With the deadline for the 2020 World Plant-Based Innovation Awards less than a month away, on Friday 24 July, FoodBev takes a look back at some of the top new innovations on the plant-based market. Here, we have gathered a handful of some of the most popular new plant-based products featured on our website in 2019 and 2020, to provide a breakdown of the current industry landscape. Country Crock dairy-free plant butter September 2019 saw the launch of US-based Country Crock’s dairy-free plant butter, offering an alternative to its original buttery spread. Country Crock claim this offering bring ‘the taste of butter, made from plants’. According to the American company, production of plant-based butter results in less than half the greenhouse gas emissions as the production of dairy butter and its packaging is recyclable. This alternative to a classic dairy product is made using plant-based oils, such as olive, avocado and almond oil.

Burger King plant-based Impossible Whopper Burger King partnered with California-based Impossible Foods to launch a plant-based version of its Whopper burger in the US, named the ‘Impossible Whopper’. This meat alternative offering was only available for a limited time in August 2019 and featured a flame-grilled patty made from plants topped with sliced tomatoes and onions, lettuce, plant-based mayonnaise, ketchup and pickles on a toasted sesame seed bun.

One Brands line of plant-based protein bars Protein bar maker One Brands released its first range of plant-based protein bars called One Plant, which were available in US retailers from October. These bars contain a range of plant-based proteins including pea protein, rice protein and almond protein, and each bar is non-GMO, gluten-free and dairy-free. The One Plant range consists of two flavours, chocolate peanut butter and banana nut bread, each containing 12g of protein and 1g of sugar.

Asda own-label vegan range At the beginning of 2020, UK supermarket Asda launched a range of plant-based products from ready meals to sides, in a move to provide inexpensive meat alternative options. The 100% plant-based range was released under its ‘Asda Plant Based’ label and is approved by The Vegan Society. The products host the company’s new ‘live better’ logo to signpost the healthiest choices in its range. The launch was made following a recent research programme, which revealed that 52% of 18-34-year olds plan to reduce their meat intake in 2020.

Incogmeato plant-based sausage alternatives Kellogg added to its Incogmeato range in February with plant-based alternatives to bratwurst and Italian sausages, made with non-GMO soy and feature 100% plant-based protein. Incogmeato, which is part of Kellogg’s MorningStar Farm brand, announced its plant-based line back in 2019. According to Kellogg, the “next-generation” Incogmeato plant-based protein line “looks, cooks and tastes just like meat”.

Nestlé plant-based Nescafé Gold coffee mixes Nestlé has launched a new range of plant-based instant white coffees in summer 2019 under its Nescafé Gold brand, as it responded to a growing demand for non-dairy products. The blends are made with 100% arabica coffee and have been specially crafted to mix with the plant-based ingredients to create “smooth, creamy-tasting lattes”. The three flavours include oat, almond and coconut.

Gato & Co vegan gluten-free cookie sandwiches UK dessert brand launched a vegan and gluten-free twist on classic cookie sandwiches earlier this year. Available in four different flavours: choc vanilla, choc peanut butter, choc hazelnut butter and salted caramel. The product is completely dairy, gluten and palm oil-free and is made using nut butters and coconut oil to replace butter. According to the plant-based bakers, the cookies are high in fibre and contain half the sugar of similar sweet snacks.

Knorr vegan stock pot range Unilever-owned Knorr recently launched a range of vegan stock pots, to tap into the growing demand for flexitarian diets. The stock pots come in a variety of flavours including smoked chilli and tomato, paprika and sundried tomato, and kaffir lime and ginger variants to make it easier for shoppers to recreate these flavours at home.

Gardein Ultimate Plant-Based Burger In early 2020, Conagra Brands expanded its Gardein meat-free portfolio in the US with a new plant-based burger patty: the Ultimate Plant-Based Burger. According to Conagra, the burger is made with no soy ingredients and is said to look, cook and smell like real meat. Created from pea protein, the 4oz patties feature 19g of protein per serving.

Earlybirds vegan-friendly ‘snacking drinks’ UK brand Earlybirds launched a range of vegan-friendly “snacking drinks” in summer 2019. The drinks are packaged in compostable bottles, have no added sugar, contain 20-30% of a consumer’s recommended intake of fibre and are available in two flavours: berry bircher, and mango and oats. Earlybirds claims they aim to make mornings easier by providing a healthy and convenient solution for breakfasts and snacking.

Have you got a new plant-based innovation that you think is award-worthy? Enter our World Plant-Based Awards 2020 before Friday 24 July!