Hamburg, December 2023 – Meat in the middle of the plate, vegetables on the side: A familiar combination that now offers new possibilities in the market for alternative meat products. These have special appeal for consumers who want to eat less meat in general but are unwilling to compromise either on flavour or on consistency. 

“We see big opportunities for hybrid products since they offer many benefits,” explains Katharina Burdorf, Team Lead Product Management Hydrosol. “Vegetables, legumes, and mushrooms offer nutritional advantages, for one thing. And for another, they cost less than meat, so recipes can be more economical.” This is a strong motivation given the current economic situation. 

It is, therefore, not to be wondered that according to market research, 58 percent of consumers would try products containing a mix of animal and plant proteins. Hydrosol has developed the PLUSmulson series stabilizing systems for hybrid meat products and cold cuts. They are simple to use and easy to integrate into existing production processes. The meat and vegetable proportions can be varied flexibly. “In our sample recipes, we use 60 percent meat and about 25 percent vegetables, but increasing the proportion of vegetables is no problem,” says Burdorf. 

Simple manufacture and nutritional benefits 

By adjusting the flavourings and types of meat, the system enables a wide range of hybrid products, from burgers, meatballs, nuggets, and schnitzel to fish products. Production is done on conventional machinery by mixing chopped meat and vegetables – like carrots, broccoli, and bell peppers – with other ingredients like seasonings and the stabilizing system. The mixture is then formed into burgers, nuggets, or schnitzel. Thanks to its good binding ability, the stabilizing system ensures good structure in the final products, even with high vegetable content. The system is free of E-numbers, so it is ideal for clean-label products.  

Hybrid sausage and cold cuts can also be made without problems, as Hydrosol recently showed at Fi Europe with hybrid bratwurst. “Many visitors were amazed at the authentic flavour and texture. Feedback was positive all the way,” reports Katharina Burdorf. In addition, the hybrid products, whether sausage or meat alternatives have several nutritional benefits. They contain less fat and cholesterol than conventional meat products but have the same amount of protein. Depending on the type of vegetables used, they can also have high fibre content. A big advantage for parents is that kids get an extra serving of vegetables with these hybrid products.  

Lower CO₂ emissions and a smaller ecological footprint are added benefits. Then, there are business advantages for meat producers – hybrid products are a good way to win back lost market share.  

The type of vegetables contained can be leveraged for marketing purposes, for example, by advertising local or regional agriculture on packages. The products can also be tailored to appeal to ethnic taste preferences and, thus, different markets. 

The future of hybrid products  

Hybrid products put the focus more on flavour, health, and convenience, but they take some explaining, as Burdorf relates: “Sales success depends greatly on the marketing communication. It’s important to point out the advantages of the products, as otherwise it can seem that the vegetables are just there to stretch the meat for cost reasons. Proactive communication can prevent that.” 

What’s more, hybrid products offer strong innovation potential and open up new possibilities in combination with cultured meat. “For cost reasons, most companies will start by taking hybrid products to market,” says Burdorf. “Plus, combinations of cultured cells and plant-based proteins as a rule have higher consumer acceptance.” In any event, the example shows the possibilities that hybrid meat offers for marketing. The preparation potential ranges from economy recipes to high-end products, from gourmet creations to kids’ foods.  

About Hydrosol:  

Hydrosol GmbH & Co. KG headquartered in Ahrensburg near Hamburg, Germany, is a fast-growing international supplier of food stabilizers, with subsidiaries around the world. Its specialists develop and produce tailor-made stabilizer systems for dairy products, ice cream and desserts, delicatessen foods, and ready meals, as well as meat, sausage, and fish products. With an international network of 20 subsidiaries and numerous qualified foreign representatives, the company is represented in the world’s key markets. 

As a subsidiary of the independent, owner-operated Stern-Wywiol Gruppe with a total of twelve sister companies, Hydrosol can make use of many synergies. The company has access to the knowledge of some 170 R&D specialists and to the extensive applications technology of the large Stern-Technology Center in Ahrensburg, Germany, as well as shared production facilities and the Group’s own logistics resources. This lets it offer customers a high degree of flexibility and innovation capabilities. With revenues exceeding 760 million euros and some 1950 employees around the globe, the Stern-Wywiol Gruppe is one of the world’s most successful international suppliers of food & feed ingredients.