Nestlé has announced it is working on developing a range of new dairy alternative products, which it says will also be ‘environmentally favourable’.
The plant-based products will also be vegan friendly. The company currently has a number of international plant-based products, made mostly from rice, soy, coconut, oat and almonds, including the dairy-free Häagen Dazs ice cream in the US, Nesfit rice and oat drinks in Brazil and in Australia, the recently launched vegan-friendly Milo.
The new range will be developed at Nestlé’s R&D centres in Switzerland, using a number of processes such as plant-protein extraction, fermentation and thermal treatment. This, the company said, ensures the products retain a nutritional profile and a creamy mouthfeel, similar to that of dairy milk.
The company will also focus on pea protein, a growing trend within plant-based products, following the success of its fully pea based drink for Brazil’s Nesfit range.
“Peas are one of the most environmentally friendly sources of plant-based protein, but when used alone, it can be challenging to turn them into a great-tasting beverage,” said Head of Nestlé’s R&D Center in Konolfingen, Swen Rabe.
“By using our proprietary technologies, as well as our expertise in creating shelf-stable dairy products, we were able to develop a delicious pea-based beverage with a reduced sugar content when compared to similar products in the market.”