Crafting a winning recipe

In plant-based alternative protein products

Sophisticated expectations

The market for plant-based, vegetarian and vegan options is booming. Increasing numbers of consumers are adopting a ‘flexitarian’ approach to mealtimes, prompted by among other things, health and well-being, and environmental considerations. They look to add tasty plant-based alternatives alongside traditional meat and dairy choices, whether at home or eating out. New products jostle for space in grocery store chiller cabinets, while plant-based versions of established favorites are appearing on restaurant menus on high streets from Seattle to Singapore. And as alternatives become mainstream, consumer expectations become more sophisticated.

Overcoming complex challenges...

...is an art and a science

Crafting a winning recipe for meat or dairy alternatives poses food & beverage producers with a complex challenge. They need to deliver the taste and flavor, and texture and mouthfeel consumers demand, while at the same time providing an appealing nutritional profile, and keeping salt, sugar and gluten levels manageable. Meanwhile, they aim to use sustainably-produced ingredients and processes. Alongside the culinary art of the chef, this calls for a scientific understanding of the options available.

Unique solutions

DSM offers a unique breadth of solutions to help F&B companies tackle these challenges and delight discerning consumers. From umami-packed savory taste ingredients, through fermentation-derived and naturally extracted gelling and texturizing ingredients, across efficiency-boosting enzymes, to vitamins, nutritional lipids and other essential micronutrients, and high-end plant proteins. We back up our product and ingredient portfolio with deep technical application know-how, industry expertise and insights, rigorous nutrition science, and sustainability expertise, while our market-focused R&D and innovation capabilities help our partners anticipate emerging and future needs.

Dairy alternatives

DSM has a broad portfolio of solutions to improve the taste, texture, sweetness, and nutritional value of both cereal (i.e. oats, rice) and non-cereal based (i.e. soy, almonds) drinks and dairy alternatives. These include Delvo®Plant for example, a family of enzymes for everything from fine-tuning taste, texture and sweetness to improving the bioavailability of minerals and modifying the solubility of different proteins, as well as hydrocolloids, taste modulators and nutritional ingredients.

Meat alternatives

DSM’s plant-based meat alternative solutions include: high nucleotide yeast extracts, such as Maxarome® Select, which help to mask the ‘beany’ off-flavors typically associated with plant-based proteins and create a rich umami taste; Multirome®, which increases juiciness and creates a succulent, fatty mouthfeel and experience; the concentrated Maxavor® flavor range to provide the desired meaty taste direction; and GELLANEER™ gellan gum, which enhances water binding capacity for improved juiciness, while also building an authentic meaty texture and bite. For great-tasting products that also offer an appealing nutritional profile, DSM’s Quali® vitamins and DSM Premix Solutions can be added to fill the gaps in the nutritional profile of plant based products, while the Maxavor® RYE LS range can deliver a meaty flavor with reduced sodium to manage salt content.

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  • DSM Food Specialties

    DSM Food Specialties

    Visit our Food Specialties website for detailed information about our specialty ingredients for processed and packaged foods and to find out how to get in touch.

  • Plant-based alternative protein products

    Plant-based alternative protein products

    DSM offers an integrated portfolio of solutions for great taste, texture, and improved nutrition for plant-based alternative protein products. Nutritious, delicious, and sustainably produced.