Plant heroes rising

The main reasons which make people choose plant-based dairy alternatives haven't changed either. People go for these alternatives mostly because they care about being healthy, perceived nutritional benefits, enjoying the taste, and looking out for the planet's well-being. So, it's all about feeling good and doing good!

What’s unchanged since our last study is the profile of consumers: only 2% of regular dairy alternative consumers are vegans.

The majority are omnivores or flexitarians incorporating more plant-based foods into their diet, but not necessarily completely switching to plant-based.
 

Mimicking dairy or stand-alone product?

A key question in the dairy alternative space is whether products should mimic dairy products or be a stand-alone option. Spoiler alert: There is no consensus among consumers on this topic! When exploring with consumers which attributes are important to them, 65% say the products should taste like dairy products; on the other hand, 62% of consumers prefer the alternative products to have the original taste of the plant base used.

What’s the consequence of this? Investments and launch activity for both areas:

Mimicking dairy:

• Precision fermentation: An option to develop dairy-like products with regard to taste, texture, and nutrition profile, but with less environmental impact than traditional dairy production.​ Sounds intriguing?
   
• Blends of plant-based sources: Another option we often use in cooperation with our customers is to blend different plant proteins for a better nutritional profile, taste, and texture experience to create unique combinations and blends that stand out from the crowd. 74% of consumers in our study confirmed that they are interested in such blends.

Stand-alone products:

• More diversity in plant-based sources: Although well-established products with soy, oat, almond, or coconut are liked by consumers, we are seeing more and more diversity in plant-based products: chickpea, potato, buckwheat, and rye are just a few of the ‘new kids on the block’.​ Our portfolio of plant-based products includes many out-of-the-box sources and combinations
   
• Upcycled ingredients: Beyond just broadening the sources of plant-based products, many companies are opting to use by-products to create new plant-based alternatives made of previously unused materials.​ Ever thought about fruit pits or kernels for your plant-based milk
   
• New product formats: New product formats, such as plant-based kefir, Greek-style yogurt, yogurt smoothies, or desserts, are starting to appear on top of familiar plant-based milk or yogurt products.