A plant-based steak with marbled fat

Image courtesy of Planteneers

Meat- and Fish Alternatives

The Latest in Plant-Based Steaks and Why They’re So Crucial Right Now

The consumer behaviour of those (vegans and omnivores alike) who purchase plant-based products has evolved significantly from the curiosity-led impulse buys before the 2023 dip — amid an influx of new, sometimes inferior products on the market — to repeat purchases of quality, evolved products which fit into the day-to-day routine and are now tried and tested by families and cooked at home in their favourite ways. Last week, the UK’s biggest supermarket chain Tesco reported that the plant-based revolution is entering a second phase, largely driven by more consumers cooking from scratch. The retailer noted that despite the drop in sales last year, sales of meat-free ingredients and whole cuts are now increasing, with plant-based steaks and chicken breasts witnessing a 20% sales uptick …

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Planteneers introduces a range of plant-based fermented dairy

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Milk- and Dairy Alternatives

Plant-Based Fermented Dairy: Planteneers Introduces Yogurt, Quark, Cream Cheese, Ayran, and More

Planteneers, a leading developer and provider of customized plant-based products and solutions, has introduced a range of plant-based fermented dairy, including yogurt, quark, cream cheese, crème fraîche, and ayran (Turkish yogurt drink). According to the company, these fermented vegan products have been specifically formulated to replicate the authentic taste, texture, and mouthfeel of traditional dairy products using the company’s unique functional ingredients systems. Planteneers solutions for plant-based dairy are flexible and can be easily adapted and customized to accommodate the specific preferences of manufacturers or brands looking to offer products that cater to consumer demand. This introduction follows the launch of the plant-based steak 2.0., a manufacturing innovation to create marbled and fat-layered alternatives to meat; and a range of pea-based high moisture extrudates (HME) …

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A plant-based steak with marbled fat

Image courtesy of Planteneers

Manufacturing & Technology

Plant-Based Steak 2.0: Planteneers & Handtmann Unveil Manufacturing Innovation for Marbling and Fat-Layering

Plant-based food pioneer Planteneers and global leader in food processing technology, Handtmann, are joining forces to revolutionize the market with a manufacturing innovation to create marbled and fat-layered alternatives to meat: the plant-based steak 2.0.  To address the need for more realistic plant-based meat alternatives, the collaboration involves integrating Planteneers’ functional systems and Handtmann’s equipment to create alternatives that mimic the appearance of traditional meat and have an “authentic, fibrous structure.”  Advantages over other processes By combining a newly developed attachment for Handtmann’s filling and portioning systems with Planteneers’ fiildMeat and fiildTex series, manufacturers can achieve the desired fat ratio and adjust the size and shape of the final products to meet customer preferences. In addition, this flexible coextrusion system in production also enables a more realistic asymmetrical fat marbling. …

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Dr. Dorotea Pein of Planteneers

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Interviews

Planteneers: “With Us, Companies Don’t Need to Invest in Expensive R&D to Bring Plant-Based Alternatives to Market”

Planteneers specializes in the development and production of plant-based food alternatives and is part of the Stern-Wywiol Gruppe. The company’s expertise lies in the formulation of high-quality, functional ingredients and compounds that are tailored to mimic the taste, texture, and cooking properties of traditional animal-based products. ​​​After a successful 2023 during which Planteneers won the World Plant-Based Innovation Awards 2023 in the technology category for the Plantbaser and expanded into the USA with a new office in Aurora, Illinois, we spoke with Dr. Dorotea Pein, Director Technology, on thoughts for the year ahead not just for the company but for the alternative food space in general – “cultured meat and proteins from fermentation will become more important,” predicts Dr Pein. Can you tell us what …

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HME made chicken chunks

Image courtesy of Planteneers

Ingredients

Planteneers Introduces Pea-Based High Moisture Extrudates for Meaty Alternatives

Planteneers has developed a range of pea-based high moisture extrudates (HME) for plant-based meat that is said to deliver an “authentically” meat-like structure. Branded fiildTex, the range offers various sizes and shapes, including chunks or kebabs. They are described as allergens-free, clean-label, and high in protein, offering 30g per 100g and a NutriScore A. Moreover, they can be used in fish alternatives or as components of ready meals, making them suitable for retail and food service. They are flash frozen (IQF-frozen), allowing 12 months of storage at -18°C. At this year’s Plant Based World Expo in London and at Fi Europe’s latest fair in Frankfurt, the German food tech firm showcased the new HME in a plant-based kebab dish to demonstrate the capabilities of the …

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Company News

Planteneers’ Plantbaser Wins Technology Innovation Award at PBWE New York

With the Planteneers Plantbaser, companies can implement new ideas for new alternative products in the shortest possible time. It only takes two weeks from the idea to the finished product. Users can put together their desired product within 15 to 20 minutes. Dedicated plant-based know-how is not necessary, and the test samples are available two weeks later. “Two and a half years of intensive work have paid off: it’s a great feeling to be rewarded in this way,” says Florian Bark, Plantbaser product manager. “Our digital product configurator Plantbaser also amazed visitors at the Plant Based World Expo in New York.” “I’ve never seen anything like that” With around 1,300 recipes, Plantbaser offers the world’s largest selection of plant-based products from all categories – from …

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Planteneers fried sausage on fork

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Fairs & Events

Plant-Based Bavarian Veal Sausage, Nuremberg Bratwurst & Liver Loaf Available for Oktoberfest 2023

Last year’s Oktoberfest, a traditionally extremely meat-centric beer festival, saw an increased shift towards plant-based offerings, with chef Sebastian Copien hired to develop vegan options, a partnership between the festival and German alt-meat brand GREENFORCE to offer a vegan Weißwurst (white sausage) for the first time, as well as Redefine Meat presenting its new Redefine New-Meat™ Bratwurst. The first announcement in the plant-based space for this year’s festival comes from Planteneers, which reveals its capabilities to offer caterers favorites like Bavarian veal sausage, Thuringer, and Nuremberg bratwurst, and an entirely plant-based liver loaf. “Our fiild-Meat flexible stabilizing system is based on pea and fava bean protein, hydrocolloids, and starch,” explains Dr. Pia Meinlschmidt, Team Leader Product Management at Planteneers. “It lets manufacturers use conventional processing …

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Plantenners team in the USA

Planteneers' North America team - Image courtesy of Plantenners

Company News

Planteneers Expands into US Market with New Office and Customer Center in Aurora, lllinois

German food tech company Planteneers announces it has opened a new office in Aurora, Illinois, USA, in response to the increasing demand for plant-based products in the region. Additionally, the company announces that it has begun construction on a new Customer Excellence Center, also located in Aurora, set to open next summer. The center will be a dedicated space for addressing customer-specific requirements in the US market. Strategic sales leader Gretchen Moon will join the company as VP of commercial operations for North America and will lead the new team focusing on sales, distribution, marketing, and product development, says Planteneers. “At our new location with production, R&D, and the upcoming Customer Center, we can address customer-specific requirements for the US market even better,” comments Moon. Innovations with …

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Plantbaser digital product configurator

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Manufacturing & Technology

Digital Product Configurator Plantbaser Can Develop Plant-Based Cheeses in 20 Minutes

Planteneers has announced that the plant-based cheese category of its digital product configurator, the Plantbaser, is now complete. Manufacturers can use the tool to configure a variety of soft and hard cheese alternatives, including feta, pizza cheese, cheddar, parmesan, gouda, and more. For hard cheeses, block, grated, and sliced formats are available. After choosing a variety of cheese and specifying the production equipment, manufacturers can adjust the texture, color, and flavor intensity of the product as desired. Certain ingredients — such as common allergens — can be excluded, and either conventional dairy cheese or a plant-based alternative can be used as a benchmark. In total, a product can be put together using the configurator in 15 to 20 minutes, with no plant-based knowledge required. Test …

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Plantbaser_Cube

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Company News

Planteneers and Hydrosol Advice: Embrace Tech to Overcome Future Food Challenges

With consolidated revenues of 764 million euros last year, the Hamburg Stern-Wywiol Gruppe, a global leader in the food and feed ingredients industry, again enjoyed double-digit growth. The growth drivers in the group are its Planteneers and Hydrosol subsidiaries, said the group in a statement.  Planteneers develops and produces custom system solutions for plant-based alternatives to meat, sausage, and fish products, as well as cheese, dairy products, and deli foods. Hydrosol specialises in stabilising and texturing systems for animal foods. Factors for success Key factors for the success of the companies are intense research, the development of innovative technologies, and closeness to customers and markets, says the group. “Our innovations are precisely tuned to individual customer requirements,” commented Dr. Matthias Moser, MD of the Food Ingredients …

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Dr. Dorotea Pein, Planteneers

Dr. Dorotea Pein, Planteneers

Interviews

Planteneers: “In the Area of Plant-Based Alternatives, Products Are Always Evolving”

Founded in September 2020, Planteneers GmbH, a sister company of Hydrosol and part of the Stern-Wywiol Gruppe, specialises in customised functional and texturisation systems for plant-based alternative products. Planteneers’ expertise covers a range of applications, developing raw materials and textures for plant-based meat, dairy and deli alternatives for manufacturers in the food industry worldwide. In this year in review, Dr Dorotea Pein, Head of Product Management at Planteneers, tells us about the highlights and challenges of 2022 and gives an outlook for the coming year. What innovations were launched in 2022? The year was characterized by the high interest of manufacturers in our fish alternatives and the new products that came onto the market. Fish alternatives are a segment that is particularly suitable for replacement …

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Company News

Planteneers at the Plant Based World Expo in New York

One focus of Planteneers in New York is the product configurator Plantbaser from Planteneers, which can be used to shorten the development time of new products to up to a few weeks. In addition to colleagues from the USA team, Dorotea Pein, Head of Product Management, and Christoph Kowollik, Digital Transformation Manager, from the Hamburg headquarters in New York will be available for discussions. Planteneers GmbH, headquartered in Ahrensburg, develops and produces individual system solutions for plant-based alternatives to meat, sausage and fish products, as well as cheese, dairy products and deli foods. As a member of the independent, owner-operated Stern-Wywiol Gruppe with a total of twelve sister companies, Planteneers makes use of many synergies. The company has access to the knowledge of some 100 …

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Fairs & Events

Germany’s Fish International 2022 Presents Cultivated and 3D Solutions For Fish Industry

The Fish International 2022 trade fair in Bremen (4-6 September) is to incorporate alternative proteins and cultivated solutions for application in seafood into this year’s programme, dedicating the second day of the trade fair event to the topic. Fish International is the sole trade show for fish and seafood in Germany. The trade fair provides information on new products entering the market as well as a review of recent innovations and advancements in alt-seafood. Speeches at Fish International 2022 After adding plant-based alternatives to fish and seafood to its portfolio in 2021, Planteneers has established itself as a provider of manufacturing solutions suitable for fish producers and companies specialising in making plant-based alternatives. At the Fish International 2022, Product Manager of Planteneers, Florian Bark, will …

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planteneers-gets-meat-manufacturers-on-board

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Company News

Planteneers Reveals Strategy to Work With Meat Industry For Increased Hybrid Products

Planteneers reveals plans to deal with the ongoing trend for plant-based alternatives and avoid a cannibalization effect. By getting the meat industry on board to create hybrid products containing less meat, a more ethical revenue stream is established for manufacturers, it says. Hybrid products offer a perfect compromise, according to the German producer, offering great opportunities for flexitarians and consumers who are looking to reduce their meat intake step by step. In response, Planteneers has created novel stabilizing methods for this category that are able to cut the animal content in the finished product in half. “The meat industry is reinventing itself. We need to meet consumer expectations in modern plant-based nutrition, while avoiding a cannibalization effect,” explains Planteneers Product Manager Florian Bark. “Walking this …

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Planteneers salmon

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Fairs & Events

Hydrosol and Planteneers at IFFA 2022: Meat or Plant-Based? The Solution in Between

Plant-based is more and more in focus, even at the international meat trade fair IFFA. Plant-based alternatives remain a growth segment in the industrialized western nations. At the same time, market researchers project a continued worldwide rise in meat consumption. Florian Bark, Product Manager of the sister companies Planteneers and Hydrosol, explains how the industry can profit from both of these trends. As an expert in plant-based foods, Planteneers is exhibiting at the IFFA for the first time, together with sister company Hydrosol, whose focus is on meat and sausage products. How do they fit together?  For a long time we’ve been seeing that the main vendors of plant-based meat and sausage alternatives are by no means just start-ups, but traditional meat producers. This makes …

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Planteneers plant-based salmon

Plant-based salmon fillet ©Planteneers

Manufacturing & Technology

Planteneers & Hydrosol to Present New Plant-Based Concepts for the Meat Industry

German food tech Planteneers joins with Hydrosol to offer plant-based and hybrid solutions for meat companies looking to diversify into alt protein. As the alt protein boom shows little sign of slowing down, Planteneers and Hydrosol offer the new PLUSmulson series stabilizing system for meat manufacturers aiming to move into the plant-based movement. Planteneers and Hydrosol, sister companies within the Stern-Wywiol Gruppe, are offering the meat industry product concepts that open up new potential in many different markets. This will enable manufacturers to react to current challenges, trends, and consumer wishes by reducing the meat content in burger patties, nuggets, or sausages, and replacing it with plant ingredients.  The companies claim the system is suitable for many different products and simple to integrate into existing …

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Company News

Live Webinar With the Plantbaser – Planteneers Continues to Innovate

Last year, the Planteneers team presented the digital configuration tool Plantbaser, an innovative tool for the development of new products. Since the interest in it exceeded all expectations, the company decided to present the Plantbaser live. Targeting decision makers and influencers Together with vegconomist, the business magazine for decision-makers and influencers on the topic of the vegan economy, the experts from Planteneers streamed a webinar live from the Green Room in Ahrensburg on 25 January 2022. The response was huge: a total of over 100 participants from different professional circles and companies tuned in and heard the advantages and ease of use of the Plantbaser explained directly by the Planteneers R&D team. Dr. Dorotea Pein (Head of Product Management HY/PL) and Florian Bark (Product Owner …

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planteneers plantbaser

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Fairs & Events

Welcome to the Live Webinar Plantbaser: New Product Development in 15 minutes

Find out more about the Plantbaser, and experience a product configuration live on Tuesday 25 January 2022 at 4PM (CET). Sign up with the form here! Vegconomist and Planteneers will show the configurator in detail together. Dr. Dorotea Pein and Florian Bark of Planteneers will demonstrate the simple handling, and explain the benefits for companies. After you register we’ll send additional instructions by mail. Plan about an hour for the webinar. Speakers Dr. Dorotea Pein Head of Product Management Planteneers https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdoroteapein/ Florian Bark Product Manager Meat & Fish Alternatives Planteneers https://www.linkedin.com/in/florian-bark/

Planteneers_Vegan-Sushi

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Company News

As Seafood Alternatives Gain Popularity, Planteneers Provides Custom Solutions for Manufacturers

Planteneers GmbH, headquartered in Germany, develops and produces custom system solutions for plant-based alternatives to meat and sausages, as well as cheese and dairy products. In 2021, Planteneers added a new category to its portfolio by introducing plant-based alternatives to fish and seafood. With its expanded range, Planteneers is delivering answers for the rising demand in plant-based seafood. Among its new products are plant-based calamari and shrimp. Both foods can be produced using the same system, with individual product variants made by adjusting the form and colour. Alt seafood opportunities for manufacturers As interest and demand for plant-based alternatives to fish and seafood is on the rise, manufacturers are looking for answers, including matching ingredients and knowhow, to shape the next category within the plant-based …

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Planteneers_Vegan Tarte Flambee

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Food & Beverage

Planteneers Opens New Potential For Baked Goods Manufacturers 

With a new plant-based range from Germany’s Planteneers, manufacturers can create vegan products from brioche, soft rolls and burger buns to muffins, cake and cookies, to toppings, fillings and plant-based cream alternatives. Together with sister company DeutscheBack, Planteneers has developed attractive baking agents, compounds and all-in mixes that can be used like a modular system. “We offer customers multiple application possibilities per article, so they can use our fiildBake products with maximum flexibility,” says Michael Pruss, Head of Business Development. “By combining the ingredients in different ways, for example, the consistency and texture of the final product can be adjusted.” Making vegan bread and rolls is normally not a big problem. Nevertheless, with fiildBake Rice Bread Planteneers offers an expanded solution, since it is suitable …

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