DuPont expands plant-based fermentation cultures to South America
The company first launched the range of cultures, called Danisco Vege, in Europe and Asia last year.
The cultures kickstart the fermentation process in non-dairy bases, such as soy, coconut, almond, oat, maize, rice, fruit, and vegetables.
They can be used to manufacture plant-based dairy alternatives to milk, yogurt, and desserts with a variety of taste profiles, ranging from mild to acidic, it said.
Available in a freeze-dried format with a shelf life of one year when stored at 4°C, the cultures are convenient for small and large-scale production, according to DuPont.
"[These] cultures now bring new opportunities to boost innovation in the South American industry and [so manufacturers can] gain a share in the plant-based fermented foods market," said DuPont.
According to market research company Euromonitor, over 3,000 fermented drinks have been launched around the world over the past three years, and just under 10% of these were in the South American market.
Within this category, plant-based dairy alternatives have seen the most growth with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.9%.
“There is a mega-trend around the positive image of fermentation and fermented food and beverage products,” the global marketing head for cultures and dairy probiotics at, DuPont Didier Carcano, told our sister publication FoodNavigator when the Danisco Vege range launched in Europe last year.
“Fermentation is a natural way of processing food and adding health benefits to it. Consumers are increasingly looking for this, moving toward food products that are naturally processed," he added.
Last year, DuPont also launched kefir cultures for the South American market, predicting a boom in demand in Brazil.
New Nutrition Business recently conducted a survey into people’s attitudes around the world towards digestive health, asking 3,000 individuals which food and drinks are beneficial to gut health.
It found that what Brazilians deem to be good for the gut is often at odds with other countries around the world. Plant-based milk alternatives, however, fared relatively well. Over 50% of Brazilians said plant-based milk alternatives were good for digestive health compared to a global average of 43.6%.
