Planteneers: “Price parity and quality alternatives can change perception of future plant-based sector”

07 Feb 2024 --- German ingredient manufacturer Planteneers envisions that 2024 will be a successful year for plant-based innovation. The company is moving forward with the ethos that plant-based products are just as good as conventional meat products, and society accepts them as a normal part of consumer diets.

Food Ingredients First speaks with Dr. Dorotea Pein, director, technology & innovation, product management, product development at Planteneers, who reflects on the previous year.

“2023 was not the best year for plant-based nutrition, as a lot of players and manufacturers had to cut down costs, and plant-based products can often be expensive for the consumer. But, we are confident that this year will be a better year.”

Pein predicts there “is a high chance that products will meet price parity between animal product and meat alternatives.” However, she stresses that the main challenge is “to give the consumer really good products that match the price, but also taste, texture and protein demands.”

Dr. Dorotea Pein, director, technology & innovation, product management, product development at Planteneers.“This is a challenge, but also a chance, to really bring plant-based diets forward,” she enthuses.

“Plant-based companies bought the same amount of products but didn’t spend the same money, so they changed to private-label products. So, in 2024, we want to make sure that these private label products can be as good as branded products have been in the past,” Pein underscores. 

In 2023, Planteneers made strides in alt-fish products, and the company’s presence was notable at trade shows, including the Plant Based World Expo in London.  

“We created alternatives for smoked salmon and tuna, as well as vegan alternatives for whole cuts segment like beef steak or chicken breast. These were significant steps toward achieving similarity to original animal products,” explains Pein. 

Bringing a product to market
The company currently has an entire department working strategically on plant-based innovations. 

“They work on products that are not market-ready but can be incorporated into development for when the market is mature enough for such products,” she notes. 

“This means that future innovation and product development are crucial to a product’s success. Putting in this groundwork gives our customers one year to develop a product, which is as much time as it takes to bring the product to market.”

Researching & mimicking proteins
Plant-based proteins are “very important” for Planteneers and Pein says the company always tries to find out what are the key properties of these proteins and in what applications they can be used. 

“There are some that are used for emulsifying, some that are used for viscosity and so we always try to find the best application for them. Of course, we want to see the latest proteins come to market, but on the other hand, protein alone is not enough to reach similarity to those conventional animal products,” she continues. 

“Then we need to add other ingredients like hydrocolloids and starches, modified starches, and if possible, native starches, to really have a similar product to traditional animal-based products.”

The company’s goal is clear: “A product must reach the consumer and have the same taste and texture as a meat product; otherwise, they [consumers] won’t buy it again.”

It’s about the overall eating experience
Consumers can be particular about eating habits, argues Pein. “Eating is nostalgic and often a sociable experience.”

Introducing entirely new plant-based products may face challenges in consumer acceptance, as individuals generally prefer to consume products that they are already familiar with, she notes. 

“In the future, it may be possible to launch products that are protein-rich and are not as similar to animal products. But at the moment, we have to meet the demands of the consumer. They want to eat at the same time as their friends in certain social gatherings, products that can be prepared using the same methods and that also look similar.”

“As soon as the customer knows or accepts that with a plant-based diet, he/she can have the same indulgence and can eat at the same moments, and it’s clear that broader plant-based proteins give him the same satisfaction, then we can change the perception of plant-based eating in the future,” details Pein. 

“But for the time in between, we need copies or alternatives to show the customer or the people who want to or have an idea they want to change that it’s possible to change. These copies are a stepping stone to future plant-based products.”

Extensive application “know-how”
Planteneers was founded on the basis of producing “plant-only” ingredients and products. Planteneers has been making strides in alt-fish and whole-cut products. Its presence has been notable at trade shows.

“Based on this ethos, we have an extensive application know-how because we are so focused on the topic, unlike some of our competitors who develop both plant-based and meat products.” 

“We really know the proteins and work together with agricultural companies to have the best proteins that we can offer our customers based on the market needs of consumers,” she explains. 

Further, the range of applications that the company is able to work within is very broad, and knowing how these plant-based proteins and other ingredients work together in a formulation is also crucial. 

Pein concurs that there is still plenty of untapped potential in the realm of plant-based alternatives.

“Mycoproteins like mycelium is one key area of development for us,” she notes. “At Food Ingredients Europe 2023, our customers were able to taste a nugget produced with this. So this is something that we are currently working on and where a lot of development is taking shape.”

Planteneers is also looking at proteins that come out of yeast fermentation or precision fermentation. “Meanwhile, I expect that cell-cultured proteins and hybrid products using plant-based ingredients and cultured cells will come out of this relatively new process. These are the likely developments and the next steps we will be looking to advance in,” Pein concludes. 

By Elizabeth Green