Tom Rees, Euromonitor International’s industry manager for food and nutrition, sees evidence of a continued evolution in consumer attitudes towards sports nutrition and protein. “Whereas the world of protein powders and bars used to be confined to the gym-goer, we’ve seen a softening to more of a lifestyle appeal,” he says. “That’s where the plant-based comes in more. People looking at lifestyle goals and overall fitness seem more willing to use plant proteins.” Meticulous Research quotes the 2019 US consumer survey carried out by the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation. This shows that over 70% of respondents claimed a positive health perception of protein from plant sources. Among women, the figure was closer to 80%. The 70%-plus average was ahead of omega-3 and probiotics in terms of health perceptions. Dairy lagged behind below 50%. Euromonitor confirms this. “From our data, it’s clear that, for the majority of people who consume these products, health is the number one driver, rather than sustainability or animal welfare, for instance,” Rees says. In the minds of many consumers, ‘plant-based’ is often equated with ‘healthier.’
Variety of protein sources may lower hypertension risk
As has been widely reported, for many consumers, the pandemic has underscored the importance of maintaining underlying good health and the risks associated with weight gain and obesity. Arguably, this growing awareness has helped to usher in more of a flexitarian approach to protein sources, even for those who are not dedicated vegans or vegetarians. At the same time, the sustainability claims for plant-based proteins are strong. But as we know, what consumers say about these issues and what they actually do can be two very different things. At VTT, Finland, Paasi highlights a large European online consumer survey conducted by his team assessing attitudes towards alternative proteins. “In the first instance, European consumers highly value environmental sustainability relating to most (if not all) alternative proteins,” he says. “But at the point of purchase, this is not directly turning into choices of food products containing those alternative proteins. What consumers choose depends on price, taste and other sensorial properties.” In the United States, Josh Schall of J. Schall Consulting points out that, in developed markets, there is very little evidence that the number of vegans or vegetarians has undergone any significant change in recent years. “Too much attention is paid to the all-in consumer,” he claims. “Many more take a flexible approach to proteins. They’re more conscious of their consumption. In this case, it’s about incremental change.” What has changed, he maintains, is the quality of alternative-protein sports products. “A plant-based protein drink from, say, five years ago was probably not a good experience,” Schall says. Now, any grittiness in the texture is likely to have gone. “And the flavour science has evolved massively. These products can taste almost as good as whey.”
Ingredient replacements in the alternatives category
Developing new plant-based gummy formulations could help vegetarians and vegans with intake of critical nutrients such as vitamins B12 and D.