Ulrick & Short, a maker of clean and clear label food ingredients, is launching a range of functional ingredients for the meat substitute sector.
The launch follows the huge growth in the meat-free market, both domestically and internationally.
In 2018, the number of vegans in the UK rose to 600,000, with many more adopting vegan buying habits. This represents a 400% increase in 4 years, which makes it one of the fastest growing dietary trends in the UK.
Global sales of plant-based meat alternatives now total $19.5 billion annually, and NPD activity more than doubling since 2016.
The range includes additions to their clean label fibre range – sciliaPF50, and its clean label functional protein range with complexT16 and complex21.
The ingredients have been specifically designed to improve the textural qualities, binding, and bite within meat substitute applications, allowing manufacturers to mimic the eating quality of processed meats.
“The meat substitute sector is still relatively nascent in its development, and manufacturers are struggling to find the correct texture, bite and bind within substitutes,” said Field Support Technologist, Andy Griffiths.
“These new clean label ingredients allow manufacturers to achieve the desired product texture, whether this is an imitation of meat, or just general texture improvement, in a very simple and consumer friendly way.”
