Vegetable protein

Plant-based products win over food bigwigs

Lots of news from the big names in the industry at Tuttofood

9 May 2025

5' min read

The plant-based world is changing course, at least from what emerged from Tuttofood, which took place in Milan from 5 to 8 May. The substitutes for meat and fish are mainly producers who traditionally do not deal with main courses: companies that create pasta, snacks, dairy alternatives and desserts, incorporating in their specialities not only proteins, but also vitamins and minerals that may be lacking in a 100% plant-based diet, primarily B12.

They do this without distorting the known and loved product, playing with the ingredients, touching on avant-garde solutions and proposing to the consumer a food he has always eaten, good and reassuring, but which allows him to take meat, fish and cheese out of his diet.

Barilla and Sgambaro present two protein-packed dry pastas: Barilla launches Protein+, which, thanks to pea protein, reaches 20% protein per 100 grams of pasta; it holds its cooking and looks similar to the bronze-drawn pasta of the same brand. Sgambaro thinks of a public attentive to holistic well-being and creates Pastasole, which makes use of sunflower flour, in perfect circular economy, to reach 28% protein per 100 grams; vaguely herbaceous aftertaste and colour, it combines perfectly with vegetables to create, in a natural way, a balanced single dish. Also Riso Scotti has its solution with the Basmati Protein line based on rice and lentils, which currently has two references: the gallette with 26 grams of protein per 100 of food and a mix of basmati and red lentils, hulled and pre-cooked so that they are ready together with the grains in a few minutes for a complete dish. If you like savoury pies Pan has come up with Next Generation: two rolls one with curry with chickpeas, edamame and quinoa and one with quinoa and kale.

We are already familiar with snacks made from pulses, Fiorentini has accustomed us to choosing from a good range, but at TuttoFood further players arrive to expand the offer. Snack Italy uses legume and cereal flours to achieve a 23% protein share. Three flavours are also suitable for children, including sour cream and cheese thanks to vegan-friendly flavourings. Sama's Snext targets adult consumers with five references made of pulses and maize: two squares with a natural flavour and three rectangles with paprika, barbecue or cheese (again thanks to flavourings), all organic. Speaking of quality appetisers, Madama Oliva also catches the eye with the Lupamì line, lupins with a slightly smaller size than those usually seen on the market, which, processed by the company with state-of-the-art machinery, can be eaten without having to be peeled; the skin is really thin and does not bother the bite. What is really a healthy food that belongs to tradition is pleasantly flavoured with chilli and lime, balsamic vinegar or garlic and rosemary, becoming modern and delicious.

Snacks and breakfast are taken care of by Skipper and The Bridge: the Zuegg brand presents three oat drinks with strawberry, banana or pear, enriched with calcium and B vitamins, with a relatively clean label and no added sugar. The Venetian company The Bridge, on the other hand, exhibits the High Protein dessert with cocoa and coconut, which is fragrant, organic and with 10 grams of protein per serving, thanks to fava beans. It keeps for months at room temperature and is delicious for everyone.

For the away-from-home Orogel offers two gourmet gourmet novelties: a protein burger with aubergine and mint and tomato protein patties with a milder flavour; both preparations are gluten free, are based on pea protein, can be baked or air-fried and are easily regenerated in kitchens.

All these products appeal to the vegan niche and even more so to flexitarians who are not ready to have unfamiliar foods on their plates, but they fall off the radar of survey companies who, no longer being able to rely on counting exclusive meat, fish and cheese analogues, will soon find themselves with a complex plant-based world to map.

Companies that have instead invested in alternative proteins continue on their own path, improving products or rediscovering traditional foods: this is the case of tofu, which in this edition of TuttoFood is relaunched in new recipes by Valsoia (The tofu delights, which will soon reach the large-scale retail trade) and Unconventional (Silken, Mediterranean-style cubes and in teryaki sauce); then there are four references that reinterpret the "soya cheese" in the Cibo Sapiens line. Cibo Sapiens is a brand of Italia Alimentari, a company that belongs to the Cremonini Group and that has had a foot in 100% vegetable since 2021 with PL products created at the urging of large-scale distribution, which needed a structured player for certification and reliability. And in this 2025 Cibo Sapiens is showcasing its vegan foods for the first time, explicitly indicating them as such.

In the world of analogues Felsineo enriches the plant-based proposal by focusing on Mopur®, renewing the graphic design and proposing additional specialities such as beef and tuna-flavoured carpaccio, for which work has been done on the texture, making it even more credible. Here too, lupin is rediscovered and, together with sun-dried tomatoes, makes up the Medaglioni with a clear label and 18 grams of protein per serving. The Golfera company, linked to charcuterie, expands the veg range of i Petali with three new organic variants that, thanks to the softness of cashew nuts and the presence of starches, lend themselves to replacing sottilette in sandwiches and melting in recipes. Particularly tasty is the one with turmeric and paprika which, together with the others, will be on the shelves from September. Golfera also brings to TuttoFood 2025 five 100% vegetable ready meals, first and second courses already in our DNA (Lasagne with vegetable ragout, Baked pasta with tomato and peas, Cous cous with vegetables, Meatballs with vegetables or with hummus) ready to eat in 200 or 250 gram portions, without preservatives, which will reach supermarkets in late summer.

Also appearing at Fiera Milano is an absolute novelty, an ingredient that promises to change a lot of our lives: Solein. It is bacteria extracted from the air, consisting of 80% protein and containing minerals such as iron and vitamins like B12, a boon for those who do not consume animal derivatives. An impalpable golden powder, with a vague umami taste, Solein has not yet been approved by EFSA, but Kelpeat, to date the only importer in Italy, is already working to cook it in savoury and sweet dishes together with their algae, combining food that comes from the air with that which comes from water to be lighter on Earth.