Novel food: how to go to market

In the past few years, we have heard more and more about the new eating regimes-vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian-born out of an awareness of the impact of the current food system on health and the planet combined with demographic and generational factors. From consumers’ need to adopt diets that are more sustainable in terms of the environment, human and animal welfare, new products have been developed-from the most common dairy and meat alternatives to fungi- and algae-based, or cell-grown products.  However, the use of (often) never-before-used ingredients turns out to be one of the barriers slowing their introduction into the market, particularly in Europe where new ingredients must be approved under Novel Food regulations and in the U.S. under GRAS regulations.

In fact, in the past, novel foods that arrived, so to speak, without approval were the rule: bananas, tomatoes, exotic fruits, rice and many spices-to name a few-are all products that at the time of their arrival in Europe could be considered “novel foods,” according to the article. Nowadays, however, new ingredients cannot be introduced to the market until they have passed EFSA approval as “novel foods.” All products that were not consumed – in significant quantities – before May 1997 are to be understood as “novel foods.”

Novel food: consumption and consumer awareness

According to the research “The Novel Food Market Key Trends & Considerations” conducted by PwC, Novel Food types can be grouped as: plant-based, animal cell-based, fermentation-based, insect-based and so-called “hybrid” meat. Thus, it can be seen that when we talk about novel foods in most cases, we are referring to ingredients, products and technologies that aim to streamline the current food system based mainly on the consumption of animal products.

Plant-based products are products that aim to “imitate” their animal counterparts-whether milk, cheese, meat or fish-using plant-based protein ingredients as a base. These products and ingredients have been established for quite some time, as has their consumption and consumer acceptance. The first patent related to the production of soy milk, for example, was approved in 1910, according to the source.

In terms of technological maturity, the category of plant-based products and ingredients appears to be the most advanced compared to the other categories, offering a wide differentiation of products. The main theme for those working in the category is to increasingly improve the production process of these ingredients and foods to make them more sustainable and resilient over time, while trying to lower the price of the finished product to achieve price-parity with animal counterparts.

Fermented products are mainly related to the dairy and dairy products category. According to the report, they are slowly advancing in terms of technological maturity, and are generally known and appreciated by consumers, especially for the health halo often associated with the concept of fermentation.

Cell-based products-meaning from the cultivation of animal cells-are experiencing strong growth, mainly due to heavy investment in the sector. However, the level of technological maturity is still in its early stages, just as consumer knowledge and awareness of these types of products is still immature.

Trend topic of the moment in the European scene, insect products are in the spotlight given the recent approval of the introduction of partially defatted powder of house cricket (Acheta domesticus) and frozen, paste, dried and powdered larvae of the mealworm (Alphitobius diaperinus) into the market. Insects have always been consumed as food in different parts of the world-such as Asia, Australia, and Africa-and nowadays their use as alternative proteins to conventional ones is being considered. Their level of technological maturity is still in the early stages of advancement. However, the main barrier to use turns out to be consumer acceptance.

Hybrid products are made by combining animal meat or cultured meat with plant-based ingredients, such as vegetables, plant proteins, mushrooms or seeds. These products and their technology are also at an exploratory step of the process, and still little known to consumers.

Go-to-market: how and why

In Europe, Novel Food approval ensures a very high safety standard, but it also places several limits on the advancement and commercialization of innovative products. The approval process requires detailed information on the production procedure, history of use of the new ingredient and product, and nutritional, safety, and toxicological information based on different production batches. Following the collection of all information, EFSA conducts a risk assessment, indicating whether or not the product may be safe for consumption. It must also be verified that the new ingredient/food is safe for consumers, properly labeled (not to be confused with commonly consumed products), and specified if it is intended to be an alternative to a product already on the market.

In the specific case of alternative proteins, there are some key pieces of information that every manufacturer should keep in mind when making a Novel Food request, also as a strategic asset for subsequent go-to-market. First and foremost, one needs to know the functional properties of one’s ingredient, as basic information about its quality and use in a finished product. In previous articles we discuss more in depth what are the functional properties and how to test them. In addition to this, you need to make sure that the ingredient is free of contamination of any kind, which could be a barrier to novel food approval. Finally, it is necessary to explore the different application categories of the novel ingredient, understanding how it can be used in finished products, to identify strengths and weaknesses. All this information will then be needed for the development of Unique Selling Proposition (USP), which will answer a simple question: why should someone use your new ingredient?

Protilla Finder – the Protilla tool-was born as a database of new plant-based ingredients to help food professionals find the perfect ingredient based on their needs, enabling the spread of knowledge of new ingredients with new capabilities. Find out how, try out Protilla Finder!