New work drives demand for plant-based convenience products

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Pizza has been in demand due to the pandemic, and that is now extending to plant-based versions. Pic: Planteneers

Convenience has been a strong driver in the food market for years, in retail as well as out of home.

In recent months, mostly due to the Covid-19 pandemic, takeout and delivery models have experienced a tremendous boom. The operative term is “new work,” and home office and mobile working call for need-oriented solutions.

According to Stern-Wywiol Gruppe subsidiary Planteneers GmbH, pizza is a great example. Market research company Euromonitor International predicts global pizza market revenue growth of almost 11% this year, to $132.3bn. For Eastern Europe the projected rate is 16%.

The growing demand in this category also brings high potential for plant-based versions.

With Planteneers’ compounds, manufacturers can offer the entire range of pizzas with purely plant-based ingredients, and so address the rising demand for plant-based convenience foods. The functional systems in the fiildMeat S range, for example, are ideal for making plant-based sausage products of all kinds, including vegan pepperoni and ham.

The system is made without soy, and uses fava beans and peas as protein sources. Another plus point, the company said, is the products are easy to slice and the edges stay fresh on the pizza, without burning.

The fiildTex D range pea-based system lets manufacturers produce a plant-based tuna substitute, while fiildDairy CHG can be used to make plant-based alternatives to grated cheese. These are relatively easy to produce and have very good functional properties. They don’t stick during grating, have good melting behavior during baking, and stretch just like real pizza cheese. The cheese alternatives can be made in popular varieties like mozzarella and cheddar.

Pizza is just one example in the steadily growing deep frozen category. Lasagne is another big favorite. Here again, Planteneers offers the ingredients for purely plant-based products, from functional systems for plant-based bechamel sauce that is heating and heat-thaw stable, to plant-based cheese alternatives, to ground meat alternatives for the filling, the latter made with fiildMeat P series functional systems.