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Thursday, June 23rd, 2022
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With July fast approaching, we thought it would be great to give you an insight into the industry experts joining us for our next New Food Hub webinar: Lessons learned from brands who veganised classic products.
Veganising refers to the altering of a recipe or product so that it is free from animal-based ingredients and therefore suitable for those following a vegan or plant-based lifestyle. From the launch of the dairy-free Babybell to Mcdonalds’ McPlant burger, creating plant-based versions of classic products is on the rise. But why? One reason is that veganising traditional products is a great way for legacy brands to reduce costs and attract new customers whilst retaining their current ones.
However, in order to be successful in this category, the product needs to replicate the taste and texture of the well-loved original. So, how do you veganise something without sacrificing quality? Our next webinar speakers will shed some light on this topic.
For a more detailed definition of veganising, along with some case studies on brands that are leading the way, please check out our New Food Hub article on the topic
Our first speaker, Jochen Pfeifer, has over 25 years’ experience in applied research in the food-manufacturing industry, specialising in the cheese and chocolate categories. He currently works for Mondelez International as a research fellow, screening emerging technologies and exploring how they can be used to create snacking products that appeal to consumers.
His academic background is in food technology, biotechnology, and process engineering. He holds a PhD in Engineering from the Technical University Munich, Germany.
In the last decade or so we have first seen interest in protein expanding from the aspirational athlete niche to the mainstream consumer. This was then followed by a diversifying interest in dairy free or plant based diets. In parallel ingredient manufacturers have hugely expanded the range of crops which are converted to protein concentrates or isolates and developed technology to improve sensorial quality. Comparing volumes and functional varieties from emerging crops such as lentils, fava beans, or chickpeas with more traditional crops such as soy, wheat, or pea I think we can expect to see many more launches of protein ingredients with tailormade characteristics for specific applications in the coming years. Moreover I believe greater use of plant based ingredients can play a significant role in reducing the food sector’s greenhouse gas emissions. I expect to see many more product launches very soon which aim to reconcile environmental impact with all the other expectations consumers will continue to have.”
Jochen Pfeifer
Research fellow at Mondelez International
Our second expert, Carole Bingley, is a technical specialist working in the Product and Ingredient Innovation Team at Reading Scientific Services Ltd (RSSL). During her time with RSSL, she has undertaken both ingredient evaluation and product-development projects for food manufacturers and ingredient suppliers across a wide range of food categories.
Her recent projects, including the development of dairy, meat, and fish alternatives based on plant proteins, make her the perfect candidate to answer all of our juicy questions on best practices for veganising classic products.
Obviously there has been a huge growth in plant-based ingredients and products over the past ten years and I think that one of the interesting areas to emerge is that of hybrid products either blending meat and plant proteins or dairy and plant-based ingredients. It would have been hard to imagine who would consume such products a decade ago but many flexitarian consumers are looking to combine the taste and texture of products they love with the nutritional and environmental benefits of increasing the plant-based portion of their diet.”
Carole Bingley
Technical Specialist, RSSL
Last, but certainly not least, is Corjan Van den Berg has a Bsc in Food Technology, an Msc in Biotechnology, a PhD in Process Technology from Delft University of Technology.
After his post-doc, he worked at Purac (now Corbion) as a project leader on lactic acid produced from lignocellulosic biomass. From 2011 onwards, he has been focusing on the topic of algae biorefineries. In fact, he was the project lead in building the world’s first mobile algae biorefinery at the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research.
In 2016, Van den Berg started working as Assistant Professor at Wageningen University, focussing on biorefineries. His most recent project is setting up his company Fumi Ingredients, which is developing non-GMO egg-white replacers based on yeast and micro-algae.
To get rich insights from our experts, register for Lessons learned from brands who veganised classic products today. Gain a complete overview of the challenges, solutions, and opportunities involved in veganising classic products.
Our New Food Insights webinar series aims to provide interactive discussions with industry experts in order to help food-industry leaders harness the power of plant-based foods and ingredients. Find all our previous webinars on the New Food Hub. And, to make sure you never miss a webinar, please subscribe to our Food Industry and Retail Newsletter for monthly updates.
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