Alternative Proteins – A Sustainable Source to Reduce the Carbon Footprint

Introduction

Changing consumer behavior due to global health and environmental concerns has made way for growth in the alternative protein market. With rising income levels and urbanization, the demand for protein has increased.

The dairy alternatives market is growing rapidly, which is attributed to the nutritional benefits offered by plant-based dairy alternatives, such as cholesterol level, improved cardiovascular health, and diabetes control. Raising awareness among consumers about the benefits of a vegan diet is an essential factor in propelling the demands of dairy alternatives.

Milk vs. climate change: Challenges of sustainability and carbon footprint

• Around 14.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, are due to Animal agriculture, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
• Cattle raised for meat and dairy account for 65 percent of these due to the combined force of numerous greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and nitrous oxide (NO).
• The population of the world is growing, along with its appetite for protein and along with it, the size and emission of the animal livestock industry. International experts and dairy companies are developing standard guidelines to calculate the carbon footprint of the dairy sector. The Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) draws an international membership of 50 members with one of its focus areas on dairy with climate and water.
• As a result of climate change, cattle and other livestock run the risk of facing heat stress and an increase in mortality rate. Poor crop yields are likely to increase animal feed costs according to Fairr, a network of investors.
  

  Alternative Dairy Market

  Rise of alternative dairy ingredients

  Consumers prefer dairy alternatives consumption due to the following factors:

  Protecting Animal Rights: When dairy cows become less productive or have health problems, most are transported long distances to be slaughtered.

  Avail Dairy-free Benefits: A growing number of the “flexitarian” population is credited as the most significant influencer on the shift from dairy milk to non-dairy plant-based milk.

  Older age shoppers are also making this shift for nutritional reasons like reducing cholesterol and calories tend to pick dairy-free alternatives.

  Allergen and Toxicity issues with Dairy: According to the National Institute of Health, 65% of the population has a reduced ability to digest lactose after infancy. Non-Dairy alternatives provide a source of protein and nutrients for consumers with dairy tolerance issues. A lot of consumers cite “self-diagnosis” of lactose intolerance as a driving force in the growth of dairy-free products.

  Antibiotics in animals for achieving better milk production have led to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which poses a significant risk to human health.

  Environmental Reasons: The global livestock sector contributes to a significant share of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and its ecological footprint plays an essential role in climate change

  Since plant-based beverages offer unique flavor profiles and functional benefits, a survey of non-dairy consumers revealed the following:

  Manufacturers of plant-based dairy proteins face the task of “flavor masking” which is a critical aspect since consumers are seeking clean taste. Most protein powders require flavor masking agents, which discourages the consumer who is looking for a clean label.

  Fermentation can play an essential role in the creation of novel enzymes to improve taste and texture. Fermentation could be leveraged to boost the nutrition profile by replacing the current fats. It can even be used to produce 100% fermentation-derived ingredients, such as synthetic dairy proteins.

  Dairy Alternative Beverage Market, by source

  Legume-based varieties made from cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, peas, peanuts, pecans are increasingly found on store shelves as consumer interest has grown. Soy and almond milk are well-established options for dairy alternatives.

  Current Technologies and Challenges in manufacturing Alternative Dairy Proteins

  The alternative dairy industry largely relies on mechanical methods such as twin-screw extrusion using high pressures and temperatures to create texturized vegetable protein.

  Extrusion texturization of proteins is performed with residence time under 2 min. Soy proteins are generally extruded at high temperature and low moisture conditions to form structured products.

  It remains a challenging aspect to reproduce muscle tissue known to contribute to the overall sensory profile. Literature search and supermarket surveys are conducted to identify the functionalities of various additives applied to meat alternatives production. Comparisons are made between muscle and legume proteins to overcome any disparities through fabrication and ingredient innovation.

  Innovation: A Key Driver

  Innovation is critical to driving this category forward. There are expectations for food manufacturers to come up with innovative alternative protein products to cater to the needs of the flexitarian population. Retailers and traditional meat producers join vegan/vegetarian-focused companies to produce plant-based options. Certain producers who use new ingredients and raw materials need to develop products that can overcome the challenges linked with the taste, texture, and color of plant-based solutions.

  The Good Food Institute, an organization to support the innovation of alternative proteins, states, Fermentation is the future of the alternative protein industry. The development of advanced fermentation technologies offers food innovators a variety of ‘white space’ opportunities in the high-growth plant-based sector.

  Retail Products

  NUTRALYS® S range of products offering pea protein enrichment as well as soy and milk alternatives across many food applications including baking, dairy, nutraceuticals, weight management, and sports nutrition.

  Unlike other vegetable protein sources, NUTRALYS® S has a shallow anti-nutritional factor content. This ensures optimal efficiency with high digestibility: approximately 98% which is better than whole peas or pea flour and comparable to animal protein value. They are also offering the recently approved generic claim related to bone health.

  Alternative Milk

  In the US, the local supermarket refrigerated aisle is overflowing with choices of several alternatives: almond milk, soy milk, hazelnut milk, peanut milk, walnut milk, cashew milk, coconut milk, hemp milk, spelt milk, quinoa milk, pea milk.

  The consumption of plant-based milk has been increased due to consumers looking for specific functionality within beverages. The absence of cholesterol milk and lactose, make it suitable for a group of people suffering from lactose intolerance and heart disease.

  A general classification of plant-based milk has been proposed:

  • Cereal based: Oat milk, Rice milk, Corn milk, Spelt milk
  • Legume based: Soy milk, Peanut milk, Lupin milk, Cowpea milk
  • Nut based: Almond milk, Coconut milk, Hazelnut milk, Pistachio milk, Walnut milk
  • Seed based: Sesame milk, Flax milk, Hemp milk, Sunflower milk
  • Pseudo-cereal milk: Quinoa milk, Teff milk, Amaranth milk

  Soy milk was the first plant-based milk that served the purpose of providing nutrients in regions where milk supply was inadequate. Owing to claimed benefits like the absence of lactose, cholesterol-free, high nutritive value, high digestibility, and low cost, soy milk has found its applications as a functional ingredient in the preparation of processed food products.

  Alternative dairy products in the market

  Retail products

  Roquette, is offering high-quality ingredients and plant-based solutions: plant proteins (pea or wheat-based), soluble fibers, polyols, etc. Offering to formulate high-quality food for every kind of application.

  Danone is offering dairy-free yogurts, plant-based milk beverages, and RTD coffee drinks.

  Startups thriving in the alternative dairy space

  Impact of Covid-19 on alternative protein industry

  Based on talks with industry insiders and analysis of market developments to date, FutureBridge has made predictions on the alternative protein market however there is no cold, hard data on how it is affecting sales of animal vs. non-animal foods.

  • Consumers may become wary of consuming animal products since the disease began in animals and hence become more attracted to plant-based alternatives.
  • Alternative Dairy products have longer shelf life hence consumers opt to pick up alternative dairy products compared to traditional dairy in an attempt to limit their visits to grocery stores.

  COVID-19 is believed to affect consumer buying behavior and perhaps is likely to push more plant-based food and plant-based innovation in the market.

  References

  1. https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2020/02/26/Accelerated-pace-of-innovation-a-strain-for-plant-based-sector
  2. https://www.foodbev.com/news/five-key-technology-innovations-in-the-dairy-industry-for-2020/
  3. http://www.fao.org/3/a-i3437e.pdf
  4. https://www.roquette.com/media-center/resources/roquette-food-spec-nutrition-concept-plant-based-rtd-protein-shake
  5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5069255/

Talk to us about how FutureBridge can address your unknowns, blind spots, innovation challenges, and growth opportunities.