AAK has launched AkoPlanet, a new portfolio with tailor-made solutions for food manufacturers developing plant-based alternatives to products within the meat, dairy and ice cream segments.

“Vegan, vegetarian and flexitarian diets are rapidly growing, creating new and exciting opportunities for food manufacturers,” said Johan Westman, President and CEO, AAK Group. “This development is, of course, very interesting to AAK as we have been working with plant-based ingredients for more than a century.”

AkoPlanet will not only enable food manufacturers to meet a variety of industry opportunities, AAK says, such as health, nutrition and sustainability, but also the fast-growing demand for plant-based products among consumers, particularly millennials. Sustainable sourcing is a crucial aspect for the plant-based movement and the company notes that all raw materials used in the AkoPlanet portfolio are, as a minimum standard, traceable to the growing region.

With this new portfolio, AAK says it will use its unique co-development approach to work together with customers to create tailor-made solutions.

“Many of the key characteristics of animal-derived products can be recreated through optimal formulations of oils and fats,” said Henning Villadsen, Business Development Director at AAK. “This has positive implications for the flavour, texture and other sensory attributes of plant-based foods, enabling our customers to create great-tasting alternatives to meat, dairy and ice cream products.”