Food & Beverage Asia June/July 2020

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32 INGREDIENTS Rising demand for dairy-free products in Asia Consumers worldwide are growing ever more conscious of their food and beverage choices, with increasing numbers opting for plant-based products for a variety of reasons. While Asia has a tradition of milk alternatives, dairy-free products are yet to make a significant impact on many of its key food categories, but change is on the horizon. Supatra Chueaychum, Senior Marketing Executive for Synergy Flavours, writes on the region’s rising interest in dairy-free products, and explores the opportunities available for manufacturers looking to produce great tasting plant-based products. A growing global market Contrary to popular belief, it is not vegans who are driving the demand for plantbased products. Recent statistics show that flexitarians make up almost 50% of consumers globally. Once a staple in many people’s diets, cow’s milk is seeing increasing competition from the likes of soya, almond, oat and coconut milks – retail sales of cow’s milk declined by US$4.4 billion and $3.1 billion globally between 2014 and 2019. 1 While Western Europe and North America have shown a large uplift in plant-based alternative sales, Asia has not had such significant performance, as shown in Figure 1 below. Nut-based drinks, like walnut milk, and blended products containing a mix of cow’s milk with plant-based ingredients such as peanut milk, have largely contributed to sales in the region. The figures also include soya milk, which is a staple for many Asian consumers. There are several factors driving the demand for these products – health, environmental and animal welfare are all key reasons for consumers choosing to reduce their dairy intake. This is leading to dairy manufacturers having to diversify their offering to include plant-based products, and those companies producing plant-based products are turning to innovative new approaches to attract the consumer’s attention. Innovation fuelling Asia’s interest Although Asia does not represent a large proportion of total dairy-free product sales, many plant-based alternatives derive from the region, which has a long history of tradition in this area and offers advanced manufacturing processes. China accounted for 44% of global retail sales of milk alternatives in 2019, and has the largest global market for yoghurt, which is valued at over $22 billion in 2019 1 . Hence, there is huge opportunity here for growth and innovation; not just in China, but in Asia-Pacific as a whole. Products like plant-based yoghurt and ice cream are a natural progression, and brands are already starting to develop innovative recipes to meet demand. China saw the first product launch of dairy-free yoghurt in 2019. Created by Nongfu Spring, a Chinese beverage company, the yoghurt was its first foray into the plantbased space, and is made of a combination of soybeans, nuts and coconuts. Figure 1: Sales of dairy-free products by region how that Asia-Pacific has seen a much smaller growth than the likes of North America and Western Europe, where plant-based alternatives present a dynamic product development space 1 Despite the growing interest in plantbased products, some work is required to help boost their appeal. Manufacturers should look to ready-to-go or snackable FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2020
INGREDIENTS 33 Figure 2: The global share of launches in plant-based drinks, yoghurts and ice cream – Asia-Pacific has the largest proportion of drinks, but yoghurt and ice cream are expected to rise in coming years 2 formats, like yoghurt drinks, as well as adding interesting ingredients and flavours to attract consumers in Asia. Some brands have already successfully launched new product innovations in the region, including Lactasoy’s Gold Series UHT Hi-Calcium Ginseng Soy Milk in Thailand, which is described as “richly delicious and refreshing, with benefits from the best soy milk and ginseng extract”. Designing flavours for dairy-free There is an expectation from consumers that plant-based alternatives should taste as good as dairy, but these products can present taste challenges, making flavour and application expertise critical for success across categories. Understanding and masking the potential “off flavours” associated with plant-based ingredients and fortification, such as beany, bitter and earthy flavours, is vital to delivering a superior dairy-free product that meets consumer expectations. For instance, non-dairy creamers used for coffee can lack creaminess and sometimes present an oily note from the fat source used. Flavour solutions can be used to create enhanced dairy creaminess and cover unwanted notes. Equally, popular flavours such as cheese can drive consumer interest in plant-based dairy alternatives. mouthfeel. This applies to fat or sugar reduced products too – stripping back these ingredients can result in a thintasting, less indulgent product that does not meet consumer expectations. They are looking for thick, creamy texture which provides an indulgent dairy taste through enhanced mouthfeel. This is where Synergy’s expertise in flavour science and dairy technical know-how can help. Synergy’s new Dairy by Nature portfolio offers cost-conscious solutions for dairy-based and plant-based food and beverages, improving mouthfeel, building indulgence and masking undesirable offnotes across a range applications and recipes to deliver the healthier, great tasting products that consumers expect. The future of plant-based products in Asia-Pacific Asia has been slower to adopt the shift to more plant-based products but its long history of tradition with alternative milks and the range of exciting product formats and flavours being delivered by manufacturers across the region suggests that it is likely to catch up in the coming years. Health and indulgence will be key drivers for growth in the Asia-Pacific market, with Asian consumers willing to pay more for packaged food offering health or nutritional benefits, alongside superior taste. The challenge is therefore on manufacturers to deliver plant-based products that provide consumers with the taste and texture of dairy, in exciting and familiar flavour variations, without using dairy ingredients. With extensive experience in ingredient production for diverse food and beverage applications, Synergy can help manufacturers to improve performance, and create products that stand out from the crowd. Synergy’s toolbox offers a range of appealing flavours, including the latest trends, such as botanicals and flavour fusion varieties, which work in conjunction with the Dairy by Nature portfolio to help customers reach their formulation objectives for foods and beverages. FBA References 1. Post-dairy era: the unstoppable rise of dairy alternatives (Passport) 2. A year of innovation in plant-based drinks, yogurt & ice cream, 2020 (Mintel) Another challenge associated with replacing dairy ingredients is maintaining the creamy, dairy-like flavour and Dairy by Nature combines natural flavour with masking and mouthfeel technologies to create nature solutions FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2020
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