The plant-based trend through a health lens Kavita Karnik , Global Head of Nutrition and Regulatory at Tate & Lyle
Kavita Karnik , Global Head of
Nutrition and Regulatory
The plant-based trend through a health lens Kavita Karnik , Global Head of Nutrition and Regulatory at Tate & Lyle
Making a food or drink that is plant-based is a way of making it healthier but , importantly , plant-based foods are not more nutritious than those containing animal-derived ingredients by default . That is determined by the salt , sugar , fat , calorie and micronutrient content .
What can be done to enable plant-based food and drink to not only look and taste like their traditional counterpart but to also be as or more nutritious ?
Understanding different purchase drivers When the term ‘ flexitarian ’ was first coined in the 1990s , the focus was on enabling consumers to access the purported health benefits of a vegetarian diet without cutting out favourite foods entirely . That trend has increased in recent years , especially around the pandemic , with people viewing diet as a controllable modifier of health , in parallel with growing awareness of climate change and our diet ’ s contribution .
When developing plant-based products , understanding the consumer drivers is key . The perceived impact on health is an important one . Manufacturers are keen to develop nutritious plant-based products , even when the product is formulated to cater to other drivers , such as growing concern around climate change . With the right nutrition and formulation know-how during development , solutions that support healthy living can be found .
38 June 2023