Nestlé Professional increases range of plant-based dairy alternatives for foodservice
Nestlé Professional has been increasing its range of plant-based dairy alternatives for foodservice professionals, as it sees more people opting for a plant-based alternative in their morning latte.
With baristas across the world looking for options that provide the right taste and texture, Nestlé is turning to its global R&D expertise on plant-based innovation and sharing that expertise via a series of webinars led by the team of Nestlé Professional.
New additions to the range include recent out of home launches in Asia: a Nestlé Barista plant-based coconut drink was launched in Thailand earlier this year, primarily for use in cold beverages.
In China, Nestlé has launched two new plant-based dairy alternatives in the past year – one pea- and one oat-based – under the Nestlé Barista brand. The drinks were developed by baristas and can be used in hot and cold coffee and tea applications that meet local tastes.
Furthermore, a barista-focused dairy alternative made with peas was launched under the Nestlé Barista brand and launched in South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore.
In Latin America, the Nature’s Heart Barista plant-based oat drink was launched in Brazil at the end of 2022 for hot and cold applications. The beverage is easy to steam and pour – making it perfect for latte art.
The Nature’s Heart brand also rolled out a powdered plant-based creamer based on rice, designed for Nescafé automatic machines. This new product enables customers with self-service machines to offer plant-based drinks to their consumers as well.
Manuel Aleman, global category lead coffee ingredients & plant-based beverages at Nestlé Professional, noted the trend towards more plant-based options remains, with around 40% of consumers around the world already moving to a diet with less or no animal products.
“Taste is key for people to choose and stay in the category, especially flexitarians who are an important target group for dairy alternatives in out of home,” Aleman said.
In addition to the recently launched out-of-home offerings, Nestlé has wide-ranging expertise in both dairy products and alternatives to dairy.
Zenon Mandralis, head of R&D for Nestlé Professional said the goal is to offer baristas and customers plant-based alternatives that are very easy to froth, making the perfect latte or cappuccinos.
“Our scientists, product developers and baristas work together to ensure that the products are also great-tasting and nutritious, with the right foam texture, mouthfeel, and appearance,” Mandralis said.
This work is primarily driven by R&D experts at Nestlé’s largest research and development centre for milk and milk alternatives in Konolfingen, Switzerland. The centre collaborates closely with the Nestlé Professional R&D team in Orbe, Switzerland to ensure that the products are adapted for use in professional machines at cafés, bars and restaurants worldwide.
