PLANT BASED DAIRY ALTERNATIVES
Greet Hermans:
If an alternative
product is to
equalize the
nutritional values
with the classical
dairy, we have to
add calcium and
vitamins.
Roland Gianotten:
In the area of
alternative
products we work
very intensively
with large and
medium-sized
companies as well
as small start-ups.
Felix Weber:
With experts
from different
departments
Zentis offers
an all-inclusive
service which
we traditionally
also offer to
traditional
dairies.
Lukas Leutgöb:
We also recognize
the trend towards
clean labels when
it comes to
alternatives.
Dairy alternatives are showing
a growth rate that currently
exceeds that of classic
dairy products. In 2018/19, the total
German market grew by almost 17%
to €327 million. An average annual
growth rate of 5% p.a. is expected to
be maintained until 2029 Source:
FMI. IDM talked about the prospects
for plant-based alternative
products with Zentis, a leading supplier
and initiator of trend-oriented
product development.
Discussion partners were Lukas
Leutgöb, Head of Research & Development
and B2B Marketing, Greet
Hermans, Product Development, Felix
Weber, Vice President Sales, and
Roland Gianotten, Key Account Manager
Europe Dairy & Alternatives.
IDM: How interesting is the market
for dairy alternatives for Zentis as
a traditional supplier for the dairy
sector and since when have you
been dealing with it?
Gianotten: Zentis has been active
in this segment for a very
long time. For a long time we have
been supporting manufacturers
who occupied this category early
on. While sales in this segment
were still manageable in the first
few years, we have been able to
record strong growth in the last
four to five years. Today, we work
very intensively with large and
medium-sized companies as well
as with small start-ups. The focus
here is on innovative and trendy
concepts. We are prepared to
serve companies of different sizes
and structures, starting with 200
kg delivery up to 1,000 tons per
fruit variety.
IDM: How exactly do you adjust to
the companies that produce milk
alternatives?
Weber: We have formed a team
to look after these customers. The
team is broadly based and consists
of experts from the following departments
in our company: Market Intelligence,
Innovation Management,
Marketing, Product Development and
Sales. This is all about an all-inclusive
service, which we traditionally also
offer to traditional dairies. Our team
bundles the many years of know-how
at Zentis in the area of plant-based
milk alternatives. This enables us to
propose very good and well thoughtout
solutions for raw materials used
as well as process technology.
Zentis traditionally follows a
working method which is closely oriented
to the market and the respective
customer. We see ourselves as
pioneers and impulse generators for
our customers and want to accompany
them in their development in
partnership.
IDM How does product development
for replacement products
differ from that for dairy?
Hermans: The basic recipes are similar.
One difference, for example, with
plant-based alternative products
based on soy, is that we have to stabilize
with our fruit preparations. We
use the classic stabilizing systems for
this. If, for example, an alternative
product is to have the same nutritional
values as the classic dairy, we
can also add calcium and vitamins.
IDM: And that leads to ingredient
lists in the declaration that are not
exactly compact.
Leutgöb: That's right. Numerous vegetable
alternative products, meat alternatives
but also milk alternatives,
have long lists of ingredients. Consumers
are currently still more tolerant
of complex lists of ingredients
than they are of classic dairy products.
But we also recognize the trend
towards clean labels in the alternatives
sector. On the other hand, the
requirement profile for the alternatives
is often similar to that of classic
cow's milk-based dairy products. I am
thinking, for example, of the different
amounts of protein. The protein in the
September 2020 ¦ international-dairy.com · 25
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