Dive Brief:
- DuPont Nutrition & Health has introduced six different plant protein nuggets to its Supro and Trupro product range containing more protein or less sodium. According to Food Business News, the new ingredients are available in different formats and textures and can be used in snacks, cereals, nutrition bars and toppings.
- The company's Supro Nuggets contain 80% soy protein and less than 120 milligrams of sodium per 100 grams. The Trupro Nuggets contain 70% pea protein and are non-GMO, the company said.
- "These new nuggets broaden our range of plant protein options that drive high protein content and unique textures," said Jean Heggie, strategic marketing lead, said in a release. "Our plant-based nuggets help manufacturers differentiate their brands with improved nutritional profiles and exceptional eating experiences."
Dive Insight:
Plant-based ingredients are just about guaranteed to inspire interest from manufacturers and consumers as one of the hottest trends in the food and beverage industry. Wrapping all these attributes into one package is likely to attract notice for DuPont from a range of product manufacturers and companies looking to check some or all of these boxes — crunch, convenience, snacking, protein, low sodium and plant-based.
Plant-based and protein-enriched are two elements that can work well together in products because combining both types of ingredients can help satiate, act as a meal replacement and supply important nutrients, particularly for the growing number of people looking beyond meat and dairy sources for their protein.
DuPont is also introducing a cocoa variety to its Supro lineup of soy protein nuggets, which is another winning strategy tapping into consumer interest in more indulgent products. These cocoa products have 82% protein on a dry basis and can be used in snack bars or other items to resemble chocolate bits, flakes or chips, the company said.
Other ingredients companies are tapping into these trends as well. Cargill, Ingredion and AIDP are some of the larger plant-based protein producers. These product lines appear to have a very promising future, since Research and Markets has projected the global protein ingredients market could hit $48.77 billion by 2025.
As demand is not likely to slow, more manufacturers are bound to turn to plant-based protein nuggets when formulating new products. Including them — and their nutritional bona fides — could provide a crucial advantage over the competition.