Ease for Manufacturers of Plant-Based Chewing Gum

At Fi Europe 2024, BENEO demonstrates how manufacturers can accelerate the development of hybrid and fully plant-based products towards faster market launches.

BENEO has created a series of product samples showcasing the company's solutions using textures derived from Meatless and legume protein concentrate. These samples include technical examples highlighting component and recipe development, primary processing ingredients, and semi-finished and finished products. By covering broader segments of the value chain, BENEO supports manufacturers in simplifying their development process. BENEO can provide highly scalable solutions offering a range of cost and quality control advantages that appeal to consumer wallets and palates. 

In a developing market where nearly 3 out of every 5 consumers worldwide are interested in plant-based diets and approximately one-third identify themselves as flexitarians, hybrid and plant-based recipe development is more important than ever. Taste, texture, cleaner labels and price remain the key factors influencing consumer adoption of plant-based diets. BENEO is using this year's Fi Europe to demonstrate the potential of its solutions, tailored to support the formulation and reformulation process.

BENEO samples across the value chain

Components and recipe development

• Plant-based white cheese balls – These innovative snacks deliver a better Nutri-Score than current plant-based white cheese alternatives. BENEO's protein concentrate combined with a selection of high-quality ingredients including starch-rich flour derived from legumes, rice starch, rice flour and Orafti^® Inulin chicory root fibre results in a product with creamy texture, high fibre content and pleasant taste, offering additional application versatility.
• Plant-based chocolate – This plant-based chocolate using BENEO's legume ingredient offers a more sustainable alternative to dairy chocolate that can be easily integrated into existing production processes.

Primary processing for easy production

• Egg-free mousse – This delicious egg-free mousse has been developed using BENEO's legume protein concentrate to provide a stable foam and well-aerated texture after baking.
• Plant-based white fish fillet – This fillet made with Meatless^® Textured Flakes containing rice and mycoprotein has a soft texture creating perfect bite and mouthfeel. The combination of ingredients also provides an appealing white fish colour.

Semi-finished products

• Asian-style plant-based chicken skewers – This semi-finished vegan product features authentic fibrous and juicy chicken-like bite structure. Containing Meatless^® Chicken Chunks flavoured with myco and pea protein, this product can be easily used across a wide range of applications with only minor adaptation.

Finished consumer products

• Ready meals – In collaboration with sector partners, the creation of hybrid consumer products in the supermarket category is also possible. (e.g. pies, rolls and tacos).

These ready meals benefit from an improved Nutri-Score thanks to Meatless^® Textured Crispy, which can be used to partially or completely replace meat in sauces and fillings. The crisps, containing rice and legumes among other ingredients, provide good taste, texture and juiciness profile in the mouth, while helping deliver authentic flavour by reducing fat and salt. 

Niels E. Hower, Member of the Executive Board at BENEO, states: "BENEO's plant-based protein strategy aims to cover more segments of the value chain. In addition to our ingredients, we also have offerings for hybrid and vegetarian applications such as component textures ready for processing and semi-finished products. As a result, we are accelerating the development process for our customers while also increasing cost and quality controls. We are going through an exciting period in plant-based and hybrid product development, and we want to demonstrate to manufacturers that it is possible to combine taste, texture and cost efficiency across a wide range of solutions." 

Fi Europe visitors can experience BENEO's latest solutions in two cooking areas. One – in the form of a food truck – showcases innovative hybrid products and fully plant-based samples will be served from the stand.