Axiom launched its production in 2005 on the basis of a new organic rice protein process, and Janow’s focus is very much on specialist rather than commodity markets. “Since then, nutraceuticals have been the backbone of the plant protein market,” he says. “In 2021, that still holds true. Despite the exciting opportunities around plant-forward meat and dairy alternatives, the largest, most consistent business still remains nutrient-dense powders, bars and RTD beverages.” Sports nutrition has been a key area for Axiom, with the most recent of some five clinical studies demonstrating that the company’s rice protein is “as good as whey protein, even when consumed in low doses,” Janow reports. From a U.S. perspective, at least, such studies make sports nutrition and other claims possible, says Axiom.
Talk to Prinova, and it is clear that not everyone shares the same unconditional enthusiasm for rice ingredients. “It is probably one of the most challenging plant proteins from a flavour perspective,” Gay says. As regards nutritional completeness, rather than viewing rice as a free-standing alternative to whey, he sees pea and rice usefully complementing each other: “They are often used together, with rice protein as the smaller proportion. Taken separately, some amino acids are lacking, but this takes the combination much closer to the profile of whey protein.” Birch at Bodyhero spells this out. “It’s a well-known fact that there are many benefits of whey protein from an amino-acid perspective,” he admits. “Pea protein does contain all essential amino acids, but has lower levels of methionine. However, this is very easy to get into your diet from ingredients such as seeds, oats and brown rice.” Arguably, given their advantages, pea and rice protein might have been expected to take an even bigger bite out of the sports nutrition market. Frost & Sullivan’s Sharma provides her own interpretation of the figures, starting with amino acid composition. “For example, the concentration of leucine and some of the branched chain amino acids that have been actively linked with muscle health is low in pea and rice, which limits adoption,” she says. “Isolates can be used, but they are still required in higher quantities. At the same time, price has always remained a key constraint for pea protein.” Like Axiom, she sees increased production and innovation helping to reduce price differentials in future. The plant proteins market has moved a long way from being one-size-fits-all. “We have introduced over 20 different pea protein SKUs,” Janow says. “You can have a formulation for a protein bar that’s both chewy and crunchy, versus a protein powder that mixes up creamy and doesn’t taste like ‘plants’, or a fruit-based, low-pH RTD that’s smooth and doesn’t have too much settling.” Nonetheless, there remains an element of playing off one ingredient attribute against another. Gay cites the example of hydrolysed pea protein in an RTD drink: “This becomes more challenging, because the hydrolysed variety has even stronger off-flavours, along with better solubility. It’s a balancing act between, in this case, solubility, nutrition, mouthfeel and flavour.” In fact, in his opinion, the complexities of flavour with plant proteins help to make formulating and flavouring products—including masking—something of an art. “You want to work with the flavour profile of the vegetable protein,” he says. “So, something like straight vanilla or strawberry can be challenging. Chocolate is usually OK. But there is a savoury background you can utilise with something like salted caramel or baked flavours such as cheesecake.” These same flavour advantages are—literally—baked in when it comes to protein bars. Likewise, Gay says, for meal replacement products, the plant protein will only be one of several classes of ingredient in the recipe. “In terms of flavour, there will be other products such as oat fibre, and fat powders such as sunflower or flaxseed oil to give creaminess,” he adds. “You don’t need as much of the formulation toolkit.”