In the past decade, Veganuary has been instrumental in transforming the food industry, encouraging millions to eat vegan foods throughout January and beyond. The movement has significantly influenced consumer habits and the food market, creating a surge in the availability and variety of plant-based foods. This article explores the trends that will shape the next decade of the plant-based market, and explains why pulse proteins will be key to meeting evolving consumer demand.
The success of Veganuary highlights the growing importance of plant-based products. The market is diverse: some consumers seek alternatives that mimic traditional meat and dairy, like plant-based burgers that replicate the experience of a traditional beef burger. Other consumers look for natural options that solely use clean label ingredients. Such varied consumer demands and preference is driving food and beverage manufacturers to tailor their products and evolve in line with consumer trends.
Ingredion, founded in 1906, has consistently been at the forefront of the evolving plant-based market. Marking a significant milestone in their journey, the company began with the introduction of its functional native starches in 1996, which helped in creating juicy and succulent textures. This expertise in texture paved the way for further advancements, culminating in the launch of Ingredion’s first pea protein isolate in 2019. Over the past decade, Ingredion has demonstrated a commitment to innovation and a keen understanding of future trends. And it is innovation in particular — as well as understanding future trends — that will ensure food and beverage manufacturers continue to meet consumers’ ever-evolving demands.
“The market is diverse: some consumers seek alternatives that mimic traditional meat and dairy, like plant-based burgers that replicate the experience of a traditional beef burger”
Consumer expectations are also becoming more varied. This ranges from seeking more adventurous tastes and textures, and trust and transparency, to health and nutrition, affordability, and convenience, as well as adapting well-known dishes. Addressing these key trends will inevitably impact the next decade of the plant-based market.
Health is one of the main reasons consumers eat more plant-based products, with over half of Europeans citing their overall health when making decisions about what to eat or drink. And a big part of meeting consumers’ health and nutrition demands involves manufacturers delivering a variety of plant-based protein content.
Addressing taste, meanwhile, is particularly key in terms of new product development, as is affordability and protein content, which are key considerations among the younger generation. Recent data suggests that flavour and protein are important considerations for Gen Z and Millennial audiences, although Millennials value affordability over flavour.
Ingredients must also focus on transparency while also being better for the planet. This means manufacturers must create products — featuring engaging storytelling on-pack — that are less processed and feature recognisable ingredients lists. With new farming systems improving ingredient quality and sustainability, there is renewed consumer interest in food sources, with 40% of consumers in Western Europe wanting products that are “better for the planet,” while 32% want more organic products.
As consumers increasingly turn towards plant-based diets, the role of technology in harnessing the potential of plant proteins is crucial. Ingredion is at the forefront of this revolution, utilising cutting-edge technology to elevate the use of pulses to become a key player in the plant-based market. Given the evolving demands of consumers across the generations, we expect to see demand for pulse proteins such as those from pea, faba beans, lentils and chickpeas to increase. In fact, the plant-based food market in Europe is projected to reach 13 USD million by 2028. As a result, technology, seed science and innovation will play a pivotal role to ensure these proteins meet consumer expectations.
At the heart of technological advances is the adoption of advanced processing techniques such as dry fractionation and mild processing methods, which are pivotal in maintaining the nutritional integrity of plant proteins. Unlike traditional methods, these processes do not use water, thereby ensuring a more sustainable and environmentally friendly approach. One of the most significant breakthroughs from Ingredion is its proprietary deflavouring technology. This innovation acts to remove the distinct, often undesirable, taste profiles of pulse proteins, which is a key consumer concern today.
Furthermore, Ingredion’s VITESSENCE® Prista range of pulse proteins offers a balance of flavour, nutrition, and functionality across multiple applications. This range, including clean-tasting, highly functional and nutritious pea and faba bean protein concentrates, is designed to enhance the taste and texture of plant-based products while meeting health-focused consumer demands.
KaTech, meanwhile — founded in 2012 and acquired by Ingredion in 2021 — has expertise in all kinds of plant-based alternatives including dairy, meat, fish, savoury and bakery. This expertise extends to various plant-based ingredients and understanding their synergies in order to create tailored solutions, as well as matching alternative product attributes to their original counterpart.
KaTech is also creating meat alternatives without methylcellulose, which has been a longstanding challenge in meat alternatives. That’s because although this EU-authorised food additive is used to deliver the characteristic texture of meat protein, it tends to lose the cold bite. KaTech has developed a new solution that relies on the jellification properties of plant-based protein to deliver an appealing hot and cold bite in vegan meat products. Plus, it offers the clean-label solutions consumers prefer.
As we look to the future, the plant-based food industry stands at the cusp of even greater growth and innovation, poised to cater to an increasingly health-conscious, environmentally aware, and flavour-seeking global population. The journey of Veganuary, from a campaign to a lifestyle choice for many, mirrors this evolution, indicating a future where plant-based diets are not just an alternative, but a mainstream choice.
