Planteneers to tap into protein and indulgence trends with cured meat concepts at FiE 2024

Planteneers will showcase a wheat protein-based functional system for producing cost-effective cold cuts. Applications include plant-based scaled sausages and salami at this year’s Food ingredients Europe (FiE) in Frankfurt.

The company will also present a system solution for marbled plant-based steaks, allowing manufacturers to customize the final products’ shape, size and fat marbling.

These ingredients aim to lower customers’ costs while helping them maintain a clean label without reducing the quality, texture or indulgence of plant-based offerings.

Clean label meats

With the rise of plant-based and flexitarian diets, consumers increasingly prioritize clean label foods. Industry experts previously told Food Ingredients First that wholesome ingredients, botanical extracts and plant-based innovations are a few solutions that allow consumers to feel “closer to nature” and manufacturers to maintain short ingredient lists.

The German manufacturer responds to this demand with these systems, which it says can create the compact texture needed for salami and other cured meat alternatives such as lyoner and fleischwurst. Visitors will be able to sample plant-based salami and salami sticks at FiE.

Other concepts include meat, fish, dairy and deli products, including plant-based Gravlax.

Protein concepts

Planteneers will also exhibit a cheddar-style snack in the cheese and dairy alternative category. These are fortified with micronutrients and contain 7% protein.

The company will also present a functional ingredient for fermented cream desserts such as Petit Suisse, cream yogurt or quark. The product contains 3.5% protein, has a creamy mouthfeel and can be mixed with fruit preparations.

“Healthy indulgence” features strongly in the company’s upcoming exhibits. One product is a plant-based chicken breast made with mycoprotein, which contains all essential amino acids. The functional system behind this product can also be used to create breaded chicken filets or nuggets. Visitors can sample this and a cost-optimized plant-based steak at booth 3.1C50.