Creating high-quality plant-based milk alternatives that recreate the taste, nutrition and textural properties of dairy milk is a significant challenge for manufacturers. However, innovative production techniques and solutions such as vitamin premixes are helping to address these challenges and cement plant-based milks as true alternatives to their traditional counterpart. Prinova specialises in the production of premixes for a variety of applications, including plant-based milk. To discover how premixes can enable the creation of nutritious, great-tasting and high-quality milk alternatives, FoodBev spoke with Tony Gay, head of technical sales & NPD at Prinova and Ritzo Richie, global product manager for plant proteins at Prinova. What are the main manufacturing challenges associated with the creation of plant-based milks? How can these challenges be addressed? Tony Gay (TG): There are multiple challenges associated with the creation of plant-based milk. The first one would be around the assumption that you’re going to get the same benefits from plant-based milk as you would do from dairy milk, as that isn’t often the case. This is particularly apparent when you think of aspects like calcium content, as calcium is not going to be present in a lot of vegetable protein sources or vegetable origin sources. Often, you would need to fortify these products with some form of premix, that would actually put back in the calcium that you would assume you would get in milk, and also vitamin D alongside it, because it helps with the absorption of calcium too. Ritzo Richie (RR): You can use gellan gum in a plant-based drink to suspend calcium in the beverage. As Tony was referring to, a premix allows you to add in additional vitamins and/or minerals to create a complete product, and gellan gum has that function. What you very often see is that other hydrocolloids are used to give products the right consistency, the right mouthfeel. Another important point is that dairy is very neutral in taste, and some plant-based raw materials have stronger tastes. This can also be very challenging. Are these challenges more severe in some plant-based milk alternatives than others? Or are the challenges consistent across all types of plant-based milk? TG: There’s always a balance between health benefits and flavour and that can be quite tricky. It depends on the consumer and what they’re looking for. Some may be just looking for a milk alternative that they like in their coffee, or some might be looking for the health benefits the plant origin has given them. In terms of major challenges, quite often it’s not to do with the nutritional profile but to do with taste. From a premix point of view, I think the challenges are all very similar, because the premix is not really going to have any issues from a flavour perspective, and the suspension is down to what else you include in that formulation, so the gellan gum etc. So the premix wouldn’t be a challenge. RR: What’s important is the scope of the product you are producing. If you want to have a plant-based drink but want the taste to be as neutral as possible, you’re probably going to choose soy as a raw material. Soy is an allergen, so if you want an allergen-free product you’ll have to look at other solutions. And then what you’re going to see is that the colour, texture or taste might be different; so then that brings new challenges. How do Prinova’s solutions enable the creation of stable plant-based milk that tastes good, has strong nutritional values and a good texture/mouthfeel? TG: We see a trend towards using blends of different plant origin sources to achieve this. Blends provide a bit more of an overall nutritional benefit, providing benefits such as better protein scores, better digestibility, improved amino acid profile etc. You may utilise one plant source that provides some essential fats, but you put a proportion of that in there; it’s not the whole source of the plant origin. A producer may combine this with a source like fava bean as well. This overall combination of several sources together with a premix gives you health benefits across the board. RR: If you’re going to make a plant-based drink, you will have to suspend products, and there are not too many alternatives that, at the same time, keep the product sellable. What we try to do with the protein sources we offer, is that they’re all produced in a very natural way without adding process aids. This way, separation happens in a natural way, which is a big advantage if you’re looking at that from a clean label perspective. Is Prinova working with any new and innovative plant sources or developing any new solutions for the plant-based milk space? TG: We’re working with an ingredient called aquamin, which is a marine algae origin of calcium. We’re utilising that in premixes and because it’s plant origin, it’s suitable for plant-based products. Typically calcium carbonate is mined from the ground, so it does have an ecological impact to it. Customers who are looking to take that step further within the plant-based movement (in terms of sustainability) will find aquamin an interesting source to add to a premix. The other thing is vitamin D. There are two forms of vitamin D – D2 and D3 – and D3 is typically from an animal source. Looking for a vegan origin D3 for better absorption, better bioavailability, and putting that into premix is also going to be very interesting to lots of people producing plant-based milks, plant proteins or plant-based products generally. RR: What we are prioritising at this moment is good, sustainable and scalable solutions – looking into the alternatives to the common plant sources such as soy, pea and rice. Fava beans are an interesting source. Mung bean is challenging because it’s still being considered as a novel food, which is one of the legislative challenges so many of these new products face as well. What drives us is trying to find sources that offer suitable technical, taste or texture advantages, without becoming unaffordable at the retail stage. To find out more about Prinova and its solutions for applications such as plant-based milk, click here. #partnercontent #plantbasedmilk #Prinova #plantbased #premixes

US protein snacks brand Lenny & Larry’s has expanded into a new category with the introduction of a plant-based protein bar inspired by its signature cookies. The Complete Cookie-fied Bar is described as a soft, chewy bar topped with the brand’s signature cookie pieces and comes in two flavours: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip and Chocolate Almond Sea Salt. A third Cookies & Crème flavour will launch in the autumn. Each gluten-free bar features 12g of plant-based protein, 6g of sugar and 5g of prebiotic fibre. The Complete Cookie-fied Bar marks the brand’s entry into the protein bar category and joins Lenny & Larry’s portfolio of cookie products including The Complete Cookie, The Complete Crunchy Cookies, The Keto Cookie and The BOSS! Cookie. “As the originators of the protein cookie, we see many things with cookie eyes, and we saw the bar category needed something more unique,” said Lenny & Larry’s CEO, Jolie Weber. “Lenny & Larry’s fans love our cookies for their delicious flavour and more nutritious profile, so now we’re bringing them a cookie in a bar. Just as important, it’s on-trend with consumer desires for plant-based protein and lower sugar.” The Chocolate Almond Sea Salt and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Complete Cookie-fied Bars are available now online and at 7-Eleven stores, with a further roll out planned nationwide. Each bar has an RRP of $1.99. #LennyampLarrys #plantbasedsnacks #proteinbars #US

Simulate has raised $50 million in Series B funding, as it looks to accelerate the growth and product development of its Nuggs plant-based chicken brand. Software-enabled venture firm Seven Seven Six led by the round and was joined by Chris & Crystal Sacca, Imaginary Ventures, Day One Ventures and previous investors Nomo Ventures and McCain Foods. Simulate’s first product Nuggs (formerly the start-up’s name prior to a rebrand last year) is a chicken nugget simulation made from texturised pea protein, which launched back in summer 2019. The product is now available at more than 5,000 retail locations including Walmart, Target and Whole Foods Market and the company says it is adding an additional 10,000 retail locations by the end of this year. Simulate has since expanded its line-up to also include Spicy Nuggs and Discs (plant-based chicken patties). The New York-based company plans to use the funding to triple its internal team, accelerate the development of new products and technologies, as well as scale its manufacturing capabilities. In addition to increasing its retail and foodservice presence, Simulate also intends to use the capital to continue its expansion into international markets. Most recently, the brand launched into Canada. “Historically our food system has rejected the use of technology, resulting in a system that is highly inefficient and primitive,” said Ben Pasternak, Simulate co-founder and CEO. “This new funding will be used to create and protect the intersection of technology and nutrition.” Following the round, Alexis Ohanian, founder of Seven Seven Six, joined Simulate’s board of directors. He said: “Ben, Sam, and the entire team’s commitment to rapid product iteration and building products that can infinitely scale is why we’re backing Simulate. The best technology companies that I’ve invested in over the past decade have operated with similar principles, and we’re excited to see Simulate grow into one of the highest impact nutrition companies on the planet.” #meatalternatives #Nuggs #Simulate #US

Quorn Foods has introduced new ready-to-eat bites with a sweet chilli sauce filling, as it looks to expand its meat-free snack options for picnics. Quorn Sweet Chilli Bites are made with the brand’s flagship mycoprotein and are said to be high in protein and fibre and low in saturated fat. The bite-sized snacks join Quorn’s range of meat-free products that can be enjoyed as part of picnics, BBQs and summer mealtimes, including Deli Ham and Deli Chicken slices, Cocktail Sausages, Picnic Eggs and Sausage rolls. Gill Riley, Quorn marketing director, said: “With more Brits looking to enjoy summer holidays at home this year, picnics are set to be hugely popular whether in the garden, at the beach or over the local park. “We wanted to make sure there were plenty of meat free options available this summer and the new Sweet Chilli Bites are simply delicious; no picnic would be complete without them.” Quorn Sweet Chilli Bites are available from the chilled meat-free aisle in stores at Tesco and via Ocado for an RRP of £2.25. #meatfree #QuornFoods #UK

Dr. Oetker has expanded its Ristorante frozen pizza range with the release of a vegan pizza, a first for the brand in the UK. The Vegan Society-certified Ristorante Margherita Pomodori pizza features the signature thin, crispy crust and tomato sauce associated with pizzas in the company’s Ristorante product line; along with a melted, grated vegan cheese alternative, sun-dried and cherry tomatoes and a basil garnish. Dr. Oetker claims that the release of the new vegan pizza aims to address the rising demand for vegan options from UK consumers. According to IRI statistics provided by the company, sales of vegan frozen pizzas increased 42% in the year from March 2020 to March 2021. Josephine Skinner, senior brand manager at Dr. Oetker, said: “While we are seeing more and more pizza options for vegans and flexitarians, there are few inspiring Italian style options, particularly in the freezer aisles of the nation’s supermarkets. “We are really excited to announce the launch of our Ristorante Vegan Margherita Pomodori – we worked hard perfecting this recipe as we really wanted to offer the best tasting, Italian inspired vegan pizza possible, to give those opting for a plant-based diet the real taste experience of a brand they know and love.” The vegan Ristorante Margherita Pomodori pizza is available nationwide in the UK from major retailers, with a suggested retail price of £3.69. #DrOetker #pizza #UK #vegan

Tyson Foods is introducing a new line of meat alternatives across the Asia Pacific under its First Pride brand, marking the first time the company has introduced plant-based products in the region. The First Pride brand has offered frozen chicken, beef and fish products in Malaysia for nearly 15 years. The new plant-based line will initially consist of frozen bites, nuggets and strips, made with regionally sourced ingredients such as bamboo fibre, soy protein and wheat protein. The halal certified products will initially launch in Malaysia in retail and via ecommerce and will roll out to other markets in the coming months. “We’re thrilled to offer Asia Pacific consumers more high-quality protein choices as they explore flexitarian diets,” said Tan Sun, president of Tyson Foods APAC. “The Asian market is a natural fit for this category with traditional plant-based products like tofu already entrenched in the culture. The key to meeting consumer preferences with new plant-based protein is through innovation and making locally relevant products that taste great, which is our expertise.” David Ervin, vice president of alternative protein for Tyson Foods, added: “Our global culinary network and scalability positions us well to replicate the success we’ve had in the US in Asia Pacific and provide consumers with great tasting plant protein options.” Earlier this year, the company expanded its meat alternatives portfolio in the US with four new products under its Raised & Rooted brand. Tyson Foods also plans to offer its new First Pride plant-based innovations to foodservice customers in the region later this year. #Asia #FirstPride #plantbasedmeat #TysonFoods

GoodMills-owned Müller’s Mühle has announced an investment of €14.5 million into new refining technology for its Smart Pulses Pro legume flours. With the support of a modern air separation plant, the German company says it can now produce functional flours with a protein content of up to 65% – enabling protein enrichment of many foods. Müller’s Mühle uses a range of legume species as raw materials (pea, bean and lentil), which are processed into flours marketed under its Smart Pulses Pro brand. According to Müller’s Mühle, its legume flours are particularly suitable as a basis for plant-based alternatives such as meat, egg and milk substitutes; as well as for snacks, baked goods and pasta. ”Vegan, high-protein, low carb, clean label, free-from – pulses serve several major food trends at once. Moreover, with their low carbon footprint and excellent nutritional profile, they are the ideal raw material for a sustainable diet,” said Uwe Walter, managing director at Müller’s Mühle. “We are therefore convinced that ingredients based on these superfoods will become increasingly important for contemporary food concepts. From new product development to reformulation, with our new functional variants, we can support food manufacturers better than ever.” #legumeflours #plantbased #MüllersMühle #Germany #GoodmillsInnovation

British snack brand Perkier has launched the UK’s first probiotic bar, to meet the demand for healthier snacking options. The Blueberry with Dark Chocolate bar is the first of the Active Cultures snack line, which provides a plant-based, gut-friendly option and is made with natural ingredients. The bar contains blueberries and nuts, bound with chicory fibre and dipped in dark chocolate. Meanwhile, Madagascan Vanilla with Dark Chocolate combines vanilla and nuts, bound with chicory fibre, with a rich dark chocolate base. Both bars contain two precision strains of probiotics, Bifidobacteria longum and Lactobacillus rhamnosus, which are proven to support immune health. The range uses microencapsulated cultures, which are “1,000 times more effective than dairy products at reaching the gut alive,” a company statement said. Ann Perkins, co-founder of Perkier said: “Our Active Cultures bars are the UK’s first and only range of probiotic bars, with billions of active cultures for a Happy Healthy Gut. As more consumers demand products to support their gut health and overall wellbeing, we have extended the range with our new Blueberry & Dark Chocolate bar capitalising on Perkier’s powerful combination of great taste and cutting-edge functionality. This new launch will meet this demand and support Perkier in its goal to grow its share of the healthy snack bar category.” In addition, each bar contains 100% of the daily recommended intake of vitamins B5, B12 and calcium, 5g plant protein, and is 160 kcals. The bars are now available in Morrisons, as well as online. RSP £13.99 for a box of 15 bars; £8 for an 8 bar variety box. #prebiotics #Perkier #UK #probiotics #snackbars

Livekindly Collective has entered into a deal to acquire The Dutch Weed Burger, an Amsterdam-based company that uses seaweed to make plant-based meat alternatives. Founded in 2012, The Dutch Weed Burger offers a variety of plant-based food enriched with seaweed and microalgae such as its Weed Burger, Weed Balls, Weed Dogg, Seawharma and Nuggets. The brand’s products are available direct-to-consumer, from supermarkets such as Albert Heijn, as well as a variety of restaurants. The deal expands Livekindly’s brand portfolio – that currently includes Oumph!, The Fry Family Food Co., LikeMeat and No Meat – with seaweed, a source of protein that it claims is cultivated using minimal fresh water and no agricultural land. With the acquisition, Livekindly Collective intends to scale internationally in the UK, Nordics, and the US and Canadian markets; as well as enter into Asia. “Innovation in plant-based protein has created a tremendous opportunity to transform the global food system, as consumers increasingly demand tasty and nutritious alternatives to meat,” said Kees Kruythoff, CEO and chairman of Livekindly Collective. “With the addition of The Dutch Weed Burger, we expand the types of plant-based protein we can offer our consumers in more than 40 countries and accelerate our mission to make plant-based living the new norm.” The acquisition comes shortly after Livekindly closed a funding round of $335 million, bringing its total funding to more than $535 million in its first 12 months since launching. Mark Kulsdom, CEO and founder of The Dutch Weed Burger, added: “We are so excited to join these driven, experienced and passionate leaders who are going to help scale our brand and change the food culture around the globe. “Seaweed farming is highly sustainable because it grows profusely in the ocean and it breathes out oxygen while it grows. The plant is nutrient-rich and healthy while bringing a unique umami flavour to people’s taste buds. These ocean greens mix perfectly with protein-rich beans and other innovative textures we use. “I am looking forward to working within Livekindly Collective, because the time for real change is imminent and more urgent than ever.” #LivekindlyCollective #TheDutchWeedBurger #theNetherlands #plantbasedburger #seaweed

According to a recent study by FMCG Gurus, 57% of consumers say they will increase their consumption of plant-based products following the Covid-19 pandemic. There are two main reasons for this. One is the growing appeal of products that are perceived to be natural, healthy and sustainable – for both humans and the planet. The other is the increasingly adventurous nature of consumers who want to try something new. As dairy and plant-based manufacturers worldwide are rushing to capitalise on this opportunity, there is one major challenge they face, however: recent research indicates that dairy alternatives leave ‘nutritional value gaps’ – especially in non-soy varieties like almond and oat-based drinks. In fact, some 44% of Europeans feel that plant-based dairy drinks are less nutritious than their dairy counterparts. So how can manufacturers of these products fill these gaps and meet growing demand? One promising solution is an innovation called CanolaPRO® from DSM. CanolaPRO® is a new, highly soluble and nutritional protein isolate, derived from non-GMO canola (rapeseed). It delivers excellent nutritional quality, with a minimum protein level of 90%. CanolaPRO® will be commercially available in 2022. Ultimately, CanolaPRO® has the potential to meet the growing demand for protein without the need for more arable land. At DSM, our purpose is to create brighter lives for all. We believe CanolaPRO® has the potential to deliver it. Join Barbara Jacobs, application manager and Ben Rutten, business manager for milk drinks at DSM Food Specialties, who will provide an introduction to CanolaPRO®. Register for the webinar today to learn how to differentiate your products with this non-GMO, dairy-free, soy-free, gluten-free and solvent-free plant-based protein. When: Tuesday 15 June 2021 · 14:00 PM · London Click here to register #dairyfree #DSM #plantprotein #webinars

Italy’s Coppola Foods-owned brand Fabalous has expanded its line of organic chocolate spreads that are made with chickpeas, with the introduction of two new varieties. Orange Hazelnut & Cocoa and Crunchy Hazelnut & Cocoa have joined the brand’s original Organic Hazelnut & Cocoa spread – which Fabalous claims was the first hazelnut-chocolate spread to use chickpeas as the primary ingredient (32%). Each 200g jar contains an average of 128 dried chickpeas and eight shelled hazelnuts. The spreads also switch out palm oil for sunflower oil and cocoa butter. The Italian brand says its spreads offer an “indulgent, intense chocolatey flavour; a smooth and silky texture; the unique draw of protein and fibre-rich chickpeas and reduced sugar”. The trio of plant-based spreads are available now online and from Planet Organic for an RRP of £4.99 per jar, and will be rolling out further via delis, cafés and other retailers across the UK. #chickpeas #Fabalous #CoppolaFoods #UK #plantbasedspreads

Kellogg-owned Rxbar has released its first plant-based protein bar, available in two flavours. Containing 10g of plant protein in place of the brand’s signature egg whites, the new Rxbar Plant comes in chocolate chip and peanut butter variants. Both flavours are made with five simple, core ingredients – dates, nuts, oats, and a blend of pea and almond protein – and contain 0g of added sugar. “Fans have been asking for a plant-based Rxbar for quite some time,” said Jenny Lindquist, director of experience planning, Rxbar. “Today, we answered that call with a plant-based protein bar that delivers on both quality and taste, both essential to us in the development of Rxbar Plant. That’s why it has been nearly two years in the making, to make sure we did it right.” The new Rxbar Plant is available now via the brand’s website and is rolling out to retailers including Target and Kroger. Last year, Rxbar launched a new layered bar with 14-15g of protein, the highest protein offering from the brand. #Kellogg #plantprotein #Rxbar #US