --- At this year’s annual IFT Food Expo (July 15-18) in Chicago, DuPont Nutrition & Health showcased its latest market-based innovations, including plant-based protein advancements. NutritionInsight’s Robin Wyers spoke to the company's protein experts at the show on how the future of plant-based proteins for food and beverage applications lies in blends and broader scope of flavor combinations.

As the high protein trend continues to soar, consumer interest in plant-based offerings is driving a steady increase in alternative protein sources. Innova Market Insights reports that 1 in 10 global high/source of protein products featured natural claims in 2016. The plant proteins with the highest growth in sports nutrition launches tracked (Global, 2016 vs. 2015) were: soy protein with 25 percent; rice protein with 43 percent; and pea protein with 65 percent.

The protein experts at the show showed that DuPont Nutrition & Health, a business unit of DowDuPont Specialty Products Division, is expanding its protein portfolio beyond soy; optimizing taste and texture through protein blends. 

Concerning meat analogs, a significant focus for the company, Austin Lowder, Principal Applications Scientist, Meat Applications, tells NutritionInsight that mimicking meat opens up the “potential for merging plant-based proteins such as pea, soy and wheat-gluten.”

Other ingredients such as gums and hydrocolloids are also key to improving texture. However, Kimberly Hogan, Group Manager, NAFTA Sensory Science, adds that, “It’s a balancing act as far as what kind of texture you are getting from your protein and what kind of texture and you are getting from your hydrocolloid faction. How can I walk the line, while managing the length of my ingredients list, and give a good texture, flavor and good eating experience?”

Overall, Hogan continues, it is paramount to know your products, which ingredients you are starting with and know what you want to end with

Utilizing the separate sensory characteristics of plant-based proteins can help with balance, not only in the meat analog market but in beverages and bars too. “The descriptive profiles of pea, rice and soy, are different and each one has different sensory characteristics. 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,” says Hogan.

In this way you can “highlight the positives and minimize the negatives,” she adds.

Broader scope for flavor 
“Don’t be afraid to step out of the box concerning flavors,” says 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.” 

Less traditional flavors do not only help from a flavor masking perspective. In the plant-based protein space, there are fewer consumer expectations, which allows for “more leeway,” Hogan describes. Meaning, manufacturers can work with more flavors and be a bit more lenient in this fresh, yet expanding, market.

Consumer interest in plant-based protein
Further news from the showroom floor was a DuPont Nutrition & Health protein perception survey across 11 countries that identified oat, rice and soy as the three plant-based proteins gaining the most consumer interest, thereby informing the company which proteins to include in blends. 

Michelle Braun, Ph.D., Dupont’s Global Protein Scientific Affairs Lead, tells NutritionInsight that consumers align plant proteins strongly with health, especially heart health, weight management, muscle health and satiety. Manufacturers can aim to substantiate such health statements on the packaging for these different plant-sources in a blend, she explains.

DuPont Nutrition & Health also debuted a natural antioxidant blend, targeting low moisture food applications such as bars and cereals. Joy Zhong, DuPont Senior Application Scientist tells NutritionInsight that the blend is an alternative to synthetic antioxidants, moving toward a cleaner label food additive. Secondly, the powder format of the blend differs to that of the usual liquid format, enhancing ease of use and avoiding difficult clean-up procedures. The product is in inventory ready for customer sampling.

NutritionInsight also spoke with Tate & Lyle, Beneo and Agropur on the floor of this years IFT.

By Laxmi Haigh