Plant proteins play an essential role in creating a variety of food and drink products. Thanks to Directus we’ve written this blog as a guide to help you create your food or drink product with plant proteins.

From a consumers perspective, plant proteins are good for body and overall metabolism. Along with building muscles, they support many other vital functions, such as the immune system and cell generation in hair, skin and bones. The recommended dietary intake for protein for women is 46grams per day. Besides sports products, foods and drinks containing protein also appeal to consumers who are health conscious, consumers looking for weight management and for all those who choose vegetable proteins based on their specific eating habits.

Proteins have been recognised as being good for muscle building for a long time. Nowadays, it is also linked with satiety and weight loss. Women are also getting more and more interested in proteins according to an online study conducted by Dohler who found that 66% of women are actively trying to or would like to decrease the amount of animal-based products in their diet and 56% of women are very interested in purchasing protein enriched products.

The top 3 aspects of women’s purchasing decision was based on:

  1. good taste
  2. the right price and
  3. the health benefits.

The increase in use of plant proteins is also due to the growing awareness of the environment and sustainability measures. For both of these reasons, the consumer goods industry has been transformed in recent years.

More and more people are avoiding animal products. In Europe alone, twice as many new products were launched with the claim “vegan” in 2016 than in 2014.

So, can the body manage without animal proteins?

Yes, it can, and the solution is plant-based proteins (green proteins), which are already being used in many food and drink products.

Plant based protein is a dairy free option for vegan, health conscious or ecology minded consumers. They are extracted from seeds of plants. Plant proteins are a rapidly growing source in the market.

Examples of plant protein sources include pea, rice, bean, hemp and sunflower protein.

Plant based proteins can provide all the essential amino acids when different protein sources are combined in the right way. They are also rich in healthy nutrients like vitamins, minerals and iron. Replacing animal proteins with plant-based proteins can be beneficial for heart health, prevent diabetes and the promotion of bone health.

How can we create protein rich food with plant protein?

Creating the ideal combination of protein building blocks from different vegetable sources ensures that the green proteins can guarantee the best possible protein supply. Plant-based protein mixtures (e.g. from rice and beans) can provide the body with all the essential amino acids. Thanks to the use of proteins from high-quality raw materials and natural flavour compositions, the end products can easily meet consumer expectations.

When developing a product with outstanding multi-sensory properties, the priority is to carefully select and combine the right proteins, such as those from rice, peas, oats or other new protein sources. If there is an after taste, then it can be perfectly masked with special natural flavour technologies. Each application requires comprehensive application expertise in proteins and how they interact with other ingredients.

Plant proteins are the way of the future due to the environmental benefits, trend towards veganism and health benefits they provide. The plant protein industry has boomed in recent years and will continue to as the industry continues to search for the next “hero” protein source.