Nestlé plant-based launches and cereal reformulation
The manufacturer has extended its vegan range with a new egg substitute made with soy protein and containing omega-3 fatty acids. Designed to closely mirror the taste, nutrition and performance of real eggs, the product – branded Garden Gourmet vEGGie in Europe – can be used in a frittata or as an ingredient in cakes and cookies.
Also joining the Garden Gourmet range was a new plant-based shrimp made from a combination of seaweed, peas and konjac root called Vrimp. Nestle positioned the vegan shrimp as a compliment to salads and poke bowls, or enjoyed in stir fry dishes, pasta dishes and on top of pizza.
Stefan Palzer, Nestlé chief technology officer said, “Our new plant-based shrimp and egg alternatives have an authentic texture and flavour, as well as a favourable nutritional profile which makes them a good replacement for animal-based shrimp and eggs in a wide range of dishes.
Innovations in under a year
“Our longstanding expertise in plant, protein and nutritional sciences enabled our teams to develop these great innovations in under a year. As we speak our R&D teams are already preparing the next wave of plant-based launches.”
The two products will initially have a limited launch in some European markets, including Switzerland.
Nestlé also announced it had removed an estimated 59m teaspoons of sugar and 3m teaspoons of salt from its cereal products, as it continued its staggered ‘salami slice’ reformulation approach to improve the nutritional profile of its cereals.
Cereal Partners UK (CPUK), the makers of Nestlé breakfast cereals, said there would be 16% less sugar and 50% less salt across Coco Shreddies, Frosted Shreddies, Honey Cheerios, Nesquik, Cookie Crisp and Golden Nuggets by the end of 2021.
Product reformulation
Julie Foster, nutrition, regulatory and scientific affairs manager at Cereal Partners Worldwide UK & Oceania, said: “We’ve found little and often to be the most successful method of product renovation – the salami slice approach. It means we’ve been able to increase whole grain content in parallel to our sugar reduction work to create a ‘sugar vs. whole grain’ seesaw pattern across many of our brands.
“For example, back in 2003, Golden Nuggets contained no whole grain at all, and now it’s the number one ingredient. This approach marks our commitment to constant improvement and providing breakfast meals with key fibre and micronutrients to millions of people in the UK.”
The reductions in 2021 are the latest in CPUK’s 18 year-long reformulation strategy, which saw the company achieve small sugar and salt reductions at regular intervals, while increasing whole grain content and at the same time.
Meanwhile, in an 'industry-first', stevia leaf ingredients producer PureCircle and flavourings, extracts and essences company Synergy Flavours teamed up with Skinny Drinks Group to create zero-sugar tonics sweetened with PureCircle Reb M stevia extract.
