Demand for plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy products is rising around the world. But plant-based products can be successful only if they offer consumers convincing flavor and texture.

At this year’s IFT Food Expo in New Orleans, Hydrosol, one of the world’s leading suppliers of stabilizing and texturing systems, is presenting the latest generation of functional systems and all-in compounds for making plant-based burger patties, cold cuts and sausages, as well as vegan alternatives to pizza cheese, cream cheese and sour cream. 

Hydrosol is exhibiting at the SternMaid Ingredients booth No. 2550, where trade visitors can find custom solutions for new product ideas.

Burgers, meatballs, bacon - a wide range of meat alternatives

In the meat category, Hydrosol is focusing on popular products like plant-based burger patties. 

One of its feature products for the Expo is HydroTOP VEGAN Patty PP. What makes this stabilizing and texturing system special is that fact that it is free of soy, wheat and other allergens. It’s based on fava bean and pea protein and also contains a sunflower-based texturate, and enables users to make vegan burger patties that are amazingly similar to meat products in taste, texture and mouthfeel. Another plus point is that since it has just one E-number, it aligns with the trend towards declaration-friendly products. 

In addition to this allergen-free vegan functional system, Hydrosol also offers proven systems based on wheat and soy protein with wheat texturate, that give extraordinarily delicious burger patties. These all-in compounds are also suitable for many other vegan products, from meatball alternatives to vegan cevapcici. They are freeze/thaw-stable and can be worked into ready meals with no problems. 

Other products for plant-based meat alternatives are all-in compounds for making vegan cold cuts and bacon, and plant-based sausages for eating hot or cold. Nuggets, schnitzel, fish sticks and other breaded products are also possible. 

Vegan alternatives to dairy products for US eating habits

To meet the rising demand for vegan dairy alternatives, at IFT Hydrosol is presenting a number of product ideas that address American preferences. 

The company offers a variety of plant-based ingredients for favorites like pizza, bagels and burgers, including a pizza topping that can substitute for cheese. Like traditional pizza cheese, this vegan product has very good melt properties, which is not always the case with vegan alternatives.

The plant-based topping is also stringy when hot, a critical factor for cheese intended for melted toppings. In the cream cheese category, from plant proteins Hydrosol has developed a texturing system that can be used to make vegan bagel spreads. These are very close to real cream cheese in taste and texture, and have an equally wide range of uses, plain or with herbs or other additional ingredients. 

A vegan alternative to sour cream that cannot be told from the original – one of Hydrosol’s answers to the growing consumer demand for clean label products. This plant-based sour cream is free of e-numbers, and is based on almond drink and coconut fat. Together with a Hydrosol stabilizing and texturing system, it gives a sour cream alternative that is perfect as a topping for burgers and burritos or a dip for potato wedges and chips.

In many markets Hydrosol is already an established source of full-service solutions. The company is also making its mark at the IFT, among other things with its all-in package for purely plant-based burgers. 

This contains burger patties, bacon, and a sauce that uses no egg yolk, plus a vegan sliced cheese alternative that melts easily and harmonises well with the final product. Sister company SternVitamin provides suitable micronutrient premixes to fortify vegan alternative products. 

Visitors can learn more about this and other profitable products at the IFT booth No. 2550.

About Hydrosol: 

Hydrosol GmbH & Co. KG headquartered in Ahrensburg near Hamburg, Germany, is a fast-growing international supplier of food stabilizers, with subsidiaries around the world. Its specialists develop and produce tailor-made stabilizer systems for dairy products, ice cream and desserts, delicatessen and ready meals, as well as meat, sausage and fish products.

The company also supplies solutions for beverages, and for vegetarian and vegan alternatives to meat and dairy products. With its international network of 16 subsidiaries and numerous qualified foreign representatives, the company is represented in the world's key markets. As a member of the independent, owner-operated Stern-Wywiol Gruppe with a total of twelve sister companies, Hydrosol can make use of many synergies. The company has access to the knowledge of some 80 R&D specialists and to the extensive applications technology of the large Stern-Technology Center in Ahrensburg, Germany. It also benefits from shared production facilities and the Group's own logistics resources, so it can offer customers a high degree of flexibility and innovation capabilities. 

The Stern-Wywiol Gruppe is one of the world's most successful international suppliers of food & feed ingredients.