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Health-conscious consumers are increasingly adopting flexitarian diets and demanding familiar sensory experiences from alt-protein foods. Formulators like Cargill are tapping a combination of protein solutions through fermentation, plant-based, and hybrid technologies to create a new generation of functional protein solutions that satisfy consumer palates while advancing food sustainability.
The company is steering away from a “one-size-fits-all” approach. Through industry partnerships on mycoprotein and advancements in plant proteins, it is building a flexible protein toolkit that combines science, sensory design, and scalability to make alt-proteins more appetizing, accessible, and mainstream.
Guilhem Jamin, category and portfolio solutions director for Meat & Dairy Alternatives at Cargill, observes momentum across a wide spectrum of protein sources, including plant-based, fermentation-derived, hybrid, and cultivated.
“Each has a role to play in meeting evolving consumer needs and supporting a more sustainable, inclusive global food system,” he tells Food Ingredients First.
“What’s especially exciting is the growth in fermentation-based proteins. For example, our partnership with Enough brings Abunda mycoprotein into the Cargill portfolio. This protein has a meat-like fibrous texture, is rich in protein and fiber, and produced through a fermentation process using Cargill’s glucose syrup as a starting material.”
The protein can be used in Thai-style veggie patties, whole-muscle chicken, and fish alternatives. Cargill’s toolkit of protein solutions can “flex depending on the product, market, and dietary preference.”
“Whether it’s a hybrid meat analog or a protein-fortified yogurt alternative, innovation today is being driven by a spirit of inclusivity — nutritionally, culturally, and economically.”
Rise of flexitarians
Consumers today are no longer asking if they should eat alternative proteins — but how often.
“Consumers aren’t abandoning animal proteins altogether — but they are diversifying. Today, 31.7% of global consumers describe themselves as flexitarian, a 3.6% increase compared to 2022, according to FMCG Gurus (2025),” says Jamin.
“This tells us that consumers are open to a mix of protein sources and looking for products that align with their shifting values, whether health, sustainability, animal welfare, or cost.”
While demand for plant-based and hybrid options is rising, Jamin believes offering a basic alternative is not enough.
“Consumers expect the same sensory experience — taste, texture, aroma — and expect it to come at an accessible price point. That’s why we’re focused on co-developing ingredients that help meet those expectations while delivering functionality and clean label appeal.”
