Scientists at Heriot-Watt University, Scotland, are exploring next-generation vegan cheese designed to tackle one of the category’s most persistent challenges: high saturated fat content. Backed by new funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the project is now moving from lab-scale development toward consumer taste testing. Led by Professor Stephen Euston, in the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, the research has been underway for nearly a decade in collaboration with a food innovation company. The team’s goal is to reformulate plant-based cheese to better align with health and sustainability expectations, without compromising functionality. Traditional vegan cheese alternatives typically rely on coconut or palm oil to replicate the firmness and melt of dairy cheese. However, these ingredients contribute to saturated fat levels that can reach up to 25%, raising nutritional concerns and sustainability issues linked to deforestation. Euston’s team is instead working with UK-grown sunflower and rapeseed oils, which are significantly lower in saturated fat. The challenge lies in replicating the solid-fat behaviour needed for slicing and melting. To address this, researchers are applying oleogelation, a structuring technique that transforms liquid oils into gel-like solids using oleogelators. These molecules create a three-dimensional network that traps the oil, enabling it to mimic the physical properties of solid fat. In lab tests, the reformulated cheese demonstrated improved meltability compared to several commercially available coconut oil-based products, an important functional gain in a category often criticised for poor 'ooziness.' The prototype also achieved a significant nutritional improvement, reducing saturated fat content to as low as 3%. According to Euston, while the taste is expected to be comparable to current market offerings, the product’s health and environmental profile could offer a strong point of differentiation. With new funding secured, the project is entering a critical phase: translating lab results into real-world applications. Over the next ten months, the team aims to produce kitchen-ready prototypes for evaluation by consumer tasting panels. The research aligns with broader industry trends toward cleaner-label formulations, reduced reliance on tropical oils, and localisation of supply chains to cut food miles. In addition to EPSRC backing, the work has previously received funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and industry partners. Findings have also been published in the peer-reviewed journal Food Chemistry.

UK plant-based brand Gosh! has expanded its portfolio with the launch of a new Super Plants Sausages range, tapping into growing demand for functional, nutrient-dense meat alternatives. Rolling out in Tesco stores nationwide from 13 April, the new products are positioned as a next-generation offering that combines plant diversity with targeted nutritional benefits. The range includes two variants, Parsnip, Leek & Pea with Linseed and Mushroom, Wild Garlic & Chia Seed, both developed using vegetables, pulses, seeds and herbs to deliver what the brand describes as “plant-powered” nutrition. Each product contains a minimum of 15 plant points and is naturally high in both fibre and protein, aligning with increasing consumer interest in gut health, energy support and overall wellbeing. With around 7.8g of fibre and 8.4g of protein per 100g, the sausages are designed to offer a balance between nutritional value and everyday convenience, without high calorie density. Gosh! partnered with registered nutritionist Becca Meadows and chefs to develop the range, ensuring both flavour and nutritional integrity. The brand emphasises the use of 100% natural, minimally processed ingredients, free from artificial additives or preservatives. Speaking about the range, Becca Meadows said: “Understanding what is in your food is more important now than ever before. The new Super Plants Sausages are naturally rich in nutrients, with an ingredients list you can understand. It’s a great way to support your overall fibre and protein intake to support your health, without compromising on flavour.” Caroline Hughes, marketing director at Gosh! added: “Consumers today are driven by more than just taste, they’re looking for food that delivers real value to their health and wellbeing. With our new Super Plants Sausages, we’re leading with this health-first mindset, creating a product that helps people feel their best without compromising on flavour." Priced at £2.99 for a pack of six, the Super Plants Sausages will debut in Tesco, with additional retail listings expected to follow.

Few ingredients in the functional nutrition space have attracted as much research interest as lion's mane ( Hericium erinaceus) . For product developers and formulation teams, that growing body of scientific literature has made it one of the most discussed species in the category, and one of the most commercially relevant for brands building in the cognitive wellness segment. From research interest to formulation reality The bioactives hericenones and hericenes, found in lion’s mane, are considered important for cognition. A recent peer-reviewed human clinical study, published in an open-access journal by MDPI , using NordRelease lion’s mane, found that it “helped improve working memory, complex attention and reaction time two hours post ingestion and perceptions of happiness over a two hour period”. The commercial momentum behind lion’s mane is real. It is increasingly appearing in supplement formulations, functional beverages and active nutrition products. Brands entering or expanding in this space are looking for ingredients that can support credible product development backed by verifiable quality, consistent bioactive content and documentation that holds up to regulatory review. The challenge is that the ingredient supply has not always reflected the seriousness of that demand. Much of the lion's mane available on the market varies significantly in sourcing, extraction methodology and analytical verification. For manufacturers where batch consistency and label accuracy are non-negotiable, that variability creates real risk in quality control, in supplier reliability and in compliance across different regulatory environments. This is the problem Kääpä Biotech was built to address. Standardisation as a competitive advantage Standardisation is where Kääpä's proprietary NordRelease mushroom extraction technology provides direct value to manufacturing partners. With full EFSA approval backing it, this groundbreaking technology has been developed by Kääpä exclusively for its partners. NordRelease produces lion's mane organic extracts with verified, consistent bioactive compounds across all batches. Every batch is analytically tested, with full documentation available to support quality control processes, regulatory submissions and technical due diligence. The brands driving serious growth in this category are not sourcing commodity powders. They are building formulations that require ingredient partners who can deliver technical data packages, supply chain transparency and the kind of documented quality that withstands scrutiny from regulatory bodies, retail partners and increasingly rigorous market standards. This is where NordRelease slots in to provide just that. Kääpä's R&D and formulation teams work tirelessly to support partners' needs across capsules, powders, functional foods and beverages, gummies and emerging delivery formats. They work closely with partners to develop products from ingredient specification through to finished format requirements. As the functional mushroom category matures, the gap between low-quality commodity supply and properly developed, analytically verified ingredients will only widen. Brands that build on credible ingredient foundations now will be better positioned as regulatory and market expectations continue to rise. Kääpä exists to be that foundation: consistent, transparent and built for partners who take ingredient quality seriously. Meet the Kääpä team at Vitafoods Europe, booth 6D67. To learn more, get in touch here .

Finnish foodtech innovator Happy Plant Protein is taking a significant step toward commercial scale, with its patented dry extrusion technology set to be deployed in a new agriculture-based production facility in Latvia. The greenfield project, developed in partnership with Latvian agricultural company Agrofirma Lobe, represents a shift toward decentralised protein manufacturing by enabling the processing of locally grown crops into high-value plant-based ingredients directly at the source. The facility will process crops such as faba beans, oats and peas into textured vegetable protein (TVP), targeting customers across the Baltics, Nordics and broader European markets. Unlike conventional protein isolate plants, which can require investments of up to €150 million, the Latvian site is being developed with an investment of approximately €6 million, supported in part by EU funding. The project signals three key industry milestones: the establishment of industrial-scale plant protein production in Latvia, the introduction of a simplified and scalable production model, and the first industrial deployment of Happy Plant Protein’s proprietary technology. At the core of the project is Happy Plant Protein’s dry extrusion technology, a single-stage process that converts flour directly into textured protein. The system eliminates the need for chemical inputs, reduces water and energy usage, and produces no side streams, addressing both cost and sustainability challenges associated with traditional processing methods. The technology also tackles a longstanding issue in plant-based formulation: off-flavours. Developed from research originating at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, the process is designed to deliver cleaner-tasting protein ingredients suitable for a wide range of applications, including plant-based and hybrid products. For food manufacturers, this could streamline R&D and accelerate product development cycles, particularly in categories where taste and texture remain barriers to adoption. A central ambition of the project is to rebalance value creation within the supply chain. By enabling protein production closer to primary agriculture, the model allows farmers and cooperatives to move beyond commodity crop sales into higher-margin ingredient production. This localisation strategy also strengthens regional protein self-sufficiency, an increasingly important consideration as Europe seeks to reduce reliance on imported protein sources and build more resilient food systems. Construction is expected to take around one year, with production scheduled to begin in early 2027. Once operational, the plant will have an annual capacity of approximately 5,000 tonnes.

US snack brand Khloud is expanding its footprint in the functional snacking space with the launch of Khloud Protein Chips. Founded by Khloé Kardashian, this is the first new product launch since the brand emerged in the snacking space with protein popcorn in 2025. Following rapid growth in the functional popcorn segment, Khloud’s latest launch signals a deliberate move toward becoming a cross-category snacking player. The new Protein Chips deliver 7g of protein per serving and are made with non-GMO corn masa and avocado oil, aligning with the brand’s “clean ingredient” positioning. The chips are also formulated without seed oils and incorporate pea protein directly into the tortilla base, an approach designed to combine familiarity with added nutritional value. Launching in three flavours, Sweet Heat and Buffalo, which are plant-based and Nacho, which features dairy ingredients, the chips are available as a retail exclusive at Target, both in-store and online. According to CEO and co-founder Jeff Rubenstein, the move into tortilla chips reflects both category scale and cultural relevance. As the second-largest segment within salty snacks, chips offer significant headroom for brands that can differentiate on nutrition without compromising taste.

Replacing processed meat with plant-based alternatives could significantly improve overall diet quality, according to two new studies led by researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Published on 9 April in Current Developments in Nutrition and Proceedings of the Nutrition Society , the research provides fresh evidence that plant-based meat can play a meaningful role in improving public health outcomes, while also highlighting the need for clearer fortification standards across the category. The first study, the first of its kind to assess whole-diet impact, examined what happens when UK consumers swap processed meat for widely available plant-based alternatives. The findings suggest that even a simple substitution can deliver measurable benefits. Researchers reported that replacing processed meat with plant-based options increased overall fibre intake by 4-6%, reduced saturated fat by 6-7%, and lowered salt intake by 3-4%. These shifts are particularly significant given current dietary trends. According to national data, 81% of UK adults exceed recommended saturated fat intake, while 96% fall short on fibre. Importantly for the food and beverage sector, the study also challenges assumptions around ultra-processed foods (UPFs). While plant-based meat is often classified as a UPF, the products analysed did not exhibit the typical nutritional drawbacks associated with the category. Instead, all evaluated items met “healthy” thresholds under the UK Food Standards Agency’s Nutrient Profiling Model. Despite nutritional advantages, affordability remains a key challenge. The researchers found that while plant-based dairy alternatives, such as drinks and yogurts, are often price-competitive with, or cheaper than, conventional options, plant-based meat products continue to carry a price premium. This cost gap could limit widespread adoption, particularly at a population level, an issue with implications for both public health and sustainability targets. The second study reviewed broader evidence on plant-based meat and dairy, confirming that these products generally contain more fibre and less saturated fat than their animal-based counterparts. However, the researchers identified inconsistency in micronutrient fortification as a critical issue. While fortification with nutrients such as iodine, calcium, iron and vitamin B12 can help plant-based products match the nutritional profile of conventional meat and dairy, practices vary widely between manufacturers. The authors argue that national guidelines are needed to standardise fortification, improve product reliability and support informed consumer choices. The Netherlands offers a potential model. Following the introduction of voluntary standards within its national dietary guidelines, more than three-quarters of plant-based meat products are now fortified with key micronutrients. Dr Sarah Nájera Espinosa, lead author of both studies, said: “Plant-based whole foods should be prioritised, but plant-based meat and dairy alternatives, when carefully selected, can serve as a key transitional bridge to transform food systems.” She added that without policy intervention to improve affordability and fortification standards, the sector risks missing an opportunity to contribute to both public health improvements and net-zero goals. Amy Williams, nutrition lead at Good Food Institute Europe, added: “Plant-based meat provides a simple swap to help people reduce their consumption of processed meat. Public health bodies should introduce guidelines to ensure these foods consistently provide a reliable source of micronutrients, while retailers and manufacturers must expand efforts to ensure they are affordable and appealing.”

This is targeting the growing demand for convenient, high-protein meat alternatives with the launch of two ready-to-eat deli slice products. The new lines, This Isn’t Roast Chicken Slices and This Butter Bean, Garlic and Paprika Slices, are set to hit shelves this spring, offering retailers a plant-based upgrade to the traditional deli counter. Designed for immediate consumption, both products require no preparation, positioning them squarely within the fast-growing food-to-go and snacking segments. The This Isn’t Roast Chicken Slices aim to replicate the bite and texture of traditional chicken deli meat, addressing a common consumer complaint around rubbery or overly processed plant-based slices. Meanwhile, the Butter Bean, Garlic and Paprika variant taps into evolving flavour trends and ingredient innovation, using butter beans to deliver a more distinctive, “from-scratch” profile. The 95g packs will launch at an RRP of £2.95, debuting in Morrisons stores from 22 April. Distribution will expand to Waitrose (chicken slices only) and Sainsbury's (both SKUs) from 6 May. Both SKUs are positioned as high-protein, low-saturated-fat options and provide a source of vitamin B12 and iron, key nutrients often associated with animal-based products. The products are being marketed for multiple usage occasions. from premium sandwiches to snackable formats, highlighting their versatility in both retail and potential foodservice applications.

UK plant-based brand Plenish has expanded into the fast-growing protein category with the launch of its first-ever clean label protein powders. The new Clean Protein line is available in two variants, Madagascan Vanilla and Cocoa & Sea Salt, each formulated with just seven naturally sourced ingredients. Delivering 20g of protein per serving alongside a source of fibre, the powders are free from artificial flavours, sweeteners, preservatives and additives, aligning with increasing consumer demand for simplified, transparent formulations. The pea protein-based blends provide a complete amino acid profile, positioning the products as a functional yet accessible option for consumers seeking both protein intake and digestive health benefits without compromising on taste or texture. The launch comes as the global plant-based protein market continues to expand, with projections estimating it will reach approximately $35 billion by 2030. In the UK, demand is being driven by consumers prioritising both protein and fibre, with around two-thirds actively seeking fibre-enriched options in their diets. Russell Goldman, managing director of breakthrough brands at Plenish's parent company, Carlsberg Britvic, said: “Today’s consumers are looking for products that deliver multiple health benefits while keeping ingredients simple. With Clean Protein, we’re offering a solution that supports protein goals, includes added fibre, and maintains the great taste Plenish is known for.” This move represents Plenish’s debut in the protein powder segment and signals broader ambitions to compete in the wellness and functional nutrition space. The products will launch direct-to-consumer via the brand’s website from 20 April, followed by an Amazon rollout on 27 April, with an RRP of £45 for 30 servings.

UK meat alternatives brand This is expanding its portfolio with the launch of a new plant-based fillet steak, aiming to bring a more premium, steak-like experience to the chilled meat-free aisle. The This Fillet Steak (220g) will debut in Tesco stores from 13 April, followed by Asda on 22 April, with listings in Waitrose and Sainsbury’s expected in early May. The product has an RRP of £7.00 per pack, which contains two 110g fillets. Positioned as a direct alternative to traditional beef steak, the product is marinated in a peppercorn flavour designed to deliver 'crisp, charred edges, restaurant-style sear, smoky depth and a succulent, fibrous texture'. The company says the product targets consumers seeking both indulgence and familiarity in plant-based formats. Nutritionally, each fillet delivers 31g of protein and is made from a blend of wheat and soy proteins, formulated to replicate the 'juicy bite and tender pull' associated with conventional fillet steak. The product is also low in saturated fat, a source of fibre, and fortified with iron and vitamin B12. Mark Cuddigan, CEO of This, said: “The plant-based aisle has lacked a steak that truly competes on flavour, juiciness and affordability. This Fillet Steak changes that. It’s tender, rich and is priced so everyone can enjoy it. It’s the missing piece the market has been searching for, and most people wouldn’t believe it’s not beef.” The launch also marks the first product release under the company’s upcoming brand refresh, which will roll out across the full range over the next 12 months. The rebrand signals a shift towards a more premium, food-led positioning, replacing the brand’s existing cloud-based packaging with updated visuals, including a new logo, colour palette and lifestyle-led food photography.

Many plant-based products launch well – and then quietly disappear from baskets. In this opinion piece, Elyas Coutts, CEO at Connect Vending, examines the gap between trial and repeat purchase, and why the conditions that drive a strong launch are often entirely different from the ones that build lasting consumer habits. Elyas Coutts Launch numbers in plant-based are flattering, but the data often looks great due to good distribution, a January health kick and promotional prices. Then, three months later, the repeat rates come in, and the picture is very different. Products often get delisted, or ranges get cut. This cycle is familiar to anyone who's been in the category for more than a few years. The honest answer is that most plant-based products are designed to be tried, not to be bought again. Those are genuinely different briefs, and the industry hasn't fully reckoned with that yet. Trial vs repeat purchase A product launching well doesn't mean consumers want it – at least not in the way that matters commercially. Vegan and new listings with promotional support drive initial sales, but none of that is a reliable indicator of what consumers will do on a routine Wednesday shop when there's no nudge, no promotion, nothing pushing them toward it except their own genuine preference. Brands make significant decisions regarding early sales such as production investment, distribution commitments and range extensions. When that velocity is novelty-driven rather than preference-driven, the drop-off that follows can look catastrophic. But often the product hasn't failed, it just was never built to earn a repeat purchase. That's a different problem entirely and an important distinction that often gets missed. The format problem Most plant-based product development happens around an idealised eating occasion. The home cook with time and interest, the considered weekend meal, the consumer who reads the packaging. However, this is no longer how consumers eat: often, they gravitate towards fast, low-effort products or snacks. Workplace and convenience settings are the clearest example of this. High frequency, high volume, convenience is almost the entire decision, so a chilled plant-based product that needs a microwave and smells strong when heated is going to struggle in a shared office kitchen. Not because it's a bad product, but because it was built for a different occasion – and nobody asked whether it would work in this one. The sensory gap that kills repeat purchase Taste and texture are consistently cited as the main reasons people don't come back to plant-based products, but it's worth being specific about what that means in practice, because the gap is rarely as dramatic as that framing suggests. Most products aren't being rejected because they taste bad, plant-based flavour profiles have come a long way. The issue is much smaller than flavour: a slightly grainy texture in the mince product, a burger that holds together in the photograph but not quite so well in the actual bun, or an off-flavour that goes unnoticed on the first bite and starts to become more obvious by the third. Individually, these are small things, but they accumulate in the consumer's memory and the benchmark they're measuring against, consciously or not, is always the conventional product. That comparison is running every single time someone eats. Over-promising in marketing makes this worse: if the brand's promise is that you won't notice the difference and the consumer notices the difference, that gap feels much bigger than it is. A sensory shortfall is one thing, but a broken brand promise is considerably harder to recover from. The premium is sustainable, right up until it is not Plant-based carries a price premium across most categories and that's not going to change quickly. Paying a premium once for something new feels like a considered choice, a bit of an experiment, but paying that same premium every single week starts to feel like an ongoing commitment that needs justification. When the taste isn't quite equal, the convenience is sometimes less and the price is higher, consumers do a quiet calculation. They often don't even realise they're doing it, and a lot of the time they solve it by returning to what they were buying before. Premium positioning isn't the problem – failing to consistently earn it week after week is. The brands losing repeat purchase at the top end are usually those where the gap between price and experience has widened rather than closed over time and consumer tolerance for that isn't unlimited. What live purchasing environments show Looking at buying patterns, particularly in convenience retail and workplace channels, a consistent picture emerges. Products that hold repeat purchases are easy to use, consistent, available where people shop – rather than just where they were launched – and priced in a way that holds up to weekly scrutiny. They fit into how people already eat. Products that plateau quickly were usually optimised for launch visibility. Which works as a short-term strategy, but visibility is not retention. They need different approaches from the start, and treating them as the same design problem is where a lot of the commercial damage happens. It's also worth saying that the consumers driving strong launch numbers aren't always the ones who build the repeat purchase base. Vegan shoppers and category enthusiasts are valuable, but they move fast and try everything. They're not representative of the mainstream buyer whose weekly habits are where sustainable volume lives. Reading early sales as mainstream demand leads to decisions that don't hold up further down the line. The repeat purchase Getting someone to try a product is achievable. The right launch investment, good distribution, a compelling price point. Getting them to make it part of how consumers eat every week is a different challenge. Less exciting to talk about, but considerably more important. Format decisions, channel strategy, pricing and product development – all of it needs to be built around habitual purchase from the start, not retrofitted after a disappointing three months. The question manufacturers need to think about isn't just whether people will try it, it's whether they'll still be buying it in six months – and in which channel, and in what format, that happens. The brands building durable positions in plant-based aren't always the most innovative ones; they're the ones whose products fit most naturally into real eating behaviour.

A Dutch research consortium has secured €1.3m in funding to develop milk proteins for vegan cheese using fungi, in a project aimed at improving the cost and sustainability of animal-free dairy production. The initiative, called FungCows: Fungal Cell Factories for Generation of Cow-Free Products, is exploring how fungi can be engineered to produce caseins, the key milk proteins responsible for cheese structure and functionality. Led by researchers at Leiden University, the project focuses on precision fermentation, a technology that programmes microorganisms such as fungi to produce specific proteins, fats and flavour compounds. While precision fermentation is already being used to create dairy-identical proteins, the consortium says the novelty lies in the fungal strain being used. The fungus, whose identity has not yet been disclosed, has never previously been used to produce casein. Researchers believe it could offer significant commercial advantages because it can grow on grass, providing a lower-cost carbon source than feedstocks required by other microbial hosts. According to project lead Arthur Ram, Professor of Fungal Genetics and Biotechnology at Leiden University, this could improve both production economics and environmental performance. “This cheesemaking method also has a smaller carbon footprint than the method using cow’s milk,” Ram said. He noted that traditional dairy production requires substantial land, water and feed inputs, while cows also generate significant greenhouse gas emissions. Caseins are not naturally produced by the fungus. To overcome this, scientists are inserting specific DNA sequences that enable the organism to synthesise the milk proteins. Significant laboratory work remains before commercialisation, with researchers now focused on refining the genetic engineering and fermentation processes needed to maximise protein output. “We need to further develop the genetic and fermentation techniques for this fungus,” Ram said. The FungCows consortium brings together academic institutions and commercial partners across the Netherlands. Bioscienz is supporting genetic modification of the fungi, while Avans University of Applied Sciences is developing bioinformatics tools to analyse how the fungus responds to producing animal proteins. HAN University of Applied Sciences, through HAN Biocentre, is focused on optimising fermentation conditions, including growth media selection and bioreactor performance to maximise yields. Meanwhile, Biotechnology Fermentation Facility is tasked with scaling the production process for commercial manufacturing. The eventual route to market will be supported by Those Vegan Cowboys, which aims to commercialise cheese products made using the fungi-derived caseins. The grant has been awarded through the Dutch Research Council’s National Growth Fund for Cellular Agriculture and the Dutch Cellular Agriculture Foundation. The programme is designed to accelerate innovation in cultured meat and precision fermentation technologies as Europe expands investment in alternative protein production. Despite the funding boost, consumers will need to wait before tasting cheeses made with the new fungal platform. Ram estimates it will take at least four years before products reach sampling stage, reflecting the technical development still required to optimise yields and scale manufacturing. For the research team, however, the project represents a significant opportunity to apply decades of fungal biotechnology expertise to one of the alternative dairy sector’s most pressing formulation challenges. “Discovering a new host is a huge challenge,” Ram said. “And it’s exciting to work with partners and companies to apply the knowledge we’ve built up over the years to the development of vegan cheese.” Top image: © Arthur Ram

The European plant-based food and drink sector has reached a value of €16.3bn, yet still accounts for just a small fraction of total food sales, highlighting significant untapped growth potential, according to new data presented by Circana at the Plant FWD conference in Amsterdam. Across the EU6 markets, UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, France and the Netherlands, the category grew 5.1% year-on-year between 2024 and 2025. However, it represents only 2.4% of total food and beverage sales, underlining a persistent gap between consumer interest and actual purchasing behaviour. Growth in plant-based is increasingly being driven by integration into daily diets rather than traditional meat or dairy substitution. Nuts and seeds dominate the category, accounting for 45% of total value sales, followed by dairy alternatives at 21% and ready-to-eat meals at 15%. In contrast, meat and seafood alternatives contribute just 4%. This shift signals a move away from imitation-led innovation towards broader, more naturally plant-based consumption patterns. The sector’s expansion is being driven less by vegans and vegetarians and more by mainstream shoppers. While only around 11% of Europeans identify as vegan or vegetarian, the proportion identifying as flexitarian has surged to 31% in 2024, up from 21% a year earlier. This cohort is proving critical in driving volume growth, particularly in dairy alternatives and ready meals, where plant-based products are outperforming their animal-based counterparts despite ongoing price disparities. Growth across Europe remains uneven. Germany and Spain are leading the charge, with value growth of 7.2% and 7.5% respectively. Germany also recorded a 4.2% increase in volume. In contrast, the UK, one of the region’s largest markets at €4.5bn, has stalled, with volumes declining by 0.7%. The disparity points to execution challenges around pricing, product relevance and consumer engagement. As the category matures, consumer expectations are evolving. Shoppers are increasingly seeking products that deliver tangible health and nutritional benefits, including protein content, energy and gut health support. Emerging factors such as the rise of GLP-1 weight-loss medications are also influencing consumption patterns, encouraging smaller, more nutrient-dense meals. However, price remains a significant barrier, with plant-based proteins still carrying a premium versus animal-based equivalents. Speaking at the event, Ananda Roy, SVP Global Thought Leadership and Consumer Goods Advisor Europe at Circana, described the category as being at a “pivotal moment.” “Plant-based food and drinks have reached a critical inflexion point,” Roy said. “The next phase will not be driven by hype or novelty, but by how effectively the industry delivers products that fit into everyday consumer behaviour.” He highlighted a clear shift towards “natural, functional and accessible” products, adding that future winners will be those that can balance taste, nutrition and price while embedding plant-based options into everyday consumption occasions. With flexitarian consumers now at the centre of demand and growth patterns diverging across markets, the European plant-based sector is entering a more competitive and complex phase.