Portfolio expanded to include beef alternatives
After the acquisition of Meatless BV last year, BENEO is announcing the next step in its plant-based strategy at this year's Fi Europe. The ingredient manufacturer plans to expand its portfolio of semi-finished products to include plant-based meatless at the beginning of 2024®Beef bites and minced meat. BENEO thus offers manufacturers a scalable and efficient way to produce authentic imitation beef with a juicy and meat-like texture.
The beef bites and the minced meat from Meatless®are available as a frozen product and consist of myco and pea protein. Dyes ensure an authentic beef look. Thanks to the high heat stability and water binding capacity, the products retain their juiciness even when fried. Their fat-like and juicy mouthfeel also enables end products with reduced fat content, responding to growing consumer interest in healthy eating. Meatless®Beef bites are suitable for pan-fried and braised dishes, the Meatless®Minced meat can be used, for example, in lasagna, marinades and sauces.
The demand for plant-based imitation beef is high. In Europe, 76 percent of consumers of meat alternatives say that this product category appeals to them. With the help of BENEO's new products, manufacturers can offer tasty solutions for beef alternatives in the form of easy-to-process semi-finished products that require a simple and short list of ingredients. Thanks to BENEO's energy-saving processing technology, the meat alternatives can also be produced in a resource-saving manner.
Niels E. Hower, Member of the Executive Board at BENEO, comments: “As the world population grows, energy-efficient food production is not only necessary for food security and the environment, but also important from an economic perspective. With our plant-based product developments, we are among the pioneers on the market. Due to strong consumer interest in beef alternatives, we have decided to offer cost-effective solutions that can also be easily integrated into existing production processes. The market for alternatives has so far focused mainly on imitation chicken or processed products such as hamburgers or meatballs. Manufacturers can use our Meatless®Beef bites and minced meat products now cover a broader spectrum.”
At the BENEO stand, visitors to Fi Europe can get a first impression of Meatless®Get beef bites and minced meat products. Chef Jelbrich Hendrickx from the BENEO Technology Center will prepare plant-based dishes at the stand, giving a first foretaste of the future portfolio and its possibilities.
