Alternative proteins and textures dominate vegan confectionery launches at ISM 2022

01 Feb 2022 --- Environmental and personal health trends are driving the confectionery segment - and this is evident at ISM and ProSweets 2022 as plant-based and vegan NPD is showcased.

Spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of immunity is coming to the fore. Vegan NPD is one of the most notable trends in confectionery with claims of high-grade transparency and sustainability messaging.

Dietary preferences and religious convictions are all being considered and researched in the sweet space.

FoodIngredientsFirst speak to confectionery specialists about product development of plant-based confectionery and the challenges they encounter along the way.

Ghent-based Vital, for example, has replaced the egg protein in its nougat. The company had to undergo rigorous testing and extensive research to find the right protein with the structure of egg-white and a neutral flavor that would not taint the quintessential nougat flavor.  

“During the COVID-19 period, we did a lot of R&D on vegan nougat. It was quite a challenge because we needed to replace the common egg-white with another protein which is not another allergen for chocolate manufacturers,” Laurian Dumon, sales and customer relationship manager, Vital tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

Substituting animal-based proteinsVital’s vegan granulated nougat is made with potato protein.
Vital has produced nougat since 1926, processing roughly 400 metric tons for the chocolate, pastry and ice cream industries. Vegan granulated nougat is its latest brainchild prompted by consumer demand.

The company aimed to replace the traditional chicken egg white, as aerator, an allergen used by chocolate manufacturers.

“We replaced our common egg-white with potato protein. We did a lot of research on it. We found that the potato protein had a very neutral flavor,” explains Dumon.

Vital’s team researched the potential of pea protein for use in nougat but discovered the taste of pea sullied the classic nougat flavor.  

“We called a lot of our partner suppliers who have replacements for the common egg-white. And, of course we use chicken egg egg-white at the moment. But that’s an allergen that a lot of chocolate manufacturers don’t want in their product factory,” he says.

After analyzing the market, various plant-based proteins such as soya, rice, potato and pea were tested and selected. Honey was replaced in the recipe and the vegan granulated nougat was created.

“We did a lot of test batches with potato protein and we found out that the structure was very similar to the protein we use. You have to whip the protein with the egg white and it rose nicely,” Dumon outlines.

Vital sources its ingredients as close to headquarters as possible to ensure the products are sustainably produced. The sugar comes from Belgium, glucose from the Netherlands, almonds from Italy and the pistachios from Spain.  

Vegan, gelatin free and gluten free claimsYolloh unveils vegan, gluten free and gelatine free candies.
Gelatin-free products are hitting the shelves more frequently, answering the demands of health-conscious consumers who still want to indulge in sweet applications. A report from Innova Market Insights shows that the plant-based confectionery space is snowballing.

"Shared Planet” leads Innova Market Insights’ Top Ten Trends for 2022. Consumers today are more ethically and environmentally conscious, so food brands need to work alongside the public to breed confidence in the claims attached to products. 

In the quest to meet market standards of the moment, the Sodibel Group’s Yolloh candy brand released three key claims; vegan, gluten-free and gelatin-free for 25 styles of candy appealing to adults and children such as gummies and hard-boiled sweets.

“We live in Belgium which is a country with many different cultures and religions so we want to make everyone who goes into the supermarket to buy candies happy,” Gauthier Solarski, account manager Yolloh tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

Gelatin is produced using animal fats and does not cater to consumers of the Jewish or Islamic faith. When candy manufacturers ignore vegan claims, they exclude a significant proportion of the consumer base. Many consumers are reaching for products without gluten due to the premise that it is unhealthy for the gut microbiome.

Arna Falco showcased its “Toffee Noir” vegan range of dairy free toffees, coated in dark chocolate. Chocolat Madagascar unveiled its vegan range of chocolates, vegan milC and blanc milC featuring alternative milk, white alternative chocolate and cashew chocolate.

In other industry moves, Cargill is targeting Europe’s growing flexitarian appetite with a range of vegan chocolate and couverture chocolates. Chocolate ExtraVeganZa is positioned to deliver a “truly indulgent sensorial experience,” using the plant-based “power ingredients” sunflower kernel powder, rice syrup and organic rice syrup. 

By Inga de Jong