039: Plant-Tec Innovation— The Key to Plant-Based Alternatives That Taste Better Than Real Meat with Lalana Thiranusornkij
Essential Ingredients Podcast
English - June 14, 2022 13:00 - 22 minutes - 17.9 MB - ★★★★★ - 127 ratingsNutrition Health & Fitness Business Entrepreneurship Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Future Food-Tech Alternative Proteins Series Part II
in partnership with Future Food-Tech Alternative Proteins Summit, NYC June 21 - 22, 2022
Episode Description:
“Innovation is all about solving pain points— solving problems. When there's a problem, there's always innovation.” -Lalana Thiranusornkij
The rise of the vegan diet has created a new market for companies to cater to. But it's time to put the myths to bed: plant-based meats aren't just for vegans and vegetarians anymore. In fact, we can now find them in stores near us, and they taste as good or even better than any meat out there.
Yet, having the reputation of being healthy is not enough to lead consumers to adapt plant-based alternatives into their diet. One thing all consumers have in common is that they want their food to taste delicious!
So, what really goes into creating a plant-based alternative? How do they get it to taste so good? And how do they make it so convincing? The answer to these questions is technology. The rise of plant-based meats has been driven by the work of scientists who are making “meat” from plants. Truly, modern technology has given us tons of options when it comes to choosing what we eat.
In this episode, we are joined by Lalana Thiranusornkij, SVP Head of Innovation and New Product Development at Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF) Group. As a leader in the plant-based space and sustainability, the company spent over two years in research and development, and finally they were able to launch MEAT ZERO, Thailand’s best-selling plant-based brand, which has gained favorable responses from the global market. With the help of its Plant-Tec innovation, creating a meat alternative solely from plants but having the flavor and texture of real meat has been made possible.
Listen as Justine and Lalana walk through the process of developing meat alternatives— creating the actual product, determining possible varieties, choosing sustainable packaging, and expanding to the global market.
Meet Lalana:
Lalana Thiranusornkij is the SVP Head of Innovation and New Product Development at CPF Group. She has a PhD in Technopreneurship and Innovation Management from Chulalongkon University. She is an adaptable and transformational leader who has a strong passion for innovation and creativity. She has a solid track record in successfully establishing cross-functional teams and building a sustainable Research and Development in the company.
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Episode Highlights:
01:45 What’s Exciting About Innovation?
04:29 Product Development for the Global Market
11:08 What Clean-Label Product Means
16:27 Adapting to Change
19:22 Continuous Improvement is the Way to Go