The development trend of new food raw materials in the world is clear

More than half of 2022 has passed.

Relevant surveys show that protein, as the first nutrient needed by the human body, occupies an absolute advantage in the development of raw materials, followed by the seventh largest nutrient, dietary fiber and microbiota, of which plant sources are more popular

Alternative Proteins - Global Scale Continues to Grow

According to the Boston Consulting Group, by 2035, the alternative protein market is expected to reach $290 billion

Alternative protein is a general term, which can be divided into microbial protein, cellular protein, insect protein and vegetable protein according to different raw materials

The main sources of vegetable protein are legumes, including peas, broad beans, chickpeas, and yellow skin, among which peas are more concerned by enterprises

Grains, seeds, fungi, etc.

From the perspective of the properties of the raw materials, when companies develop alternative protein raw materials, they will focus on the flavor, taste, color, protein content and other issues of the raw materials, and changing the flavor and improving the protein content are the top priorities

Through technological upgrading, the problems of plant-derived protein in terms of flavor and protein yield can be solved, especially the development of biological breeding technology, which can help enterprises gain an advantage from the source

Through a technological breakthrough in chickpea breeding, an Israeli company has developed a new variety that is 75% higher in protein than conventional chickpeas, increasing its protein content, targeted functions and nutritional properties

Another company, also in Israel, uses its technology platform to cultivate high-quality pea protein ingredients at the source, optimizing farming efficiency as well as taste and nutrition by cultivating new crop sources

In addition to that, Kemin has introduced a functional protein that allows protein manufacturers to increase yields while maintaining quality without adverse sensory effects

From the perspective of raw material application, vegetable protein is widely used in beverages, snacks, baked goods and other fields

Dietary Fiber - Good for Gut Health and Overall Health

With regard to dietary fiber, in recent years, people have learned more about its role.

The 2022 Global Food and Beverage Trends released by Innova Market Insights shows that gut health is the sixth trend

Growing consumer awareness of the importance of good gut health to overall health has driven the development of gut-healthy ingredients in part

The development of dietary fiber raw materials, from the perspective of sources, is dominated by fruits

FrieslandCampina's prebiotic ingredients contain high-purity galactooligosaccharides (GOS) with a content of about 94%
.

From the application point of view, resistant starch, prebiotic ingredients, and citrus peel-derived dietary fiber can all be applied to food and beverages related to intestinal health
.

Microorganisms - another innovative growth point in the market

In recent years, more and more studies have shown that the gut microbiome is closely related to the health of many parts of the human body
.
At the same time, consumers are becoming aware of the health benefits of microbes in the digestive system
.
Microorganisms have become another innovative growth point in the consumer market
.

Relevant data show that the global microbiology-related product market will reach US$61.
1 billion in 2021 and is expected to expand to US$91.
1 billion by 2029, with a compound annual growth rate of 8.
3%
.

The main role of the microbiome is to improve immunity, improve intestinal health, and improve metabolic disease products such as obesity
.
With the further excavation and demonstration of the efficacy of microorganisms, more and more researchers and brands have begun to use them to relieve psychological and emotional problems and improve skin health
.

Microbiome products can be mainly divided into probiotics (active probiotics, postbiotics), prebiotics, and synbiotics
.
Among them, probiotics have the largest market scale, and consumer education is the most popular; at the same time, with the gradual deepening of postbiotic-related research, its commercialization process is also developing rapidly
.

Sustainability - a hot spotlight

The concept of "sustainability" is gradually infiltrating the food and beverage industry with the attention of consumers, becoming a hot focus
.

According to Innova’s market insight survey, the top three directions for food ingredient upgrades that consumers are most concerned about are sustainable development, healthy nutrition and freshness
.
At the same time, 35% of consumers around the world say that products made up of multiple ingredients that support sustainable recycling are more acceptable and attractive than other products
.

Driven by the global social sustainable development goals and consumer environmentalism, sustainable production and recycling in the food and beverage industry has become the development direction of the raw material side this year
.

The global popularity of sustainable concepts has brought more demand, and many companies have also incorporated them into purchasing and development decisions
.
Among them, the reuse of agricultural and sideline products waste, fermentation technology, and biosynthesis have become the path for enterprises to achieve sustainable development
.

In terms of waste reuse, a company in the United States promotes the production of mushroom-derived protein by recycling and upgrading waste date palms
.
The research center of Wageningen University in the Netherlands extracts high-value protein from tomato leaves
.
A company owned by global beer giant Anheuser-Busch InBev has upgraded brewery used barley into a value-added functional ingredient, barley protein
.

In terms of sustainable fermentation technology, the postbiotic cultured protein food material launched by a US company is grown in fermentation tanks, and the cost input is only a small part of the input required to grow traditional food crops or raise and slaughter animals
.

Another American company has launched a new raw material called "LK-01 pure salidroside" through biosynthesis
.

Faced with the continuous growth in demand for plant-derived food, companies can keep up with the trend and develop more high-quality raw materials
.
At the same time, enterprises also need to make efforts in sustainable development, maximize the use of various resources through technological innovation, reduce production costs, and enhance their own competitive advantages
.
(Editor Li Chuang)