ofi shares new U.S. data: Plant-based products seen as additions, rather than substitution to dairy

Chicago

 

Plant-based dairy driving adoption for consumer interest in plant-based products

 

  • Recent U.S. findings reported by ofi, a global leader in naturally good food and beverage ingredients, show consumer interest in plant-based products continues to rise, with meat eaters, milk drinkers and vegetarians alike increasingly open to plant-based offerings.
  • The research, launched at Expo West, found that regardless of their dietary pattern, 82% of consumers surveyed1 report using plant-based products at least once a month.
  • Interest continues to grow: 55% of consumers increased their intake of plant-based products over the last two years, while 63% expect to use more in the next two years.
  • In the U.S., the plant-based beverages, desserts, and ice-cream market is worth an estimated $4.3 billion in 2022.2 Yet research shows that 7% of consumers switched back to dairy products after not liking the first plant-based product they tried.

Health and nutrition drive choice; plant-based dairy leads the way

Health and nutrition are the top reasons consumers cited for choosing plant-based options. Specifically, they said feeling physically better, consuming products rich in nutrients, and reducing chance of health risks are key drivers for buying and consuming plant-based products in general, especially plant-based dairy products.

 

In fact, plant-based dairy may be driving the trend toward mainstream acceptance. Eighty-two percent of shoppers surveyed reported being interested in plant-based dairy products, with more than six in 10 (64%) purchasing plant-based dairy products at least once a week. What’s more, 65% are buying plant-based dairy alongside traditional dairy, signaling the category may be seen as an appealing addition to the shopping cart rather than a strict this-or-that alternative.  

 

“As the plant-based consumer landscape continues to broaden, food and beverage manufacturers will have new challenges to ensure that their products are meeting consumer expectations,” ofi’s Vice President of Innovation and head Customer Solutions Center in North America, Sonali Dalvi, said. “There is huge potential to create new formulas with ingredients like cocoa, nuts, and spices, that can provide natural or clean-label properties allowing companies to produce new plant-based offerings that are both naturally delicious and can help enable health, wellbeing, and nutritional benefits.”

 

Addressing the opportunity gaps

Although a majority of consumers are already interested in plant-based dairy products, there are still significant barriers to adoption, which manufacturers have the opportunity to address through key formulation updates. For example, consumers polled cited plant-based dairy’s taste and texture (66% plant-based users; 53% non plant-based users), accessibility (61% plant-based users; 35% non plant-based users) and affordability (58% plant-based users; 57% non plant-based users) as the leading reasons they have chosen not to purchase the products.

 

“Our findings show over one-third of consumers still haven’t found a plant-based dairy product that meets all of their needs, despite widespread interest in the category. This is a call to action to the food and beverage industry. You need a fresh, creative approach to flavor creation, color, and texture development to make products that captivate consumers,” shared Dalvi.

 

Developing new plant-based products often comes with unique and complex challenges. Innovative ingredient solutions can help meet the competing customer expectations of plant-based products, and brands that break through remaining barriers to purchase will pave the way for further mainstream adoption.

 

“There are a number of challenges that come with formulating plant-based dairy in particular; mouthfeel, taste/flavor, protein content, sugar content, and of course, artificial ingredients,” shared Dalvi. “ofi’s innovation team is skilled at creating custom plant-based applications across categories that help manufacturers create products that consumers can love.”

 

Discover much more about what ofi has to offer at ofi.com.

 

 

1 Research conducted by InSites Consulting for ofi, Nov. 2022. The online quantitative survey polled 1,505 participants from the United States during November 2022. Participants were aged from 18 to 65 and were (co-)responsible for grocery shopping. Additionally, all the participants were non-rejectors of plant-based food and beverages, as well as non-rejectors of at least three of ofi’s product categories. They also had no allergies for nuts, caffeine, or cocoa. Specific categories surveyed were: desserts, ice cream, milk, cocoa beverages, yogurt, and coffee beverages.
 
Of non-rejectors, “Plant-based users" are defined as those who use a plant-based product at least monthly; “Non plant-based users” means those users who have at least tried plant-based food and beverages and do not meet the threshold for users. Participant breakdown: 1,240 Users (82% of total surveyed); 265 Non-users (18% of total surveyed).
 
Estimate Plant-Based Beverages, Desserts, and Ice Cream U.S. retail market size figures from Euromonitor Passport

About ofi

olam food ingredients (“ofi”) is a new operating group born out of Olamofi offers sustainable, natural, value-added food products and ingredients so that consumers can enjoy the healthy and indulgent products they love. It consists of industry-leading businesses of cocoa, coffee, dairy, nuts, and spices. ofi has built a unique global value chain presence including its own farming operations, farm-gate origination, and manufacturing facilities. ofi partners with customers, leveraging its complementary and differentiated portfolio of ‘on-trend’ food products, to co-create solutions that anticipate and meet changing consumer preferences as demand increases for healthier food that’s traceable and sustainable.

 

To subscribe to the ofi newsroom and for more information on ofi please visit www.ofi.com

 

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About Olam Group

Olam Group is a leading food and agri-business supplying food, ingredients, feed and fibre to 20,900 customers worldwide. Its value chain spans over 60 countries and includes farming, processing and distribution operations, as well as a global network of farmers. By re-imagining global agriculture and food systems, Olam Group aims to address the many challenges involved in meeting the needs of a growing global population, while achieving a positive impact for farming communities, our planet and all our stakeholders.

 

Headquartered and listed in Singapore, Olam currently ranks among the top 30 largest primary listed companies in terms of market capitalisation on SGX-ST.

 

Since June 2020, Olam Group has been included in the FTSE4Good Index Series, a global sustainable investment index series developed by FTSE Russell, following a rigorous assessment of Olam’s supply chain activities, impact on the environment and governance transparency. The FTSE4Good Index Series identifies companies that demonstrate strong Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices and is used by a variety of market participants to create and assess responsible investment funds.

 

More information on Olam can be found at www.olamgroup.com

 

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This announcement does not constitute or form part of an offer for sale or solicitation of an offer to purchase or subscribe for securities in the United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Japan or any other jurisdiction and the securities referred to herein have not been registered under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. The ordinary shares have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, in the United States, absent registration under or an exemption from, or transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of, the Securities Act. No public offering of securities is being made in the United States or in any other jurisdiction.

Contacts for ofi corporate communications

Caitlyn Camacho

Sr. Communications Manager,ofi

caitlyn.camacho@ofi.com  

 

Nick Viner

Head of Media,ofi

nick.viner@ofi.com