New standard for excellence
With more than 145 years of experience,
Chr. Hansen knows what it takes to
bring sustainable innovations to market.
We have built our business and shaped
our strategy around our commitment to
helping customers gain an edge while
addressing broader global challenges.
While our reputation has been built on
collaboration with the dairy industry –
and continues to be - , our focus in recent
years has widened to include work
with plant-based producers as they
gain momentum in the marketplace and
grow their market share worldwide.
Our recent launch of FreshQ DA food
cultures reflect this deepening commitment,
giving plant-based producers the
ability to reduce food waste and improve
quality by keeping their products
fresh for longer, all while catering to consumer
demand for plant-based options
that are free from artificial ingredients.
FreshQ DA is comprised of carefully selected
lactic acid bacteria, which have
the ability to delay spoilage from yeast
and mold when used in fermentation.
The bioprotective effect gained in the
fermentation using these cultures helps
to protect plant-based products against
spoilage and optimize shelf life to save
money and reduce waste for producers
and consumers alike.
Research shows that consumers are
more likely to check the ingredients list
PLANT BASED DAIRY ALTERNATIVES 2021
on dairy alternatives than on traditional
dairy products. This is because these
tend to use more additives to achieve
dairy-like texture and appeal. With our
microbial solutions, Chr. Hansen wants
to enable producers to gain a natural
competitive advantage by offering superior
quality products that stay fresh,
delicious, and safe without adding unwanted
artificial ingredients.
“Unique challenges require customized
solutions,” says Kathrin Meyer,
Business Development, Food Cultures
& Enzymes, Chr. Hansen. “With plantbased
alternatives producers are using
bases of all kinds, including oat, almond,
coconut, pea and cashew. Increasingly,
producers are mixing various ratios of
different bases to explore more innovative
outcomes or yield particular characteristics.
Optimizing this diverse array of
ingredients and properties requires innovative
solutions that can be dynamic
and easily tweaked as recipes evolve or
change,” she elaborates. “Our decades
of on-the-ground experience, working
alongside our customers to perfect recipes,
troubleshoot challenges and customize
solutions leaves us well-equipped
to take on the challenges and opportunities
the plant-based industry is tackling.”
A more sustainable future
As plant-based options continue to capture
consumer attention and a growing
Kathrin Meyer, Business Development,
Food Cultures & Enzymes, Chr. Hansen:
Our decades of on-the-ground experience
to perfect recipes, troubleshoot
challenges and customize solutions
leaves us well-equipped to take on
the challenges and opportunities
the plant-based industry is tackling
(photo: Chr. Hansen)
segment of the market, we believe that
going forward, the category will be led
by those producers who are able to offer
the best taste alongside convenience
and superior freshness. Consumer
focus on health, wellbeing and sustainable
consumption will only continue to
push demand for compelling alternatives
within this category. With over a
century of expertise, Chr. Hansen is expanding
its work in the plant-based industry,
helping producers satisfy growing
demand and raising the bar for what
is possible for plant-based alternatives.
“As we look to the future, we believe this
category will be able to offer products
that are more delicious, more competitive
and more sustainably produced
than anything the market has seen so
far,” explains Meyer. “We look forward
to getting to work to help shape this
future, forging new partnerships within
the plant-based space and serving as a
crucial collaborator to support our customers
in the exciting innovation that
lies ahead,” she concludes.
Consumers are looking for
plant-based options without
artificial ingredients
(Photo: Chr. Hansen)
January/February 2021 ¦ international-dairy.com · 23
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