PLANT BASED DAIRY ALTERNATIVES 2022
The Future is Flexitarian
Investing in both dairy and plant protein innovation
Author:
Vicky Davies, Global Marketing Director,
Performance, Active and Medical Nutrition,
FrieslandCampina Ingredients
Only about ten years ago, swapping animalbased
food and drink products for plantbased
ones was a niche interest – reserved
almost exclusively for vegetarians and vegans. Today’s
picture, however, couldn’t be more different.
Look at the shelves in your local supermarket, and
you’re likely to see a range of plant-based alternatives
on offer from all kinds of companies. In fact,
as brands look to diversify their offerings to include
both plant and animal-based protein products, it’s
estimated that the value of the global plant protein
market – which stood at $29.4 billion in 2020 – could
surpass $162 billion by 2030. That’s 7.7% of the entire
global protein market.1
So, what’s causing this NPD explosion? It’s a response
to a trend that’s rapidly gained traction in recent years:
the flexitarian diet. Global data suggests that a significant
42% of people consider themselves flexitarians. In
comparison, only 4% and 6% consider themselves vegan
and vegetarians, respectively.2 It’s this movement,
where consumers increase their intake of plant-based
products without entirely eliminating animal-based
products, that’s driving brands to innovate with plantbased
ingredients and bring new products to market.
But before you decide to ditch traditional protein
sources from your innovation pipeline, take pause.
Sources suggest that products like dairy-based protein
aren’t going anywhere. Investing in, and innovating
12 · January/February 2022 ¦ international-dairy.com
with, both plant and traditional animal-based
proteins is likely to be the key to unlocking long-term
relevance and growth for brands. Here’s why.
Consumers are flexible, not fixed
Some people believe flexitarianism is a pathway to
vegetarianism or veganism, but this isn’t necessarily
the case.
Let’s take research from the UK as an example. One
study suggests that most UK consumers actively want
to reduce their consumption of animal products, regardless
of whether they identify as a meat/dairy eater
(26%) or a flexitarian (69%). And 75% of self-defined
flexitarians in the UK say it’s unlikely they will eventually
become vegetarian in the near future, while only
7% consider it likely.3
For today’s health-conscious consumers, being a flexitarian
is a conscious and deliberate lifestyle choice
in itself, rather than a path to a new diet. These consumers
want to ensure that they have a full, balanced
and healthy diet by enjoying animal-based products
alongside plant-based alternatives.
Picking proteins
This is particularly true when we look at the current
protein boom. As consumer health-consciousness
continues to grow, protein has been in high-demand,
being incorporated into our everyday foods. Snacks
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