KANSAS CITY, MO. — Most Americans are trying to consume protein, and the desire to get more continues to rise (59% in 2022, 67% 2023 and 71% 2024), according to the 2024 Food and Health Survey from the International Food Information Council (IFIC), Washington, D.C.

Protein is the only macronutrient that has not been demonized, and industry professionals don’t see demand slowing down. The challenge is with climate change threatening global food security, it is paramount that new sources of protein continue to be identified. That’s happening.

“The hottest day on Earth in modern history was just recorded in July, further fueling conversation about climate change in general and its effects on the global food supply specifically,” said Randy Kreienbrink, director-food, beverage and specialty, Artemis International, Fort Wayne, Ind. “Extreme weather is intensifying pressure on traditional protein sources, such as livestock and fisheries, by altering their habitats and reducing their populations. This makes exploring and developing alternative protein options imperative. A diversified protein supply chain, including plant-based and novel protein ingredients, is crucial for global food security and resilience.”

Consumers are recognizing they can do their part through protein diversification. It’s fine to enjoy a beef hotdog when at the ballpark, and then for lunch the next day, have a veggie burger.

Globally, 43% of plant-forward consumers believe it’s healthier to get protein from a wider variety of sources, according to ADM Outside Voice, Global Protein Consumer Discovery Report, January 2023. This has increased in significance since 2020, according to Jacquelyn Schuh, global senior director-product marketing for specialty ingredients, ADM, Chicago.

“It’s not an all-or-nothing approach to protein consumption, and there is opportunity to add more protein into the diets by consuming both animal- and plant-based protein,” Schuh said. “This, in turn, is fueling new opportunities to diversify plant protein sources, as well as bring together multiple sources of proteins through hybrids or blends.”

Ingredient innovation

To support more protein choices and eating occasions for alternative proteins, ingredient suppliers continue to invest in technology to offer more options. ADM, for example, introduced a line of low-sodium functional and dispersible pea protein powders, in addition to new textured pea proteins (conventional and low sodium).

“These introductions and extensions are crucial to supporting functional formulation needs, as well as nutritional value, including optionality for various lifestyle diets, protein content, protein diversification and the sensory experience,” Schuh said. “This comes at a time when consumers are increasingly engaging in GLP-1 agonists. With smaller portion sizes, consumers will want to make purposeful decisions on what they eat to get the nutrient density they need. Foods with high-protein and fiber content are critical to this dietary need, and plant proteins have the potential to offer protein and fiber coming from a plant-derived source.”

Mark Fahlin, category marketing manager-health and nutrition, Cargill, Minneapolis, concurred. “One of the biggest developments in the plant protein space is the continuous improvement we’re seeing in the functionality of botanical proteins. For example, our joint venture partner PURIS has expanded its pea protein line-up with products developed for specific plant-based applications.”

They don’t have to be meat and dairy analogs. Maybe it’s a smoothie or snack chips. New specialty protein ingredients make creative applications more viable.

“Plant proteins are notoriously unstable in more acidic applications,” Fahlin said. “At IFT FIRST 2024, Cargill featured an acid-stable plant protein in a strawberry dragon fruit smoothie. The prototype was packed with 21 grams of total protein and had a clean taste and stability in solution.”

Ingredion Inc., Westchester, Ill., launched a new pea protein at IFT FIRST that was optimized for application in cold-pressed sports and nutrition bars. Such bars tend to become hard with a dry texture over a short time.

“Our technical experts developed a cold-pressed bar model system and swapped competitive protein sources one-for-one,” said Michael Valenti, manager, global innovation business lead of healthful solutions protein fortification at Ingredion.  “Additionally, we assessed the same model system against commercially available bars using a third-party survey to gauge consumer preference. This new pea protein showed desirable and predictably stable softness over shelf life, and among pea protein competitors measured, had low pulse flavor and significantly lower chalky/gritty mouthfeel.”

ChickP Protein Ltd., Rehovot, Israel, has patented technology to manufacture a 90% chickpea isolate. By removing most of the oil from chickpeas, the company is able to concentrate the protein and achieve a clean, neutral taste with a longer shelf life than other chickpea protein ingredients. That’s because the lower fat content reduces the chance of oxidation, a major contributor to off flavor development.

“A key challenge in fortifying energy snacks with vegan forms of protein, for example, is avoiding a bitter aftertaste while retaining a crispy texture,” said Maor Dahan, head of development and applications for ChickP. “Our chickpea isolate solves both challenges. It has a neutral flavor plus a fine consistency for seamless integration. Moreover, it is a complete protein providing all the essential amino acids, including naturally occurring branch-chain amino acids essential for building and maintaining muscle mass.”

New technologies and raw materials

Advanced technologies are helping with ingredient innovation. When artificial intelligence is put on the team, commercialization of these ingredients tends to occur significantly faster.

“Precision fermentation is not just a buzzword. It’s a game-changer,” Kreienbrink said. “This technique holds immense potential for creating sustainable, high-quality protein ingredients. By optimizing microbial fermentation processes, we can produce tailored proteins with specific functional and nutritional attributes. Precision fermentation has the power to revolutionize both plant- and animal-derived protein production, and in that regard, the future looks promising.”

Onego Bio Ltd., uses precision fermentation to manufacture a bio-identical egg protein. As a U.S.-Finnish company, Onego is in the process of commercializing the production process in North America and is on track to submit a Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) notice to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration this year with the hope of receiving a “no questions” letter in 2025. Founded in 2022 as a spinoff from VTT Technical Research Center of Finland, Onego is already working with major food companies on product innovation in everything from baked goods, snacks and pasta to sauces and meat alternatives.

Eggs are one of the world’s most used animal proteins. As an ingredient, they assist with binding, thickening, leavening, emulsifying and more; however, the current egg production system is not sustainable, according to Maija Itkonen, chief executive officer of Onego.

“But there’s an alternative way with precision fermentation,” Itkonen said. “We can create proteins that are bio-identical to the foods we know and love. And we can do that using 90% less resources, without major risks such as pandemics.

“We have taken a microflora called Trichoderma reesei and trained it to produce ovalbumin, the main protein found in egg white, instead of its own enzymes,” she explained. “In a way, we have domesticated this hungry fungus and turned it into a living factory. And the fungus quite likes it. When we feed it plenty of glucose, it’s as happy as can be.”

Fungus can make protein with high efficiency and volume. Mycoprotein, also known as mycelium-based protein, for example, is produced from fungi using fermentation technology. Cargill is working with ENOUGH, Sas van Gent, The Netherlands, to produce large-scale mycoprotein ingredients. The ingredient is grown by feeding fungi with sugars from sustainably sourced grain, which is then fermented in a natural production process.

“It’s much like making beer, wine or yogurt,” Fahlin said. “The mycoprotein is a complete food ingredient that contains essential amino acids and is high in dietary fiber. It is produced through a zero-waste fermentation process, with Cargill’s glucose syrup as a main source.”

Protein ingredients are also being made from side streams, a process often referred to as upcycling. This is when the raw materials now being used to make ingredients would have otherwise not been used for human consumption.

Revyve, a food tech company based in Wageningen, The Netherlands, introduced its high-performance egg-replacement ingredient at IFT FIRST. The texturizing ingredient is made from upcycled brewer’s yeast and is designed to be used in baked goods and plant-based meats. When paired with other ingredients, the ingredient can eliminate the need for methylcellulose, a common ingredient in plant-based burgers that has a “non-clean label” reputation.

“Yeast has been the star of the show in beer brewing, winemaking and bread baking for millennia,” said Edgar Suarez Garcia, chief technology officer and co-founder. “At Revyve, we have taken yeast functionality to the next level. Products manufactured with Revyve single-ingredient yeast proteins take on true-to-form textures. Revyve offers exceptional heat-set gelling, binding and emulsification. Burgers retain water and oil at hot and cold temperatures. They brown and sizzle on the grill and hold their shape when flipped and sandwiched in a bun. 

“When burger producers ask how the ingredient performs, we explain that it behaves like egg whites,” he said. “When cooked in a patty mixture, Revyve becomes firm yet springy, forming a binding network around the other ingredients. The secret lies in the unique combination of functional proteins and fibers created by our patented technology.”

The ingredient also has application in animal-meat products such as meatballs and nuggets, as well as hybrid products. It allows formulators to eliminate the egg allergen.

Angel Yeast Company, Hubei, China, also offers yeast protein ingredients that are extracted from natural brewer’s yeast. One of the company’s newest naturally fermented yeast protein ingredients contains all nine essential amino acids and possesses an 80% protein content, according to the company. This versatile ingredient is used to enhance the flavor and nutritional profile of vegan cheese, ice cream, dairy products, protein drinks, protein bars, cheese-flavored crackers, whole wheat bread and vegan meat. It can be used to make high-protein whole wheat bread and nutrition bars, and it may also be used in combination with other proteins.

“As a new focal point category, hybrids and blended solutions are an important part of growing this acceptance, bridging the gap between the familiar and new,” Schuh said. “When asked about technological advances (in our survey), global plant-forward consumers stated they’re most interested in trying novel plant-based ingredients, such as sunflower, canola, algae, chickpea proteins within plant-based alternatives (dairy or meat).”

This was followed by hybrid/blended options. These are combinations of familiar proteins, plant-derived and animal-derived, and combinations of plant-derived or animal-derived proteins with new technologies such as precision fermentation and cell cultivation.

“Overall, consumer acceptance of new technologies for protein development is progressing,” Schuh said.

Hybrid foods provide a feasible approach for novel food ingredients to enter the market despite the scalability challenges, according to Emilia Nordlund, research team leader of food solutions at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. This enables consumers to familiarize themselves with the novel proteins and production concepts and start reducing their animal meat intake while adapting to alternative proteins.