Unlocking the power of plants
The plant based megatrend is here to stay, driven by an increasing awareness about physical and planetary health. Confectionery Production examines the latest insights, ingredient innovations and expert advice shaping the future of vegan confectionery and bakery sectors worldwide. Daisy Phillipson reports
According to Persistence Market Research, the global vegan confectionery market is expected to increase from $1.7billion in 2023 to $2.9 billion by the end of 2030, expanding at a CAGR of 7.9 per cent.
The bakery sector is witnessing similar growth, with the global plant-based bakery ingredients market forecasted to expand from $1.9 billion in 2023 to $3.6bn by 2033, as per recent market research firm Fact.MR.
As more and more consumers adopt a plant-based or flexitarian diet while seeking natural and clean label solutions, this growing arena presents numerous opportunities for manufacturers. But there are also challenges to be aware of, particularly as the trend progresses and creates further demands on the quality of plant-based products.
“One of the biggest challenges for confectionery and bakery manufacturers when achieving the same texture, tasteand shelf life as ‘traditional’ products has to be taste and texture,” explains Peter Meadows, director at The Garden Marketing & PR, the UK trade representative for California Walnuts.
“Plant-based ingredients often also have different functional properties than animal-based ingredients, which can affect the final product in terms of texture and consumer mouth feel.”
Meadows goes on to point out that certain plant-based ingredients can be more expensive or difficult to source in large quantities, and manufacturers need to ensure that the plant-based ingredients used are free from allergens and meet regulatory requirements. In the market today, it is therefore crucial to seek out solutions providers capable of not only delivering the necessary ingredients but also offering expert guidance to overcome these challenges and fully harness the potential of plant-based recipe development.
The appeal of whole foods
Amid the plant-based boom, the move towards cleaner, natural ingredients not only aligns with consumers’ dietary preferences but also presents an opportunity for manufacturers to enhance the nutritional profile and appeal of their offerings. California Walnuts can be a great addition to plant-based products as they provide a rich source of healthy fats, protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals. Walnuts can also help in improving the texture and taste of products, and can be used in a variety of applications including bakery treats such as bread and muffins. “Walnuts are the only tree nut to contain a significant amount of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the plant-based omega-3 essential fatty acid,” adds Meadows. “As one of the best plant food sources of omega-3s, a 30g serving of walnuts provides 2.7g of ALA. In addition to essential ALA/omega-3 fatty acids, 30g of walnuts offers 4.4g of protein and 1.4g of fibre.”
Another company that harnesses the power of plants is GNT. Since 1978, the colouring foods group has been creating its Exberry colours range from non-GMO fruit, vegetables and plants that can be used to deliver a full spectrum of bright and vibrant shades in almost any application, while supporting demand for natural ingredients lists.
Maartje Hendrickx, market development manager, GNT Group, comments: “The Exberry portfolio can provide an excellent replacement for artificial colours as well as carmine. Carmine is used to achieve bright, stable red and pink shades in confectionery but it’s made from the cochineal insect. That means it’s unsuitable for vegetarians and vegans and many consumers don’t consider it to be halal or kosher. “Our reds and pinks are made from raw materials including red sweet potatoes, black carrots, radishes, blackcurrants and beetroot. In the EU and UK, they can be described on the label in a straightforward way such as ‘carrot and blackcurrant concentrates’. They’re halal, kosher and vegan-friendly, so they’re a great way to maximise product appeal.” As is the case with all vegan ingredients, it’s important to find the right supplier that can offer the expertise required to achieve desired results.
“Plant-based colours aren’t a plug-and-play solution and it’s important to understand how the natural pigments from the fruit, vegetables and plants will react in different applications,” adds Hendrickx. GNT works closely with its customers through every stage of the development process to identify the best solution for any project. “We offer a comprehensive toolbox of colouring solutions and, in the vast majority of cases, our proprietary technology can provide the exact colour shade and intensity required,” concludes Hendrickx.
Mindful indulgence in chocolate
Plant based chocolate is also on the rise, as demonstrated in Barry Callebaut’s chocolate trends for 2024 and beyond. The group’s proprietary research of nearly 12,000 people found that 41 per cent of consumers seek vegan chocolate, while 53 per cent think that every chocolate brand should have a plant based or dairy-free option.
But consumers won’t accept a dip in quality, and are seeking products that are similar to their non-vegan counterparts. “Creating plant-based products that are indulgent in taste and texture can be a challenge when it comes to alternative ingredients, which can perform in a different way,” explains Dr. Naveen Pessani, technical category manager – chocolate and confectionery at ofi. “Current market offerings of plant-based versions of milk chocolate are fairly limited due to the lack of understanding of the alternatives for milk solids.”
He goes on to state that while almonds, hazelnuts and rice have been used recently by the chocolate industry as a replacement for milk, the full potential of nut-based ingredients has yet to be realised. “They give a clean and pleasant taste and add a creamy texture, giving a smoother mouthfeel. Additionally, in chocolate applications, some of these nut-based ingredients provide additional sweetness and a well-rounded flavour.”
An example is the sustainable ingredients company’s Gianduja plant-based chocolate. With a unique West African flavour expression, this whole bean-roasted cocoa liquor is said to deliver a rich, consistent taste profile. It is ideally balanced with ofi’s specialty hazelnut paste that naturally has a lower amount of fat, giving the Gianduja a good snap while adding to the sensory experience. Within its wide range of chocolate offerings, Barry Callebaut’s Plant Craft range of vegan and dairy-free products can also help to create plant-based yet indulgent products.
The line includes delicious vegan and dairy-free chocolates, cocoa, nuts, fillings and decorations. Alongside its range of dark chocolates that are suitable for vegans, the company’s dairy-free M_lk chocolate is said to provide the typical creaminess and flavour that consumers love about milk chocolate while being fully plant-based. In a bid to fill a gap in the vegan chocolate market, Puratos’s premium Belgian chocolate brand, Belcolade, launched a sustainably sourced plant based premium white couverture last year. Selection W.
Plant-Based Cacao-Trace takes sustainability into consideration by carrying its Cacao-Trace certification, which ensures the safeguarding of cocoa bean farmers and the offer of additional pay for quality crops. Regarding taste, the company notes how the plant-based white couverture provides an outstanding taste profile and rich, creamy texture. It also has the perfect snap that consumers love, along with a great shine and colour. Additionally, it is free of coconut, as well as nuts, soy and gluten, allergens typically found in other plantbased white options. “Creating this unique innovation took more than 50 ingredients in various combinations,” comments Youri Dumont, SBU chocolate director at Puratos.
“Belcolade’s Plant-Based White Couverture boasts distinctively versatile properties and so can be formed into truly delicious, creative products without compromising on texture, appearance or quality. Offering customers more choice than ever, it is suitable for pralines, hollow figures, tablets, coatings, mousses, ganaches, dipping and flavouring.” For this growing sector, Luker Chocolate offers its creamy, melt-in-the-mouth Choco Oat M!lk 43 per cent, described as a great vegan-friendly option for brands looking to expand in this space.
Amid an increasing interest in natural solutions, the chocolate manufacturer has also been expanding its better-for-you options to include chocolate sweetened with natural, less refined sugars like coconut and panela. Luker Chocolate has also noticed an uptick in functional ingredients as consumers seek convenient yet nutritional foods.
“In response, we recently launched a functional plant-based Dark Chocolate with Pea Protein, providing brands with a delicious base couverture that delivers highquality protein, is rich in all essential amino acids and is easily digestible,” says Diana Carolina Cifuentes, product innovation manager at Luker Chocolate. “Importantly, the addition of protein at this early stage means the plant-based chocolate has better taste, creamy texture, exceptional quality and a broad range of potential applications.”
Smart and sweet bakery alternatives
As consumer preferences continue to shift, product lines are expected to encompass a wide range of characteristics, from sustainable and ethically-sourced to plantbased and allergen-free. To this end, Cargill recently announced a new commercial partnership with Voyage Foods, which offers a range of nut-free spreads and cocoafree chocolate.
Cargill will be the exclusive B2B global distributor for Voyage Foods, expanding its traditional chocolate portfolio to bring even more sustainable alternatives for cocoa-based products to its customers.
As highlighted by the food group, these alternatives will be used in the recipe formulation for categories such as bakery, ice cream and confectionery, complementing and diversifying Cargill’s traditional chocolate portfolio to provide a broader range of solutions that are vegan, label friendly and produced with no nut or dairy allergens
Speaking to Confectionery Production, Anne Mertens-Hoyng, category director of chocolate Confectionery and Ice Cream at Cargill, comments: “While demand for chocolate, compound and decorations is projected to increase, growth is expected to be even stronger in specialty segments like gourmet, dairy-free, vegan and sugarreduced chocolate products.” With the cocoa-free confectionery range, it is all about offering even more options to Cargill’s customers. As well as tapping into these growth areas, the benefits include functionality and the reduction of carbon footprint, land and water use, as well as offering manufacturers more stable pricing.
“Lastly, the product is easy for our customers to work with as it is a one-to-one replacement of regular recipes, it requires low MOQs and it is scalable given the largely available raw material it is made of,” concludes Mertens-Hoyng. As discussed, planetary health is one of the key drivers for the adoption of vegan and flexitarian diets. “While dietary reasons are partially the cause of this shift, the more powerful long term factors are to do with sustainability goals,” notes Robert Lambert, marketing manager at Ulrick & Short. “All the major UK supermarkets have net zero targets of some kind, and animal-derived proteins are a significant contributor to their stage three emissions.” But consumers have high expectations and will therefore not accept a drop in product quality. “The challenge therefore lies in replicating the exact functionalities in specific formulations,” adds Lambert.
“For instance, eggs in sweet bakery are incredibly multifunctional, responsible for structure, texture and browning, amongst others. Understanding the exact functionality in application, and then replicating this, is a really key challenge, and needs specialist technical support and ingredient functionality to do it effectively.” Ulrick & Short is able to assist manufacturers in overcoming these challenges, as its entire product portfolio is clean label and plant-based. Utilising its expertise, the ingredients firm offers functional solutions for anything from egg reduction to clean label stabilising or texturising in a variety of applications including bakery.
These solutions are able to replicate the functionality of chemically modified ingredients such as modified starches and gums. Tapping into the growing vegan bakery sector, ingredients business Dawn Foods recently launched a vegan sponge cake mix. In alignment with the rest of its plant-based range, the Dawn Balance Vegan Sponge Cake Mix is V-label certified and is said to provide the same functionality, texture and taste experience as a regular sponge cake mix. This means it achieves the same airy, light texture without using eggs.
As the plant-based trend continues to gain momentum, functional ingredients not only complement vegan diets but also offer additional health benefits, providing manufacturers with an opportunity to attract consumers seeking clean label solutions with enhanced nutritional claims. Nektium is a company that caters to demand with its range of botanical extracts, which provide a wide variety of benefits such as increased mental focus, physical energy, stress relief and weight management. “In recent years, we’ve seen that consumers are increasingly looking to enjoy these benefits as part of health-focused confectionery products such as gummies.
