Innovation in dairy alternatives: Your last chance to register for Protein Vision 2022

Protein Vision​ is a two-day interactive broadcast series brought to you by the editorial team behind FoodNavigator.

Over four sessions live-streamed on 8-9 June​ we will examine the trends shaping innovation in the alt protein space, from the latest plant-based innovation to advanced cellular technologies and cutting-edge approaches to fermentation.

On day two, we’ll dive into the world of dairy alternatives, looking at the what formulation innovations are supporting improved functionality, how consumer demand is evolving in dairy-free and what ingredients offer potential to drive future excitement in the category. We’ll also be putting our minds to a bit of future gazing to think about what the future of the dairy – or alt dairy – aisle might be. Will precision fermentation, cell-based dairy or even ‘molecular farming’ make cows redundant?

Register for free​​ to find out and hear from speakers including Unilever, Pascual, Ecotone, Bunge, Givaudan, Doehler and more. 

Dairy Analogues, 9 June​

Dairy alternatives are disrupting the US$720bn dairy market. From shifting consumer perspectives to cutting-edge innovation, FoodNavigator probes what is driving the sector and asks where future innovation is likely to take it.

The innovation and formulation that’s mainstreaming plant-based dairy

Dairy alternatives are one the largest and most dynamic spaces in plant-based, with a global value of around €18bn. Research from the UK, for instance, suggests one-in-three consumers now buy plant-based milks, suggesting that they have become a mainstream choice for shoppers. Join FoodNavigator as we profile the brands, innovation and ingredients that have brought the category this far and ask what innovation will further invigorate plant-based dairy.​

• 11.00-11.15am CEST / 10.00-10.15am UK: Ecotone’s trailblazing brands maximising the appeal of plant-based dairy:​ Multinational organic food group Ecotone is focused on low-impact food and drink that gives biodiversity a boost. ‘Far from ordinary’ dairy alternatives are one of the company’s strategic priorities. In order to deliver innovative thinking to the plant-based milk and yogurt categories, Ecotone brands have a focus on ingredient diversity to maximise appeal. From crowd-pleasing oat, coconut and almond options, to more ‘unexpected’ creations using cashew, millet, spelt or Buckwheat Ecotone’s brands place R&D and ingredient provenance front-and-centre. We speak to the maker of brands like Abbot Kinney’s and Bjorg to learn more about how it is bringing trailblazing innovation to plant-based dairy alternatives.
• 11.15-11.35am CEST / 10.15-10.35am UK: Givaudan​ asks whether plant-based and conventional dairy are ‘friend or foe’ and looks at innovative ways to drive demand across the category. 
• 11.35am-12.30pm CEST / 10.35-11.30am UK: How ingredients and innovation has invigorated alt. milk:​ Oats have been a big winner in alt. dairy, while milks produced from peas, barley, chickpeas and even potatoes are all flourishing. Consumers are attracted to the category for its health halo and sustainability credentials. In this vibrant ecosystem, how are brands standing out on-shelf? Our panel of experts weigh in.

Next gen dairy: The trends and tech disrupting dairy

Innovative brands have spear-headed the significant uptake of plant-based dairy, with new entrants and NPD continuing to drive excitement in the category. This session examines how brand and product development are shaping the plant-based dairy aisle of today, and asks what ingredients, processes and technologies will shape the alt dairy sector of tomorrow.​

• 15.00-15.15pm CEST / 14.00-14.15pm UK: Investing in the future of alt dairy with Pascual Innoventures and Eatable Adventures:​ Through its open innovation arm, Pascual Innoventures, Spanish dairy major Pascual Corporation is embracing an entrepreneurial spirit and forging alliances with start-ups as part of the dairy giant’s ambition to anticipate global food needs. With support from Eatable Adventures, the group has launched what it bills as ‘the first global incubation program for cellular agriculture technologies in the dairy industry’: The MYLKCUBATOR. Join us to learn more.
• 15.15-15.35pm CEST / 14.15-14.35pm UK: Doehler​ examines the next generation of dairy alternatives highlighting opportunities and challenges around the diversification of product formats and proteins.
• 15.35-16.30pm CEST / 14.35-15.30pm UK: What’s next in the plant-based dairy aisle?​ In the buoyant plant-based dairy space, we are witnessing a shift to develop cleaner, more nutritious ingredient lists. Plant-based innovators are also working to develop products that compete with the functional versatility of dairy – think vegan cheeses that melt and milks that foam. Looking further into the future, exiting innovations are on the horizon in the precision fermentation space – with companies developing processes that replicate dairy ingredients while cutting out the cow. In this panel, we’ll profile the latest advances that could be poised to disrupt dairy.

This free-to-attend​ event will live stream across four sessions on the 8-9 June​. Whether you are interested in the ingredients that are delivering better plant-based products today, or the food tech that will shape the future of the category, can you afford to miss it? 

REGISTER FOR FREE HERE​​ or check out more the latest PROGRAMME AND SPEAKER UPDATES HERE​​.