The next phase of plant-based: What does it mean for ingredients and product development?

Recent reporting by Lebensmittel Zeitung and consumer insights from YouGov show that the market for plant-based alternatives continues to evolve. While growth, investment, and new market entrants have dominated the conversation in recent years, different questions are now coming to the forefront.

Which products will succeed in the long term? Which ingredients deliver real value? And which concepts will stand the test of time?

Current developments suggest that plant-based products are entering a new phase. Awareness of plant-based products is already established. Increasingly, success will depend on how well products meet consumer expectations.

Consumers expect more than just plant-based

Data published by Lebensmittel Zeitung based on YouGov research shows that consumers value the following attributes in plant-based alternatives:

Better taste
Fewer additives
More affordable prices
Ingredient origin
Greater variety

As a result, the conversation is shifting away from whether plant-based products should be offered and toward how those products need to be developed in order to succeed over the long term.

Product development becomes a competitive advantage

For manufacturers, retailers, and foodservice operators, this means:

Plant-based products must now meet multiple expectations simultaneously. They need to deliver on taste, provide an appealing texture, feature understandable ingredient lists, and be flexible enough to work across a variety of applications.

The demands on product development are increasing significantly.

At the same time, opportunities are emerging for ingredients that can fulfill multiple functions. In addition to new usage opportunities, new processing opportunities are becoming increasingly important, ranging from plant-based burger and ground-meat concepts to snack, bowl, and hybrid applications.

More than a baking ingredient: New applications for walnuts

fresh spring rolls with walnuts

Walnuts are still often perceived as a baking ingredient or topping rather than as versatile, nutrient-dense foods for everyday consumption. This is exactly where significant potential exists.

With their distinctive texture, mild flavor, and versatility, walnuts can be incorporated into a wide range of plant-based concepts.

This is not only about creating new usage opportunities for consumers, but also about unlocking new processing opportunities for manufacturers and supporting the development of innovative products and concepts.

Examples of versatile walnut applications

Burger and ground-meat concepts
Snack applications
Bowls and salads
Fillings and hybrid product concepts

New applications create new consumption occasions

One key takeaway from many current market developments is:

Growth happens when new applications become visible.

The more broadly an ingredient's usage and processing potential is considered, the more consumption occasions can be created.

For the walnut segment, this means:

Future growth will not be determined solely by traditional uses, but by the ability to unlock new applications and provide meaningful inspiration for the market.

What opportunities does this create for the segment?

The next stage of plant-based development will increasingly be defined by taste, product quality, and everyday relevance.

For manufacturers, retailers, and foodservice operators, this creates an opportunity to rethink existing concepts and develop new applications.

Opportunities for the walnut segment Walnuts can contribute to this evolution not as a niche ingredient, but as a versatile ingredient with potential for new usage and processing opportunities across modern plant-based concepts.

Are you looking to develop new applications or rethink existing concepts? Contact us at: cwc@californiawalnuts.de

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