Guest Post: Spreading the Goodness – Where Flavor Meets Nutrition in Sauces, Dips and Spreads – vegconomist
In the world of plant-based eating, sauces, dips, and spreads play a crucial role. Vegetarian and vegan foods are largely seen as ‘better-for-you’ choices by consumers, but this virtuous reputation leads some to view plant-based foods as less flavorsome or exciting.[1]
Condiments come to the rescue here, giving consumers a convenient source of ‘spice’ that makes a plant-based diet that bit more enjoyable. Everyone knows sauces and dips need to taste good, but is there scope to also view them as health boosters in their own right?
Dressings
Mayonnaise and salad dressings are the top sauces across Europe and the USA[2], but with consumers trying hard to eat healthier – both for themselves and the planet – demand for delicious, nutritious dairy-free alternatives is on the rise.[3] Showing what such a solution could look, feel and taste like, dsm-firmenich’s plant-based Caesar salad dressing concept blends a rich, creamy mouthfeel with a savory anchovy-like flavor, fortified with vegan DHA and EPA omega-3 fatty acids for an added health boost.
Sauces and dips
Consumers in almost 90% of European countries are not meeting their daily recommended intake of fruits and vegetables.[4] What better way to boost veggie consumption (especially for fussy eaters like children) than by packing more into a tasty pasta sauce? A vitamin-boosted tomato sauce* can deliver the same nutrition as a plate filled with spinach, peas, and carrots. An easy – and delicious – way to up vegetable intake.
Cheese is routinely cited on the list of foods vegans ‘miss’ eating the most, so successfully replicating an indulgent cheese dip in plant-based form stands to be a big hit. Crafted with faba bean flour, butter beans and expertly formulated dairy-free cheese-like flavors one recently launched, Nutri-Score ‘A’ rated plant-based cheesy bean dip concept demonstrates how plant-based eaters can enjoy it all: taste, health and a plant-based positioning.
The potential for a new generation of ‘health hero’ plant-based sauces, dips and spreads is out there – producers just need to think a little differently. By marrying the latest nutritional science, with delicious, on-trend ingredients, food brands can create exceptional condiments that are much more than just a ‘side order’.
This was a guest post by Ingrid Damen, Business Development Manager – Savory at dsm-firmenich. Find out more: https://www.dsm.com/food-beverage/en_US/markets/savory/sauces-dips-spreads.html
* US equivalent concept, ‘Enriched family blush sauce’
** EU concepts only. US concepts available here: https://www.dsm.com/food-beverage/en_US/markets/savory/sauces-dips-spreads/us.html
