Yeast Extract – A Vegetarian and Vegan Food Ingredient

Yeast extract is the perfect ingredient for those who wish to expand their vegetarian, vegan or flexitarian vegetarian products such as small bites, spreads and condiments. Flexitarian, is a diet that does consist of moderate amounts of meat and fish to help achieve sustainability. Clearly, yeast extract is for everyone. Yeast extract can be used as food ingredient to add to any dishes,such as sauces, soups, salads, sandwiches, etc. Yeast extract is a healthy source of protein, vitamin B, reduces the need for salt, and because it is 100% animal-free, it is all-inclusive for those who follow a vegan and vegetarian diet.

This single ingredient enhances a wide range of flavors, including meat and fish flavors. Through a three to five step creation process, depending on the way it is abstracted, it may result in variations in flavor. This ability allows this ingredient to mimic multiple flavors in a rich and fulfilling way. For resilient vegetarians, yeast extract is an excellent way to mimic the flavor of grilled meat while enhancing and blending all the natural flavors of the other ingredients in the dish, helping to limit meat intake and better meet dietary nutritional recommendations. For vegan and vegetarian diets, yeast extracts are a key ingredient in artificial meats, delivering a rich, fresh flavor without any animal products.

Meat analogs are foods that aesthetically resemble certain types of meat characteristics and are the perfect ingredient to incorporate into plant-based recipes for recently recruited vegetarians and vegans who are not quite ready to give up the hamburger idea. For many people who don’t eat meat, especially those unfamiliar with the lifestyle, trying to plan where to get alternative proteins can be tricky. Using plant-based protein is a common ingredient in meat-free products, and while it is healthy and sustainable, it often has a distinctly pungent taste, and this is often the reason people stay away from plant-based diets. However, yeast extracts are rich in natural plant proteins and vitamin B, while maintaining the ability to enhance “good” flavor and mask the off-flavor of plant proteins, creating a simple solution for developing delicious, popular meat mock products.

COVID-19 exposes the consumer demand and need for plant-based ingredients. Since March, we have seen exponential growth in sales of products like Beyond Meat. Not only have sales increased, but they have remained high for the past several months. Overall, yeast extracts are helping people move toward healthier diets and lifestyles. The rich natural flavors that help enhance and blend flavors are unique to yeast extracts and are often considered the fifth flavor, called umami. Freshness affects taste buds in a similar way to sweetness, so many people often trade yeast extracts for food to bite into their sweet tooth. Another way in which yeast extract has proven to be healthier is in its ability to replicate salt flavors, thus reducing sodium overall. Finally, because it is an all-natural ingredient, consumers can rest assured that they are being provided with only the best food for their families.