Soy is the number first choice for making plant-based dairy in China, although coconut, walnut, almond, oat, and nuts are also catching up.
This is according to Dr Dong-Fang Chen, vice-president of R&D APAC,
corporate R&D division at flavours and fragrances firm Firmenich
Aromatics (China).
In fact, the number of new launches of plant-based dairy products made from soy in China amounted to 53% of all new launches between years 2013 to 2017. This was higher than the global market size at over 40%.
“The most commonly used plant protein-based drink in China is still
soy. Globally, it is also soy. However, the dominating position of soy
in the plant-based beverage is been challenged. This is mainly because
new types of plant-based protein sources, such as coconut, almond, oat,
walnut, and nuts are starting to rise up,” Dr Chen told
FoodNavigator-Asia.
In the case of China, the rise of new plant-based dairy sources could be attributed to globalisation, Dr Chen explained.
“Many things such as cashew nuts were not available in China previously,
they were imported from other countries. However, it soon became a new
source of plant-based protein, as it adapts to the local growing
condition and grows in number because Chinese consumers love it. These
are the stages that we will need to go through due to globalisation.”
He added that more major dairy firms in China were testing plant-based protein products.
“Basically, all the leading domestic dairy firms are doing plant-based
protein products. However, regardless the protein sources or product
novelty, all of them are facing the same challenge in aroma, taste and
texture, and we, as their suppliers, are working with them to install
suitable solutions based on the product types. This is the current
situation in China.”
Indeed, there has been a number of vegan dairy sprouting out in the
Chinese markets recently, including domestic mineral water Nongfu
Spring’s venture into the vegan yogurt industry.
Challenges
There are a few challenges that firms would need to confront when making
plant-based dairy, including taste, texture, nutrition, and
functionality.
For example, using plant-protein could bring about unpleasant odour, bitter, and astringent taste.
In addition, due to its structure, plant-based protein are not easily
digested by the human body and may lead to bloated-ness or even
diarrhoea.
Dr Chen cautioned that the level of difficulty would increase as firms
try to increase the protein content or use novel plant-based protein
sources, such as nuts and oats.
“The more you attempt to use novel plant protein sources and the more
you try to increase the protein content when making plant-based drinks,
the more off-taste challenges you will face.”
He explained that this was because a higher concentration of the plant
protein was needed if higher protein content was to be achieved, but
this would increase the amount of unpleasant odour, in turn compromising
the product taste.
“As such, the aroma, mouthfeel and taste solution are key in determining the success of the product.”
“In fact, when you want to use a plant-protein, you will need to
consider a few factors, including how to make it into a form that could
be digested and absorbed by our body, what are the foul-smelling
chemical compounds that it would release.
“All these information would require a deep understanding about raw
materials, processes and compounds. Only then can we have a base to
achieve the desired flavours and taste solutions.”
China’s potential
Firmenich earlier opened its largest flavours plant in China with an investment of CHF$75m (US$73.5m)
It will boost an annual production of 25,000 tonnes, with the main goal of satisfying demands from the Chinese market.
Dr Chen revealed that China had now become the second largest market for
the firm, only behind the US, and the firm was “especially positive”
about the growth of the flavours and fragrance market in China.
“Thus, it is a strategic plan to choose to put our largest food flavours plants in China,” he said.
With a factory automation rate of 70%, the new facility will complement
the group’s existing manufacturing sites in Shanghai and Kunming.
“As China is our 2nd largest market already and we have strong
confidence in this rapidly growing market, it is our strategic decision
to put our largest flavour plants in China.”
All Right Reserved:Hunan huacheng Biotech,Inc.Adallen Nutrition,Inc. - Sitemap | Privacy policy | Terms and Conditions | Blog