There’s perhaps been no more dynamic product development market than that involving plant-based proteins. It’s a time when shoppers express interest in greater protein content in the foods and beverages they consume. Those consumers also are willing to try more plant-based options for reasons ranging from perceived health and nutrition to sustainability and animal welfare.

Those trend lines mean a growing business—and a growing ingredient toolbox—for Charlie Baggs Culinary Innovations (CBCI), a third-party product development specialist in Chicago. In this podcast, Prepared Foods talked plant protein ingredients and formulation strategies with Charlie Baggs, CBCI’s president, founder and executive chef.

Baggs agrees that protein, the macro nutrient, often gets top billing new product concept discussions. The goal is maximizing protein while balancing “crave-able” culinary attributes, taste, flavor, cost, nutrition and overall relevance.

From experience, Baggs identifies nearly a dozen plant-based protein sources most commonly used in new food and beverage formulations. These include wheat gluten, myco (fungi) protein flours, soy protein, bean flours, lentil flours, nutritional yeast, watermelon seeds, hemp seeds, algae, ancient grains and nut flours.

Baggs shares that CBCI used milled oat protein in dressing as a hydrocolloid replace xanthan gum. In every instance, company chefs and R&D scientists (including those at ingredient companies) focus simultaneously on a range of targets involving nutrition as well as attributes of texture, graininess and water holding capacity.

Baggs also sees the market continuing to evolve with blends of animal and plant proteins, proteins from upcycled sources and new proteins derived through fermentation.