PLANT BASED DAIRY ALTERNATIVES 2021
Plant-based power from
pulses
Functional flours from lentils and peas for sustainable and
delicious dairy and cheese alternatives
The dairy alternatives market is
on the rise: According to MarketsandMarkets,
it is projected
to reach USD 40.6 billion by 2026, recording
a CAGR of 10.3% from 2020,
when it was worth an estimated USD
22.6 billion.1 The reasons for this almost
doubling in value are the change
in consumer diets towards “greener”
lifestyles and increased health awareness.
The dairy alternative segment is
likely to be going through a very similar
pattern of development as the meat
substitute sector. Here, the growing
number of flexitarians provided impetus
for a tremendous uplift in choice
on supermarket shelves – as well as
the setting of completely new sensory
standards. Part-time reducers, in particular,
will not tolerate any loss of enjoyment.
Compared to the meat substitutes
category, however, the dairy alternatives
sector is still in its infancy – plantbased
cheese, for example, holds a lot
of growth potential. And this is precisely
what makes this market very exciting
and full of opportunities for manufacturers,
who can now benefit from a
wider choice of innovative ingredients
that combine indulgence and premium
taste from a growing pool of suppliers.
Müller’s Mühle, for instance, offers a
portfolio of functional legume flours
that score points by meeting consumer
demands for taste and nutrition.
Their low-resource methods of
cultivation means their sustainability
credentials are excellent, too. From
a food and beverage manufacturing
point of view, legume concentrates are
particularly suitable for dairy alternatives
because of the legumin they contain.
Also known as vegetable casein,
this protein is analogous in structure
to animal casein, so it produces substitute
products that are close to the
originals.
The proteins contained in the legumes have an emulsifying effect and lead to
homogeneous drinks
22 · September/October 2021 ¦ international-dairy.com
/international-dairy.com
