The answers to better yogurt alternatives are inside 

Consumers expect their vegurts to be as close to yogurt as possible.

So how can you give them plenty of protein, deliciously smooth texture and as few ingredients as possible?

The answers are inside the plants, waiting to be found.

vegurt

The challenges of vegurt production 

Consumers want higher protein from yogurt alternatives. Legumes such as soy, pea and lentil are high in protein. That should make them ideal ingredients for high-protein plant-based vegurts.​ But the natural grittiness of legumes can lead to unappealing textures.

You might be able to get around these challenges by using texturizing and stabilizing agents. But then your products may no longer meet consumer demand for more natural yogurt alternatives. And adding more ingredients could mean implementing changes in your process.

The challenges

Consumption of plant-based yogurts is on the rise, and the retail value of the market is expected to grow by 29.9% to 20281. Giving consumers the texture, protein and simpler labels they want from plant-based yogurts can be a challenge. Turn the challenge into an opportunity with our biosolutions. 

Nutrition is key for consumers: 85% pay attention to the nutrition label when buying2. But they also care about ingredients and texture.

vegurt
37% vegurt

of plant-based yogurt consumers check for protein content when shopping²

  

49%vegurt

of plant-based yogurt consumers say natural ingredients are a consideration²

  

18% vegurt

of plant-based yogurt consumers say they don’t like its texture²

  

What if all you needed to overcome these challenges was inside?

The answers to high-protein yogurt alternatives are inside

We’ve developed a plant-based vegurt enzyme that targets and breaks down specific amino acids in legumes. Our enzyme gives vegurt a smooth texture, even at protein levels as high as 9%.

With and without Vertera® Smooth demonstration

The answers to smooth vegurts are inside

Poorly solubilized protein can lead to an unappealing gritty texture. By increasing protein solubility, our enzyme reduces grittiness. It also improves vegurts' water-holding capacity to reduce syneresis.

That means consumers can enjoy high-protein yogurt alternatives with smooth, silky textures.

The answers to shorter ingredient lists are inside

Our enzyme technology is a natural processing aid. That means it’s not functional in the final product. It’s the consumer friendly-choice to help you meet market demand for less processed yogurt alternatives.

woman looking at label of plant-based yogurt alternative

The answers to easy implementation are inside

​Wondering how enzymes work in vegurt production? Our technology is easy to implement in your existing legume-based yogurt alternative production process. Simply add it to the fermentation tank along with the cultures. It will break down the proteins during fermentation.

vegurt production line

The answers to high-protein, smoother yogurt alternatives are inside

Many consumers worry that they don’t get enough protein in their diets. So when it comes to choosing plant-based foods, they focus on this crucial building block. But giving your vegurts and spreads higher protein can impact their texture.

With Vertera® Smooth you can include more soy, pea and lentil protein in your products without affecting their texture. That means you can achieve protein increases of up to 9% and still keep the smoothness consumers love.

Vertera® Smooth product

How has enzyme technology improved plant-based yogurt alternative production?

Enzymes haven’t just improved consumers’ experience of legume-based vegurts. They’ve also improved production by speeding up the fermentation process. That can help to make yogurt alternative production more cost effective.

Vegurt production

What are the types of enzymes used in plant-based yogurt alternatives 

Proteins consist of chains of amino acids held together by peptide bonds. Enzymatic protein hydrolysis involves breaking down these bonds with enzymes called proteases.

The enzymes used in plant-based vegurts depend on the type of protein in the yogurt is based. For legume-based proteins, an endo-protease is best. Endo-proteases work by breaking down bonds on the inside of the amino acid chains. The endo-protease in our enzyme for legume-based vegurts is very specific. It hydrolyzes in a controlled and limited manner to deliver a range of benefits to yogurt alternatives from legumes.

What do consumers want from yogurt alternatives?

We talked to consumers to find out what they want from vegurts.

We asked what motivates them to try plant-based alternatives to yogurt, and what stops them. We also asked how much nutritional labels interest them and just how much they care about protein. 

You can find the answers to all these questions and more inside our consumer insights report.

plant-based yogurt report

Want more answers? Fill out the form and one of our experts will get in touch.

Looking for the answers to better plant-based dairy alternatives?

How can you develop delicious plant-based spreads, drinks and vegurts with great texture and nutritional profiles as well as shorter ingredient lists? The answers to all these questions and more are inside the plants.

Sources:
¹Euromonitor International: Market Sizes. Passport (Retrieved March 2024) 
²Novonesis via Conjointly: Evaluating consumer interest and willingness to pay for stronger protein related claims  (2022)