Innovations like our 90% chickpea protein isolate are paving the way for tastier food and wider adoption of urgently needed plant-based solutions.
In 2013, Bill Gates famously bit into a plant-based chicken taco and declared that he had tasted “the future of food.” By the end of the decade, that future seemed inevitable.
Companies in the plant-based protein space were attracting record investments and consumers looking to increase or maintain their protein intake without relying on meat or dairy had more options than ever before.
Yet despite the momentum heading into our current decade, plant-based food sales have dipped as manufacturers have struggled to give consumers what they want: better taste and texture, according to a consumer insight analysis by the nonprofit Good Food Institute (GFI).
Until food manufacturers get this right — and can produce non-dairy cheese that tastes like cheese; meat alternatives that don’t leave behind a strange aftertaste; and chocolate protein bars that are smooth and chocolatey — only the most committed plant-based eaters will go for options currently on shelves.
The good news is that, even with sales down, innovations in the plant-based protein space — including our 90% chickpea protein isolate — are enabling food manufacturers to get closer than ever to overcoming taste, texture and functionality challenges that have hindered wider consumer acceptance.
This is important because global demand for sustainable protein continues to rise adding urgency to Gates’ vision of a plant-based future. Here’s a closer look at why that vision is still critical but also attainable, and how innovations like ours can help make it a reality.
Meat and dairy can’t sustainably meet growing protein demand
The primary case for plant-based remains strong and shows no sign of changing. Demand for protein is unequivocally rising, thanks to population growth (expected to add 2 billion mouths to feed over the next 25 years), rising incomes in the developing world and a growing focus in the U.S. and Europe on the importance of protein to health and well-being.
In 2023, the GFI points out, “high protein” overtook “low-fat” and low-carb” in Google search trends for the first time, demonstrating that people, across the world, are quite literally searching for protein more than ever before.
Experts largely agree that animal sources alone cannot meet this demand without causing harmful environmental consequences, leading international bodies like the UN, retailers and governments to take seriously “novel alternatives” to animal protein sources.
Innovation to improve plant-based is still going strong
In recognition of the need to get plant-based right, governments, industry groups and investors have continued to support science and innovation focused on everything from farming techniques that maximize plant protein cultivation to the development of protein ingredients from novel sources.
Some science and innovation highlights noted in GFI’s 2023 State of the Industry report included the discovery of a gene mutation that prevents production of bitter compounds in white lupins, a high-protein crop; the launch of a seaweed-sourced protein ingredient that delivers a meaty taste, and ChickP’s own cheese prototypes, made with our 90% chickpea protein isolate, which demonstrated “the excellent gelation and emulsification capabilities of chickpea proteins.”
ChickP’s 90% chickpea protein isolate is breaking barriers to better taste, texture and functionality
Our own contribution to better plant-based protein options lies in our chickpea protein isolate. The ingredient solution has won Fi Europe’s plant-based innovation award in 2023 and other accolades for its concentration of protein — the industry’s highest — its neutral color and flavor and exceptional functionality that makes it easy to use in anything from baked goods and protein bars to dairy analogues, and alternative meats.
Unlike traditional plant-based protein options, protein ingredients sourced from chickpeas don’t contain common allergens, and don’t require food manufacturers to compromise on consumer preferences for clean labels. Thanks to the impressive natural properties of chickpeas, manufacturers don’t need to use stabilizers, emulsifiers, and other additives to mask strong tastes and correct other sensory and functionality problems.
We’re optimistic that our protein solution, along with other important innovations in the plant-based space, is paving the way to a future where food manufacturers can offer people the protein-rich food they want without relying on ramped-up animal production or asking them to lower their standards on taste.
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