The future of plant-based relies on a clear, concise message backed by foods and beverages that deliver on their promises of good taste, health benefits, and sustainable nutrition, shared panelists at Plant Based World Expo’s session, “The Next Generation of Protein,” in New York City, Thursday.
The panel that was moderated by Emma Ignaszewski, associate director at The Good Food Institute, those on the cutting edge of the plant-based foods industry weighed in on key issues and developments. They included Irina Gerry, CMO of Change Foods, an animal-free dairy company using precision fermentation, Michelle Lee, co-founder of Lypid, a plant-based fat innovator, Mario Rodriquez of mycelium fungi company Bosque Foods, and David Meyer, CEO of Food System Innovations.
Technology’s Place in Plant-Based
Advancements in technique are part of the future of plant-based. Mycelium, a fungal root structure, is being leveraged to make savory foods like bacon because of its unique umami characteristics, and its ability to operate like meat by undergoing the Maillard reaction when cooked, also known as the browning effect, shared Rodriquez.
Moreover, it can be grown anywhere in the world, so it is resistant to climate change and can be brought to developing countries, improving local economies. This topic was also considered in a separate session, called “A Global Plant-Based Movement Update.” Tawanda Muzhingi, director of international programs at the Plant Based Foods Institute, shared that in much of the “Global South,” particularly within the African continent, a larger percentage of inhabitants are affiliated with agriculture in some way compared to the U.S.
“A lot of young people come from rural areas, and they grow up working on farms. So when they go to college, they aspire to get into the workforce,“ said Muzhingi. “If we are to transform our food system to one in which plant-based foods play a big role, we need to find ways of making the way we produce food more appealing to young people,” which can include food technology and innovation.
Precision fermentation is also gaining popularity, providing an option to create “animal-free” dairy milk that is functionally the same as its animal-based alternative without harming an animal in the process. By using a fermentation technique that is similar to processes used in cheese, the protein casein can be isolated and replaced to make products, shared Gerry. This means that the product can deliver on the value propositions that current plant-based products fall short on, including the stretch, melt, and protein content.
Lee shared that fat is a crucial part of an animal product, accounting for between 40 and 70 percent of the offering’s makeup. “Fat is the key to making a piece of meat taste like meat,” she said. Her company structures vegetable oils to work like animal fat to create products like pork belly, steaks, and lamb chops.
Addressing the Marketing Problem
“We geek out on technology a lot, but when it comes to consumers, they’re eating food,” said Gerry. They don’t care about the particular ingredient innovations. “They’re not saying I love this plant-based cheese because they have a very special lipid molecule…they’re going to look at the product and say ‘what is the benefit for me?’”
Meyer shares a similar philosophy regarding the marketing of plant-based food. He mentioned that the problem's rudiments came from plant-based startups requiring the attention of investors through their research and development technology, which shaped their rhetoric about their product.
“The apples, cows, and chickens eaten now are not what were eaten long ago. Every food company has scientists and laboratories. How do you get people to embrace that? Stop talking about technology and start talking about food,” said Meyer.
Gerry outlined three pillars of plant-based foods that the industry needs to be aware of: health, sustainable nutrition, and animal welfare. Once people are educated about hte importance of these issues, Meyer added, a larger shift towards the lifestyle will occur.
However, the plant-based industry isn’t quite there yet, as meat analogs with price parity don’t really exist, due to myriad factors, including governmental support and regulation. The animal and dairy industries are able to deliver lower price points because of subsidies, shared Gerry, which makes it difficult to compete.
Moreover, Meyer and Gerry discussed misinformation that exists in the space, both because of a lack of consumer education, and because of deliberate campaigns against plant-based foods, critiquing their lack of a clean label for many meat alternatives, or alleging they are worse for one’s health or the environment.
Rodriquez added that people sometimes believe the lie that mycelium is mold and is unhealthy.
When marketing products, clear education on the ingredients and the value they can bring both to one’s health and the environment should take center stage, panelists noted.
Related: How Food Industry Can Stay Fresh; Q&A: Plant-Based, Gluten-Free Certifications