Roquette: Maximizing sensory appeal of pea protein-fortified products “key for plant-based adoption”

08 Sep 2023 --- In the plant-based market, negative sensory experiences have left some consumers disappointed, according to Roquette, a family-owned France-based business. 

According to an Innova Market Insights 2023 Market Trend Survey, “too many consumers won’t consider plant-based foods because they believe they have poor taste and texture.”

These consumers aren’t sure whether plant-based foods meet the highest standards of taste and texture. Roquette is hoping to change this narrative. 

In its upcoming webinar, company experts will present insights on food formulation and discover ways to turn product disillusionment into thriving and attractive meat plant-based alternatives, including plant-based meat, non-dairy alternatives or nutritional products.

Speaking to Food Ingredients First, ahead of the webinar, which will be broadcast on September 21, Aurélie Mauray, market manager of Plant Proteins Americas, observes that consumer demand for plant-based foods remains strong. 

“In the US, plant-based food retail sales grew 6.6% to reach US$8 billion in 2022, demonstrating resilience and growth opportunity.”

The pea protein market is highly attractive as consumers continue to demand food products that improve both their health and our planet.“Plant-based food shelf space at retail isn’t increasing right now. However, the plant-based industry is still growing, with new products being launched daily and we continue to see expansion in the food service space, for instance,” notes Mauray. 

Notably, she underscores that health is the number one driver of interest in plant-based foods, followed by sustainability. The third key driver for plant-based foods is bringing variety to the diet, a 2022 Innova Trends Survey indicates.

“Improving the nutritional profile of plant-based foods toward protein fortification is critical as consumers can benefit from similar protein levels as animal-based countertypes with additional benefits such as less fat or carbs but also great or even superior taste and texture,” Mauray outlines. 

“Health is the entry point in the plant-based world, but taste is key for plant-based adoption. And while sustainability is important, sensory appeal drives purchasing behavior and repeat buying.”

Also, the total demand for proteins should double by 2054 due to demographic, economic and urbanization developments, as well as new dietary habits, she flags. 

This growth is driven by consumers’ focus on health and well-being (high nutritional value, sports nutrition, specialized nutrition, meat alternatives, etc.), particular concerns or demands (non-GMO, non-allergenic) and sustainable development. 

Utilizing pea protein 
According to Roquette, the pea protein market is highly attractive as consumers continue to demand food products that improve both their health and our planet. 

Mauray says the plant-based market is “no longer a niche as consumers look to modify their diets, avoiding or reducing their consumption of animal-based products.”

She predicts that plant-based food and beverages will continue to expand toward the new plant-based cuisine, introducing new taste experiences and new convenient formats as consumers want to bring variety to their diets. ‘Plant protein usage, especially pea, will be critical for protein fortification and nutritional profile improvement of plant-based foods,” adds Mauray. 

“In the interest of developing pea proteins for better nutrition and a healthier planet, we have adapted its sourcing strategy to obtain peas of a specific quality that respect the environment, a strategy that is fully aligned with the group’s sustainable development approach.”Health is the number one driver of interest in plant-based foods, followed by sustainability.

“The expectations from consumers are higher now as the consumer base expands and formulated products need to bring taste and texture, together with nutrition, short ingredient list and clean label ingredients,” Mauray explains. 

“The improvement of process technologies is a key lever to develop new protein ingredients and drive them at scale,” Mauray comments. “That’s why our in-house Plant Protein Center of Expertise has been launched and is designed to enhance the unique properties of proteins from pea and beyond, exploring new botanical origins. 

“There is space for any kind of plant-based protein sources, so we think about complementarities and synergies of those alternative sources for functional, nutritional and environmental purposes,” she adds. 

In the forthcoming webinar, viewers will learn key approaches to developing delectable plant-based foods. 

Roquette experts will highlight how the company can be a relevant partner for their growth thanks to pea protein. In addition, they will have an overview of Roquette’s capabilities from the application and R&D sides, available to support their development journey from ideation to finished product realization.

You can register for the webinar here. 

By Elizabeth Green