Many consumers are turning to plant-based meats in pursuit of healthier, more environmentally friendly food choices, but as more options enter the market, they’re becoming increasingly discerning when it comes to ingredient labels. Peazazz pea protein from Merit Functional Foods is well-positioned to become a recognizable clean-label ingredient for meat alternatives, as recent applications work has demonstrated that it can replace methylcellulose, a commonly used ingredient in meat alt formulations.
“If you ask any consumer what methylcellulose is, chances are they won’t recognize it, and it’s even more likely that they won’t be comfortable consuming it,” Merit’s Co-CEO Ryan Bracken said. “But despite this, methylcellulose is a part of the ingredient labels for many of the meat alternatives on the market today due to its unique functionality, and formulators are struggling to find a suitable clean-label solution to replace it.”