“Converting skeptics”: How animal-free innovators are leveraging emerging tech to reach new markets

The surge in demand for healthier, sustainable and ethical choices is fueling animal-free food innovations. Consumers are now looking beyond basic plant-based options, seeking variety, authenticity, and globally inspired flavors. The shift is prompting companies to harness technologies like precision fermentation, 3D-printing, mycoprotein, and hybrid solutions to elevate taste, texture and accessibility.

Clean label ingredients, global flavors and diverse formats are also gaining ground, alongside affordability and sensory appeal challenges.

Food Ingredients First speaks with ADM, Kerry, Cargill, and GNT Group to understand how these challenges shape animal-free innovations and what emerging trends will drive growth in the category this year.

While ethics has always been a key driver for animal-free innovations, Dieuwertje Raaijmakers, marketing communications specialist at GNT Group, tells us health and sustainability are increasingly gaining importance for modern consumers. 

“It’s important that products match up to their expectations. A plant-based burger might be made with a lot of artificial and unsustainable ingredients. That can limit its appeal, so natural and eco-friendly options are becoming more popular.”

“Shoppers also want variety. With meat products, consumers are presented with everything from barbecue-themed launches in the summer to options like cranberry-stuffed turkey breasts at Christmas.”

She observes the animal-free space to be “catering more to the demand for variety and novelty,” with products like vegan-friendly Valentine’s chocolates and plant-based pigs in blankets, brandy cream and cranberry cheese at Christmas.

Kerry's McCluskey believes current animal-free innovation aims to convert skeptics into consumers through better taste, affordability, and expanding plant-based formats.Neil McCluskey, global product director, Textured Plant Proteins at Kerry, agrees that consumer-driven innovation is centered around increasing demand for healthy, sustainable products that offer diversity.

“Kerry’s proprietary research, Future Lens, which surveyed over 15,000 participants, including vegetarians, vegans and meat eaters, set out to discover more about consumers’ real preferences. Through this consumer research, we identified the key barriers to wider adoption of alternative animal-free foods: price, taste, and limited product variety.”

“Initially, many manufacturers focused on alternative proteins, such as ground meats, but there is now a clear growing interest in expanding to more diverse formats across all kinds of foods.”

Ground meat, burgers and meatballs accounted for 32% of meat substitute launches from October 2023 to September 2024, indicates Innova Market Insights data. Poultry substitutes accounted for 15%, followed by blocks, cubes, and chunks substitutes at 14%.

Overcoming consumer skepticism

McCluskey believes that current innovation efforts are aimed at “converting skeptics into consumers” by improving taste, increasing affordability, and expanding the range of available plant-based formats. 

“One of our latest innovations, developed in partnership with Ojah in the Netherlands, introduces four new clean label chicken alternatives: flakes, shreds, cubes, and pulled.” 

They are formulated using only five to six ingredients, including soy, water, oil, salt, and natural flavors. 

Consumers increasingly seek products with simple ingredients while expecting high sensory appeal and nutrition (Image credit: ADM).“This range of chicken alternatives not only simplifies product formulation but also provides manufacturers with the flexibility to meet consumer demand for clean labels and diverse culinary uses. The products have already garnered positive feedback, and we anticipate additional launches across the US and Europe throughout this year.”

Meanwhile, Cargill is targeting these demands with its Pure label-friendly solutions, which includes its “WavePure” seaweed powder range based on native seaweed, notes Sandy De Houwer, global marketing director for Meat & Dairy Alternative Solutions.

The ingredient is obtained “without any chemical modification” and imparts body and mouthfeel in dairy and plant-based dairy alternatives, including, “rich creamy dessert and a delicious oat drink.”

“Our SimPure starches leverage the unique properties of various botanical sources, such as corn and tapioca, striving to meet the most important texturizing challenges.” 

Embracing “bold and global” flavors

Globalization is leading to increased consumer exposure to various cultural cuisines. De Houwer believes it is now clear that the classic plate of carbohydrates, vegetables, and proteins is “increasingly being replaced by more contemporary and shared Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, or Asian dishes,” that feature more colorful vegetables, adventurous spices, and fresh herbs.

 “Through our partnership with Enough, we’ve tapped into this trend by creating the first Thai-styled veggie patty powered by Abunda mycoprotein.”

The classic plate of carbohydrates, vegetables, and proteins is increasingly being replaced by shared Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, or Asian dishes, says Cargill's De Houwer.“Additionally, our vegan spring roll with cabbage and carrots and the gyoza with spring onions and shiitake mushrooms exemplify the new generation of tasty and well-balanced sharing dishes.”

The company is targeting the growing consumer demand for diverse plant-based options by “embracing bold, global flavors and culturally inspired innovations,” she adds.

Jacquelyn Rodenkirch-Schuh, global senior director, product marketing, Specialty Ingredients at ADM, agrees that consumers increasingly seek bold, authentic flavors inspired by global cuisines. 

“Savory products infused with smoky, seared, or spiced elements are well-positioned to capture explorative consumer attention, reflecting the globalization of food preferences. These culturally inspired innovations are now critical for product differentiation.”

Broadening dairy and meat familiarity

Undesirable flavors like earthy, beanie or grassy, can sometimes accompany plant-derived proteins, often challenging animal-free ingredient formulators, underscores Rodenkirch-Schuh.

“These off-notes can detract from the eating experience, making it difficult for brands to match consumer expectations for indulgence and familiarity. Another challenge lies in achieving the desired texture and mouthfeel, whether it’s the creamy consistency of dairy alternatives or the “bite and chew” of meat alternatives.”

ADM tackles these with soy and pea proteins, which are used in its AccelFlex Functional Systems (FS) and Texture Systems (TS) for structural and functional support in alt-meat.

Kerry's Plenti is a a nutritious range of whole muscle textured plant proteins from soy sources (Image credit: Kerry).“Most recently, we extended our AccelFlex TS line to include AccelFlex TS P80, a 100% pea protein solution designed to replicate the texture of meat while maintaining a neutral flavor profile and high nutritional content with 80% protein content on a dry moisture basis.”

“Similarly, our Stabrium Hydrocolloid Solutions, which are dry blends of plant-based ingredients, work alongside our soy and pea proteins to provide targeted texture, stability, richness and consistency in dairy alternatives like yogurts, frozen treats and plant-based beverages.”

The ingredients also meet consumers’ clean label demands by mitigating the need for gelatin, monoglycerides, and diglycerides, she adds.

Navigating animal-free hues

In food colors, replacing gelatin with plant-based ingredients like pectin can bring “differences in heating and pH requirements,” explains GNT’s Raaijmakers. Plant-based dairy bases may vary in shade, opacity, and pH, with coconut being “pure white,” unlike the beige tones of oat and almond.

“We can provide technical support to help manufacturers achieve the color shade they need through color selection and adjustments to recipes and processes.”

Meanwhile, for high-moisture texturized applications such as plant-based tuna chunks, the processing temperatures can be “as high as 190°C,” which needs color addition during the cooling phase, which could still be around 150°C, she adds. This leads to higher color dosage recommendations than other products to compensate.

GNT leverages its expertise in coloring solutions for plant-based products, like the new Exberry paprika emulsion for “bright orange shades” in confectionery, bakery, snacks and plant-based meat and fish. 

GNT’s paprika emulsion has a high color intensity that supports cost-effective low dosage levels and clean ingredient declarations, says Raaijmakers.“It has a high color intensity that supports cost-effective low dosage levels and clean ingredient declarations. In the EU, it’s listed simply as ‘paprika oil,’” Raaijmakers shares.

“We’ve also added new liquid-based browns created from carrot and caramelized carrot.” 

Manufacturers can use them to achieve brown hues in plant-based meat and dairy and adjust red shades in meat substitutes. They can be labeled as “concentrate (carrot and caramelized carrot)” in the EU, she adds.

Harnessing algae for sustainability

Raaijmakers expects to see an increased focus on algae in animal-free innovations as they are rich in nutrition, “highly sustainable” and provide a valuable alternative to land-based food sources. 

“We use algae to create some of our Exberry food colors. Spirulina has given us a sustainable source of natural blue and green shades for around 30 years and we also offer yellow and orange carotene colors made from Dunaliella Salina.”

Rodenkirch-Schuh calls algae an “emerging protein source” that formulators can combine with soy, pea and wheat proteins and “wholesome ingredients” like chickpeas, navy beans, quinoa and pumpkin seeds. 

“Protein blends leverage the best characteristics from different protein sources for optimized sensory appeal and protein quality, content and diversity.”

Cargill has leveraged mycoprotein for formulating Thai-styled veggie patty (Image credit: Cargill).ADM’s 2024 research shows consumers are motivated to try blended proteins for being “healthier,” “better for the environment,” “adding variety to diets,” “better dietary balance of plant and animal proteins” and “more nutritious.”

Improving taste and texture with technology

The F&B industry is exploring various technologies to enhance the alt-meat eating experience, underscores Cargill’s De Houwer.

“Whole-cut technologies that mimic animal muscle tissue and cultivated protein are being used to develop entire meat or dairy analogs or components for hybrid blended products, such as 3D-printing and precision fermentation.”

McCluskey also finds 3D-printing and fiber spinning “exciting new technologies” to preserve plant-based proteins’ quality and functionality, while Raaijmakers agrees that new technologies can enable innovative products like cultured meat and 3D-printed meat. 

Meanwhile, Rodenkirch-Schuh highlights extrusion technology’s role in delivering “targeted texture” and health benefits in hybrid/blended products. 

“Following the advancement of protein blends of traditional and emerging sources, we anticipate blends supporting the acceptance and adoption of precision fermentation, and further down the line, cell cultivation.”

“Exploring new frontiers”

In the future, Raaijmakers expects to see more products based around whole plants, like “cauliflower steaks and carrot hot dogs.”

In the future, ADM’s Rodenkirch-Schuh expects protein blends supporting the acceptance and adoption of precision fermentation and cell cultivation.“You can even have eye-catching options like purple sweet potato hot dogs. It’s all about making the plant the hero. They can be elevated with flavorsome and colorful seasonings and marinades to create an appetizing experience while maintaining a very healthy positioning.”

In 2025, Rodenkirch-Schuh expects the alternative protein sector to focus on “refining existing products while exploring new frontiers in texture, flavor, and format.” 

“However, for new introductions to succeed, there must be advances in flavor modulation and texture development, ultimately enabling manufacturers to create alternative applications that deliver richness, creaminess and juiciness (or other desired sensory profiles) while meeting clean label targets.”

Meanwhile, Kerry’s McCluskey expects growth in developing “whole muscle meat alternatives” and hybrid products. However, he believes aligning the US market with global trends is needed to drive growth in animal-free foods.

The “nearly 40%” price premium over traditional meat hinders adoption, unlike Europe, where narrowing the gap has driven growth, he concludes.