and environment Globally, more people are adopting flexitarian eating habits, vegetarianism or vegan diets as a response to concerns about the ecological footprint of some foods.
The rapid uptake in plant-based foods and beverages is keeping aisles mostly frequented by consumers with lactose intolerances manufacturers on their toes. Plant-based beverages are gaining or with a preference for a more plant-based diet, today, plant- a significant consumer base, driven most recently by people’s based options have become mainstream as more consumers increased focus on health and sustainability as well as the fact pursue healthier lifestyles, seek to reduce their ecological that there are simply more high-quality products available for footprint – or simply discover they really like the taste. people to explore and enjoy. Global market trends What are dairy alternatives anyway? Over the past years all plant-based beverages show growth. A The dairy-alternatives sector encompasses products that are trend that is expected to continue during the years to come. 100% plant-based, made from beans, nuts, seeds or grains, which Producers are also looking for more plant based protein sources replace dairy-based products in the form of beverages, spreads, such as pea or chickpea to form components for a variety of ice cream, yogurt and other ready-made food products. Once in products across the food and beverage industry.
• Consumers are thinking more about sustainable • A surge in demand for vegetarian and vegan food supply, the environment and animal options welfare • High levels of innovation and increasing • Oat, rice and especially almond milks are among premiumization in some of the larger markets the products growing steadily such as the UK and Germany • Plant-based yogurts, desserts, ice cream, • Retail ranges reflect ever more sophisticated creamers and cheese are coming more into consumer tastes focus • Oat and rice milks are among the products • Pea identified as a sustainable high protein growing steadily content raw material to satisfy a variety of product categories with increasing demand SOLUTIONS FOR PLANT-BASED BEVERAGES · 5
CHINA
• Due to the growing health concerns and the
large lactose-intolerant population in general, there is a shift in preference to alternative dairy products • With the society urbanized there is more demand for convenience, therefore more packaged products have emerged in the market • Consumers demand clear ingredients from sustainable sources and also, quality manufacturing processes 6 · SOLUTIONS FOR PLANT-BASED BEVERAGES
A solution tailored to your needs
Are you a beverage manufacturer who wants to discover a new market? Or a dairy producer who wants to expand his product range? Or a mature manufacturer of plant-based beverages who wants a partner to develop an innovative product with? Together, we design the solution that is tailored to your needs.
2. Soaking / Milling / 3. Heating / 1. Raw material Homogenization / Cooling systems handling Other
4. Enzymation / Reactions
5. Mechanical 6. Base product clarification
Evaporator Spray drying technology SOLUTIONS FOR PLANT-BASED BEVERAGES · 7
Four Pillars GEA has access to market-leading technology and, possibly, • Maximum flexibility the most comprehensive portfolio of processing knowledge and expertise in the world today. All our solutions for plant- • The perfect flavor & texture • Efficiency & sustainability » based beverage applications are based on four pillars: • Innovation
Freeze Membrane concentration technology 8 · SOLUTIONS FOR PLANT-BASED BEVERAGES
Karen (49), Düsseldorf, Germany
“Last year, our 16-year-old Sarah turned vegan for ideological reasons. She gets her calcium from calcium-fortified soy milk. Her decision was definitely pushed by cooking capabilities. And rightfully so. Nowadays, » we have at least one vegan meal per week with the whole family.” SOLUTIONS FOR PLANT-BASED BEVERAGES · 9
Build in maximum flexibility
In order to respond to the diverging demands in the market- place, you need to build in maximum flexibility in every step of the process.
Handle various raw materials line to be used to produce and fill a new product. Soy, rice, oat, almond… You want to minimze your investment while still being able to produce a range of products. We design GEA supports the handling of: a process that gives you flexibility and especially considering challenges like allergen control. • bulk liquids • bulk powders Interchangeable modules • IBCs/drums We achieve this by forming the overall process with indepen- • big bags and sacks dent modules for each step of the process. In this way, a single • bottles and containers module can be added where necessary to enable the full process 10 · SOLUTIONS FOR PLANT-BASED BEVERAGES
Lifang (63), Beijing, China
“I’m definitely quite picky when it comes to my daily cup of almond milk. I’ve compared several brands from supermarkets and organic stores to compare taste and texture. My favorite brand has a few extra » drops of almond extract and a wonderful creamy, somewhat thickened texture.” SOLUTIONS FOR PLANT-BASED BEVERAGES · 11
Create the perfect flavor
and texture Do you prefer a creamy or rather milky texture for your almond milk? A beany or non-beany taste for your soy milk? Let’s go through the key process steps that allow you to create your perfect flavor and texture.
Enzymation Thermal treatment
Enzymatic adjustment makes it possible to design your flavor. Pasteurization for longer shelf life and better taste: customers When, for instance, a beany flavor is desired for your soy milk, rely on our in-depth knowledge and expertise to tailor pasteuri- this flavor can be produced by adjusting the corresponding zation and UHT plants for a diverse range of products. Our high process parameters in the extraction stage. The same goes for quality portfolio of direct and indirect heat treatment technol- rice milk, oat milk, coconut milk, etc. In this way, you can obtain ogies include tubular heat exchangers, direct steam injection a wide variety of flavors demanded by markets world-wide. and infusion systems. Depending on the particular plant based product and quality desired, the most suitable technology can be Homogenization selected. High-pressure homogenization is primarily used for stabilizing emulsions and improving palatability. Thanks to fluid dynamic Gentle processing and aseptic filling effects, the homogenization process allows liquid particles to If you want to bring these complex beverages to consumers, high be downsized to the micrometer range which results in more hygenic standards must be in place for processing and filling to uniform and stable emulsions. Particle aggregation can be a ensure gentle handling, avoiding any unnecessary stress on the challenge, for example, in processing protein-based products. delicate ingredients. GEA aseptic filling ensures quality products However, homogenization overcomes this by breaking down with a long shelf life without the need for preservatives. agglomerates and preventing sedimentation, while maintaining the primary structure of cells and therefore, their nutritional values. 12 · SOLUTIONS FOR PLANT-BASED BEVERAGES
Tom (25), Los Angeles, US
“Since I graduated from college last year, I’ve adopted a healthier lifestyle. I try to run three times a week. I’ve adapted my eating and drinking accordingly. Since I’ve turned to plant-based beverages I have » more energy, a healthier digestion and I’ve lost some weight.” SOLUTIONS FOR PLANT-BASED BEVERAGES · 13
Discover the many faces of
efficiency and sustainability Efficiency has many faces. It’s about optimizing yield, minimizing costs and measure energy reduction.
Gentle treatment, higher yield concentration technology uses low temperatures to process GEA separators and decanters have been used for decades in delicately structured liquids. This approach, which enables process lines for soymilk and for cereal drinks production. long run times, produces high-quality concentrates that retain Thanks to their high throughput capacities and maximum perfect flavor after reconstitution. separating efficiency, they have proved a success in tough • Evaporation, freeze concentration and/or membrane filtration daily production conditions. GEA decanters are also available can be offered as part of an integrated solution that can in hygienic design. High throughput capacity and maximum reinforce concentration and provide you with flexibility, separating efficiency in a reproducible quality – that is what choice, and optimum plant capability. GEA centrifuges and decanters bring to the industry in • Our cutting-edge spray drying solutions meet the highest sophisticated process steps. standards of safety, hygiene and plant performance. You will obtain excellent physical characteristics of the powder for Concentrated products optimum product quality. Reduced energy consumption of Concentrated products allow you to massively reduce our spray dryers helps in saving costs and resources. transportation costs and optimize your supply chain. We offer a number of innovative concentration technologies around which Measurable energy efficiency integrated process plants can be developed. Our industrial cooling solutions provide the right temperature for each application. Our heat pumps upcycle waste process heat • Our state-of-the-art evaporation technologies meet your while the use of natural refrigerants ensures both long-term needs and expectations with respect to plant capacity, run functionality and minimal environmental impact. All of this times, operational excellence, product quality and plant contributes to reduced operational expenses as well as a lower maintenance. carbon footprint and, in some cases, zero emissions. • If heat treatment is not appropriate, GEA’s freeze 14 · SOLUTIONS FOR PLANT-BASED BEVERAGES
Make innovation happen
in our test center
Innovation is at the core of engineering. So, when a customer Together, we work out what the most sustainable and hygienic wants to bring a new idea to life, we roll out the red carpet. design for your plant can look like. How can we integrate product safety via CIP-ability and reproducible cleaning? How In our laboratory and pilot plant testing facilities you can can we build in the flexibility to produce multiple products, try out new recipes and formulations, and work on process yet retain efficiency? And finally, how can we future-proof the development and validation. Our experts offer an unparalleled solution to manage new and exciting recipes? range of equipment and industry-leading know-how for any recipe and every stage of your process. From early-stage product Looking forward to meeting you there! development to final process refinement.
Freja (30), Stockholm, Sweden
“I just LOVE granola. I often have it for breakfast or as a quick snack to lift my sugar level while hiking. I also LOVE kombucha! Come to » think of it: could you make me a granola bar with kombucha flavor?” SOLUTIONS FOR PLANT-BASED BEVERAGES · 15
GEA Service – For your
continued success
Working with GEA Service means partnering with a
dedicated team of service experts. Our focus is to build, Making the most from plant-based maintain, and improve customer performance throughout beverages with GEA Service the entire life cycle of the plant and its equipment.
• Beginning of Life Services - Getting you started
with seamless support for instant productivity and performance • Lifetime Services - Keeping it running with the cost- efficient way of ensuring safety and reliability • Extended Life Services - Constantly improving by sharing our knowledge to safeguard your investment • Consulting & Enhanced Operations - Together with you by enduring commitment to you and your business We live our values. Excellence • Passion • Integrity • Responsibility • GEA-versity
GEA is one of the largest technology suppliers for food processing and a wide range of other industries. The global group specializes in machinery, plants, as well as process technology and components. GEA provides sustainable solutions for sophisticated production processes in diverse end-user markets and offers a comprehensive service portfolio.
The company is listed on the German MDAX (G1A, WKN 660 200), the STOXX® Europe 600 Index and selected MSCI Global Sustainability Indexes.
