On December 9th and 10th 2021, Oterra had the unique opportunity to attend the popular industry event - Plant Based World Expo, that was held in New York, USA.

Their mission statement “Plant Based World connects and empowers businesses within the global supply network to successfully develop, source and distribute plant-based products” is closely aligned with Oterra’s global initiative to support plant-based innovation.

For Oterra Industry Business Manager, Heidi Graversen, the decision to attend Plant Based World Expo, was an easy one.

“According to a new report from Bloomberg Intelligence, global retail sales of plant-based food alternatives may reach $162 billion by 2030. Here at Oterra we can clearly see that the interest in plant-based alternatives is no longer a one-hit wonder but a true industry shift that is here to stay.” said Graversen.

What do natural colors have to do with plant-based alternatives?

“Color plays a huge role in food, since consumers use color to make decisions about whether food is appealing and appetizing. Purchase decisions are also significantly influenced by the color of food,” says Carolin Dunker, Oterra Application Manager. The trend towards plant-based food is omnipresent. Concerns about health and environment are driving the trend towards plant-based protein. Globally, the food industry is continuously introducing new plant-based meat and non-dairy products to the market. Consumer concerns play an important role in these segments too, as consumers look to increase their consumption of plant-derived ingredients to achieve healthier and cleaner lifestyles. Without color however, plant proteins don’t look tasty.

This is why Oterra works closely with the world’s leading food and beverage manufacturers to provide the exact right shade of natural color to complement plant-based alternatives and help them in many cases mimic the look of their meat or dairy-inspired original.

Key Takeaways from Plant Based World Expo

For Heidi Graversen and the rest of the Oterra team, the Plant Based World Expo was a great chance to keep abreast of this fast-growing industry and also gain new insights which can be used to help Oterra develop new and innovative ways of working with natural colors in the plant-based industry.

“One key takeaway was that planetary health is surpassing personal health as a key purchase driver. There is a growing link in the mind of the public between planet health and personal health. This is excellent news for plant-based food and beverage manufacturers as their products support both,” said Graversen.

Another theme that came up throughout the expo was the fact that ‘flexitarians are driving growth in the plant-based industry. BBC Good Food described this dietary lifestyle in this way; “Flexitarianism or 'casual vegetarianism' is an increasingly popular, plant-based diet that claims to reduce your carbon footprint and improve your health with an eating regime that's mostly vegetarian yet still allows for the occasional meat dish”.

Furthermore, according to BBC Good Food, the rise of “flexies” as they are now nicknamed, is a result of people wanting to take a more environmentally sustainable approach to what they eat by reducing their meat consumption in exchange for alternative protein sources.

This was also supported by findings presented at the Plant Based World Expo which found that to meet the needs of flexitarians, there must be a variety of offerings that mimic the non-plant-based products people are accustomed to eating. Burger patties and dairy alternatives have moved into the mainstream, and plant-based chicken, fish and snack products are also increasing. But it is essential that new applications are developed to meet flexitarian needs.

Another key takeaway from the expo came from Mintec Global. They are a procurement company that has provided independent price data and analysis since 1982, and who supply monthly price updates on plant-based protein free of charge! As part of their presentation, they listed six key factors that are important for plant-based product adoption: 1) Taste and appearance 2) Fit for purpose 3) Ease of preparation 4) Availability to buy 5) Emotional connection 6) Cost Taste and appearance remain key purchase drivers for flexitarians and this is where Oterra can help you succeed in the marketplace.

How does Oterra help you with your plant-based needs?

We are continuously adding to our portfolio of plant-based applications and are ready to support your development projects, be it plant-based burger patties, scrambled eggs, fish, or emulsified sausages. We also have options for non-dairy yogurt, non-dairy ice cream, non-dairy cheese! For more information visit https://oterra.com/plant-based