Central to today’s food industry is the challenge of taste, especially when it comes to plant-based products. As the target audience broadens, including not just vegans but also flexitarians and omnivores interested in healthier and sustainable options, taste becomes the lens through which the authenticity and success of these products are judged.
As the FMI report “The Power of Plant-based Alternative Foods and Beverages 2023” rightly points out, taste is the main reason for both repeat consumption and initial resistance to plant-based foods and drinks.
In this shifting context with high expectations, the food industry is racing to innovate and overcome these taste challenges.
Prioritizing Plant-Based and Flexitarian Markets: Why It’s Crucial for the Food Industry
Shifts in dietary preferences and the motivations driving these choices are reshaping the global food landscape. For the food industry to cater effectively to the modern consumer, it’s vital to understand and distinguish between vegans, plant-based enthusiasts, whole-food plant-based adherents, and flexitarians.
While the vegan community has traditionally placed high value on the ethics behind their food choices, flexitarians and other plant-based consumers are more focused on replicating the taste and texture of the animal products they’ve grown accustomed to.
Historically, as Forks Over Knives elucidates, vegans have chosen to abstain entirely from animal products, largely driven by ethical considerations. However, this narrative has evolved. Nowadays, many are drawn to a vegan diet for reasons tied to health and environmental concerns.
In contrast, the plant-based diet emphasizes predominantly plant-derived consumption. While it does permit minor inclusions of animal products, it zeroes in on nutritional benefits, distancing itself from the ethical motives characterizing veganism. A more stringent offshoot of this approach is the whole-food plant-based diet, advocating for whole, minimally processed plant foods and minimizing or excluding those that are highly refined.
Flexitarianism, as defined by ProVeg International, emerges as a modern-day answer to a myriad of concerns: health, the environment, and ethics. While not entirely excluding meat from their diets, flexitarians consume it far less frequently, centering their dietary choices around plant-derived products. This strategy allows them to reap the benefits of a plant-centric diet while retaining the flexibility to indulge in animal products occasionally. This trend is swiftly gaining traction, especially in Europe, where nearly 30% of the population identifies as flexitarian.
The rising prominence of these dietary trends, with a special nod to flexitarianism, underscores a profound cultural shift in our relationship with food. For the food industry, adapting to this transformation is not merely an opportunity for innovation and market expansion but a critical step to remain competitive and pertinent in a rapidly evolving world.
Taste, Texture, and Quality Challenges in the Plant-Based Industry
The broader public’s adoption of plant-based foods faces multidimensional obstacles, with taste standing out as the main challenge. While the nutritional and ecological appeal is evident, if products don’t meet taste expectations, their integration into daily diets might be compromised.
Flavor Notes:
Unlike animal-derived products, which have intrinsic flavors that consumers are accustomed to, plant-based ingredients can introduce atypical tastes.
Descriptions like “bean-like,” “bitter,” “cardboardy,” and “earthy,” mentioned in the Kerry Group report, illustrate the challenge. Depending on their source and processing, plant-based ingredients might bring distinctive flavors and aromas that can be jarring to traditional palates if not treated correctly.
Over-seasoning:
Trying to mask or enhance these flavor notes might lead to over-seasoning. Balance is crucial, as an overload of flavors can be counterproductive. An oversaturation of tastes, rather than providing a pleasant taste experience, can cause rejection.
The delicate dance between seasoning and flavor requires precision and deep knowledge of ingredients and their interactions.
Final Experience:
Beyond taste, texture plays a crucial role. A plant-based steak that crumbles upon cutting or a plant-based burger lacking the expected juiciness can disappoint consumers. Authenticity isn’t just about replicating flavors but simulating the complete experience of the original product.
Modern consumers, especially those venturing into plant-based without being strictly vegan, seek an overall experience reminiscent of the animal-derived products they’re used to. Winning their trust involves getting both taste and texture right, offering a product that, while innovative, feels familiar.
The Transformative Potential of UMAMI in Plant-Based Foods
Umami, popularly known as the “fifth taste,” has been recognized in gastronomy for its ability to enhance and balance flavor profiles across a wide range of dishes. It’s the taste sensation identified as “deep” or “savory,” often associated with protein-rich foods like meats, fish, aged cheeses, and certain vegetables. The challenge in the plant-based industry has been convincingly replicating this taste nuance without resorting to animal ingredients.
With RAISE, Done Properly addresses this challenge head-on. By leveraging the unique and natural power of umami, this sustainably sourced flavor enhancer becomes the perfect ally for plant-based food developers.
By incorporating RAISE into formulations, it’s possible to counteract the “bean-like” or “earthy” notes often associated with vegetable proteins, offering a rich taste profile that evokes the delicious, satisfying qualities of traditional foods.
Furthermore, umami has the amazing ability to harmonize and amplify other flavors, allowing a reduction in salt, sugar, and other seasonings, thus minimizing the risk of over-seasoning. The result is a more balanced, cohesive flavor profile, ultimately more appealing to the consumer.
What makes RAISE even more revolutionary is its commitment to sustainability. In a world increasingly seeking ethical and ecological food solutions, Done Properly provides an answer that not only improves product quality but does so responsibly and consciously.
RAISE is not just a promise of superior taste, but a vision of how innovation and sustainability can converge to offer plant-based products that delight and convince without compromising our ethical and ecological values.
Delve deeper into how Done Properly is reimagining balanced food through innovative approaches.
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