The AGRANA Group will present a diverse product portfolio at the BIOFACH, the world’s leading trade fair for organic food taking place from 26 – 29 July 2022 in Nuremberg, Germany.
Said Markus Mühleisen, CEO, AGRANA: “We are delighted that the BIOFACH is again taking place on site this year, enabling us to present our extensive organic product portfolio. As a processor of plant-based, agricultural raw materials, we aim to show our customers how we can address the demand for vegan and vegetarian nutrition with new sustainable concepts. For this trade fair, our product development centre has focused on meat alternatives, such as vegan burgers, plant-based yogurts and ice cream varieties.”
Adding plant-based and organic nutritional options is also an important contribution to protecting the environment and biodiversity. Increasing numbers of consumers are adding vegan and vegetarian alternatives to their diets: A recent survey highlighted that 37% of Europeans refer to themselves as flexitarians, vegetarians or vegans (Smart Protein Survey, November 2021). With ten percent, Germany has the highest share of consumers in Europe who rely entirely on a plant-based diet. The proportion in Austria not far behind, with seven percent. A third of consumers in both countries refer to themselves as flexitarians.
The AGRANA Research and Innovation Centre (ARIC) in Tulln, Austria’s largest industrial research centre in the food sector, has been successful in creating vegan beef burger patties on the basis of pre-gelatinised maize starch, potato fibres and vital wheat gluten, which completely replace the need for methyl cellulose. In combination with the fluffy, soft, vegan burger buns also developed by AGRANA on the basis of an egg substitute as well as its own organic vegan BBQ sauce, these burgers are a completely organic and vegan alternative to conventional products.
AGRANA even offers an organic vegetarian alternative for the leberkäse speciality which is particularly popular in southern Germany and Austria. Previously, it was difficult for vegetarians to find meat-free, organic and clean-label alternatives. On the basis of wheat protein and agricultural products which are entirely organic, AGRANA has developed a vegetarian leberkäse which can be served either as thin slices in a roll or fresh-out-of-the-oven leberkäse.
The consistency of food also plays an important role in the enjoyment of dairy products. Dairies are experiencing a sharp rise in demand for organic products in this area. That’s why AGRANA has developed its chocolate inclusions for yogurts in which palm oil is replaced by cocoa butter, becoming the first supplier on the market to offer organic crunchies of this kind.
Consumer trends related to fruit products highlight that more than half of consumers prefer spoonable yogurts which combine fruit and brown flavour notes. Nuts are a taste trend with considerable growth potential here, which is why AGRANA has combined nut butter and fruit to present this as one of its latest innovations at BIOFACH: The cashew-mango fruit and nut butter combination in Greek yogurt is a concept for a young target group. For more visit Stand #565 in Hall 1 at BIOFACH or agrana.com
