Alternative proteins pique international interest At least 200 exhibitors presented products at the 2022 IFFA show A lternative protein process technologies and ingredients were leading features of the 2022 IFFA show. At least 200 of the approximately 900 exhibitors showcased products for this segment, organizers of the show noted. IFFA said that visitors to the show expressed great interest in plant-based meat alternatives, hybrid products and cell-cultured meat - both on the exhibitors' booths and with their participation in the event program. Although sales of plant-based proteins have plateaued, IFFA noted that " ... people have expressed a desire to eat less meat. Industry and trade are therefore developing ever more perfect plantbased alternatives - the market for meat alternatives based on plants or from cell cultures is growing rapidly. New products are emerging which also mean a boost in innovation for production technology. " Technologies such as extrusion processes are often used by plant-based protein manufacturers to obtain a meatlike texture. IFFA said that, depending on the process, dry granules can be produced and further processed into minced meat-like products. For vegetarian cutlets fibrous protein structures can be produced through wet extrusion. " With the extrusion technology, all users, e.g. start-ups and larger manufacturers of meat alternatives, have the right core technology given a hand to meet the increasing market 20 2022 IFFA RECAP MEAT+POULTRY