Organisation / Brand: ProVeg

plant-based product producers

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Ingredients

Ingredient Considerations for Plant-Based Product Producers

Today’s consumers are invested in learning about what goes into their favourite products – with ‘clean’ and ‘healthy’ ingredients preferred, and biases or misconceptions held over certain ingredients and types of labels. This is even more prominent in purchasers of plant-based food and drink items, which come under greater ingredient scrutiny.  No problem! In the second installment of their Ingredients Spotlight series, ProVeg International makes recommendations for plant-powered businesses that are keen on taking consumer ingredient considerations into play. Let’s look at a few of them. Research ingredients and audience thoroughly You likely carry out audience research before starting on your products, but have you ever looked specifically into ingredient drivers and barriers? When formulating a new plant-based product, explore consumer desires and opinions on …

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Gastronomy & Food Service

Hans im Glück Remains Most Vegan-Friendly Restaurant Chain in Germany

For the first time, the top spot in gastronomy ranking by ProVeg and the industry magazine foodservice remains unchanged. Last weekend, Katleen Haefele, Head of Food Services & Events at ProVeg, announced the results at Internorga in Hamburg, the trade fair for the out-of-home market. The burger chain Hans im Glück again took the top spot with a large selection of plant-based main dishes, side dishes and desserts. And this is being rewarded: 50 percent of the dishes sold are now vegan. Runner-up Peter Pane also offers a similarly comprehensive range, with eye-catching marketing campaigns. Plant-based from pizza to fish At least one plant-based main dish was available at 26 of the 30 chains surveyed this year. For the first time, a pizza chain has …

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Vegetable ingredients ProVeg NFH

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Food & Beverage

Understand Consumer Perceptions of Plant-Based Ingredients to Drive Your Product Sales

For millennia, humans have been using ingredients for a variety of purposes – to enhance the functionality, texture, flavour, nutrition, preservation, and appearance of food. But not all ingredients are accepted equally, as a new ProVeg International article uncovers. ProVeg examines how much consumers care about food ingredients, and where they look for information. The article is the first instalment in a ProVeg Ingredients Spotlight series that focuses on understanding and incorporating consumer attitudes to different ingredients to drive plant-based product sales.  Certainly, misconceptions, misinformation, and biases run wild in the food ingredients space, causing consumers to boycott certain ingredients and rave about others. Even the names of ingredients and how they are displayed on packaging or talked about by the media can make a …

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Politics & Law

Italy Becomes Next Country to Propose “Misleading and Backwards” Restrictions on Plant-Based Meat Labels 

The Italian government becomes the next in a growing list of those proposing restricted labelling on plant-based meat from using “meaty” terms, in a move ProVeg describes as “misleading and backwards.” The bill notes that its efforts represent an attempt to protect livestock production in the country, even though animal agriculture is responsible for about 20% of greenhouse gas emissions globally, explains ProVeg. “Plant-based foods emit half the amount of greenhouse gases as animal-based foods, so we need to introduce policies that actively encourage people to switch to more flexitarian diets,” urges Jasmijn de Boo, Vice President of ProVeg International. Nutritional concerns Furthermore, the bill argues that if plant-based meat brands use traditional meat terms on their labels, consumers could be confused about their nutritional …

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Pet Food

6 Must-Know Trends to Drive Plant-Based Dog Food Sales

The pet food industry has reached great heights in recent years, amassing an estimated worth of over US$91.1 billion. This is expected to boom to even greater amounts in the years ahead, with a large part of this growth due to innovation coming from the rising demand for plant-based dog foods. Though still a niche industry, with vegan and plant-based claims appearing on just 2.1% of dog-food products worldwide, it’s finding more shelf space compared to five years ago, when only 0.7% of dog-food had a plant-based claim, according to Innova Market Insights. And such plant-based claims are growing rapidly in dog-food (+40%) compared to the growth of all new dog-food launches (+5%) (Global, compound annual growth rate, 2018–2022). In order to be successful in …

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Charity & Campaigns

The Impact of Veganuary on Retail & Food Service in South Africa

According to ProVeg South Africa, the local NGO partner for Veganuary, over 30, 000 South Africans have signed up for Veganuary since 2019. The organisation reports that approximately 38 new plant-based products were launched in South Africa this January, and numerous household names spanning food service and retail offered new plant-based products or specials nationwide throughout the month. Woolworth’s Woolworths recently launched its new PlantLove range, a wide range of vegan products ranging from ready meals to cheeses. Interesting to note is the terminology on some of the products following the uncertainty around restrictions on labelling of plant-based items in the country; for example, “Crumbed Soya Ocean Strips” for a fish finger type product. “We encourage our customers to make better food choices that are …

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Silk Launches NextMilk Dairy Lovers

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Politics & Law

FDA’s Draft Guidance on Plant-Based Milk Labelling: Experts Respond

Yesterday, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released draft guidance on plant-based milk labelling. The guidance, which is not legally binding, affirms that plant-based products can use the word “milk” on their packaging. The decision has been made based on FDA research which found that consumers are not confused by this usage, with most preferring the term “milk” over others such as “drink” or “beverage”. However, the FDA notes that plant-based milks do not contain the same balance of nutrients as cows’ milk, and suggests that manufacturers should make this clear on packaging with statements such as “50% more calcium than milk” or “Contains a lower amount of potassium than milk”. The document has already proven controversial; some commenters have welcomed the recognition that …

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Politics & Law

How Can I Protect the Intellectual Property of My Plant-Forward Business?

The plant-based space is bursting with innovation, creativity, and inventiveness. But how do you protect the fruits of your labour from being stolen or copied as a plant-forward business? ProVeg International recently published an article on their latest webinar, ‘An Introduction to Intellectual Property’ (IP), which explores the importance for plant-forward businesses to protect their IP and how to do so.  During the eye-opening webinar, ProVeg partnered with Withers and Rogers, a leading UK and European firm of patent and trademark attorneys with an active base in the food and drink market. The Withers and Rogers experts who participated were Partner and Chartered Trademark Attorney Mark Caddle and Associate Georgia Mann, who, together, head up Withers and Rogers’ specialist food and drink group. Some of …

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Studies & Numbers

59% of UK Consumers Want the Government to Subsidise Alt Protein Products

A survey by ProVeg International has investigated the factors that could convince British meat eaters to switch to alt protein products. The survey found that 70% of respondents believe that plant-based foods are more expensive, though we recently discussed how plant-based products are heading towards price parity, for example in the Netherlands plant-based meat is already cheaper than animal products in many cases. Furthermore, 59% said they would like meat and dairy alternatives to be subsidised by the government to make them more affordable. Subsidise plants, not animal meat If plant-based products were subsidised by the government in the way that the meat industry receives subsidies, the impact would be phenomenal. Survey participants said they would be much more likely to buy vegan products if …

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Pet Food

Top Tips for Producing a Sell-Out Plant-Based Dog Food

We already target flexitarians, vegetarians, pescatarians, and vegans with plant-based products – but what about those who have pets? Consumers are becoming increasingly concerned about the environmental, ethical, and health impacts of eating meat and dairy. Yet, many would not think twice about the origins of what they feed their companion animals.  However, like most human eating trends, the plant-based movement is spilling over into the diets of companion animals – dogs, in particular. As more people share their lives with canine friends and more people adopt plant-based eating habits (40% of European consumers identify as flexitarian, pescatarian, vegetarian, or vegan), the market is set to boom. With this in mind, how can your company best produce and sell plant-based dog food? What considerations are …

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New Food Invest 2023

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Fairs & Events

New Food Invest 2023 Focuses on Asia’s Alt Protein Market for the First Time

New Food Invest 2023 will focus on Asian markets for the first time. The event will bring together international plant-based and cultivated-food businesses, investors, and venture capitalists to accelerate the growth of the alternative protein industry in the APAC region. Co-hosted by Beyond Animal and ProVeg International, the third edition of the online event will take place on February 15th, 2023.  Sebastian Joy, President of ProVeg International, says: “This will be a valuable opportunity for startups to broaden their knowledge and opportunity of the Asian plant-based market.”  The programme The programme will include speakers from investment firms, alternative protein companies and expert contributors, NGOs, and plant-based-focused media outlets, presenting on a broad spectrum of topics. New Food Invest event will provide opportunities to network with investors, startups, and …

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Retail & E-Commerce

Nudge Principles: A Powerful Way to Encourage Plant-Based Purchases

When you’re in a supermarket, do you ever deviate from your list? And do you ever swap the products you usually buy, in favour of a seemingly ‘better’ or more cost-effective alternative? Shoppers are constantly influenced by the environments in which they shop – but this isn’t a forceful or obvious influence. Instead, shoppers are gently encouraged to make decisions based on what is around them, for example, the location, positioning and pricing of products, promotions, discounts, offers, and marketing materials.  By carefully understanding how these elements work together, retailers can create an environment in which shopping decisions can be influenced. This is what is known as ‘choice architecture’ – “the practice of influencing choice by organising the context in which people make decisions.” A  ‘nudge …

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Dog Plant-Based Treats

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Pet Food

How Do Consumers Feel About Cultivated Meat as Pet Food?

A new report published by ProVeg International reveals a high level of acceptance of cultivated meat as pet food. The results show that portraying cultivated meat as pet food before portraying it as human food potentially reduces levels of acceptance by 10%. As the subject of cultivated meat begins to enter mainstream consciousness and we head towards regulatory approval in different markets, more and more producers and organisations are keen to gauge the level of consumer acceptance towards this novel food coming into our lives. To this end, the report, called “Cultivated Pet Food for Cats and Dogs”, surveyed a thousand UK residents about their perception of cultivated meat as pet food, compared to cultivated meat as human food. “People are potentially put off by …

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Sweets & Snacks

Leverage Easter to Plant-Based Chocolate Sales

Depending on where you live, you’re probably starting to notice Easter treats creeping into shops and online stores. Give it another month or so, and chocolate eggs and bunnies will be everywhere, with these items being the most-purchased Easter treats by far.  A new infographic by ProVeg International explores burgeoning Easter chocolate sales alongside the growing demand for plant-based chocolate products. Throughout the infographic, ProVeg discusses how businesses can best capitalise on the opportunity for big plant-based chocolate sales at Easter. Focus on familiarity  A key reason for consumer hesitation when it comes to plant-based products is the perception that they won’t taste as good as animal-based products [1]. Thus, it is important for plant-based brands to produce products that successfully emulate the taste, texture, …

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ProVeg webinar intellectual property

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Fairs & Events

ProVeg Webinar: An Introduction To Intellectual Property

On 2nd February at 11:00 (CET) ProVeg International is hosting a webinar in partnership with the law firm Withers & Rogers. They will be delving into the practicalities of intellectual property, in order to help innovative businesses and startups in the plant-based and alternative protein sectors to protect their products and services.  The 45-minute webinar will consist of a presentation from Withers & Rogers, followed by a Q&A moderated by ProVeg and will cover: Why intellectual property is key to business growth. The main types of IP. The key first steps you should take to start protecting your product/s. Best-practice examples of businesses with successful IP strategies, along with common mistakes to avoid. The importance of risk management in relation to IP, along with the …

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