18th September, 2021

We all strive to live a healthier life and veggie products have indisputably been widely accepted as healthier options than meat. As nearly 82% of India’s 1.3 billion residents identify as Hindus, Jains or Buddhists; it can be safe to say that nearly each of these are built on the central tenets of vegetarianism. This is one of the factors that continues to fuel the shift to vegetarian and vegan products. 

When it comes to the delectable delight of sausages, Indians have never paid too much attention to meat sausages due to different reasons. In this regard, the plant based meat sausages will reinvent the sausage concept for veg, non-veg and flexitarian consumers seeking innovative and “out of the box” products that offer a unique texture, bite, chewability and a totally different mouthfeel experience. 

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Delving Into the Niche for Vegan Sausages In India

India’s ever growing national food demand is gradually putting a strain on human health as well as that of animals and livestock. Hence to remedy this, the Indian markets have been looking toward smart proteins. And plant-based products are a major part of this. Because of the nascent stage of the plant-based industry within the country, opportunities are rife for facilitating and streamlining the production of sausages in India.

And when it comes to sausages, Viscofan is the right partner to go with. Viscofan is world's number one casing company  and presents the largest range of lucrative products for food processors as well as consumers. Viscofan is in India to extend its ingenious technical service to lend a hand to food processors, retailers, D2C companies, food brands,… so they can develop and exploit plant based meat sausages in addition to a vast variety of foodstuff products.

The Ingenuity of Viscofan Veggie Casings

Viscofan offers the food processing industry with the solutions and tools to produce foodstuff products. Given the extraordinary impact on the society globally, especially those who are concerned to live a more healthy life and to consume more sustainable products with less environmental impact, Viscofan has developed the only real EDIBLE vegetable casing, The Veggie Casing. The veggie casings are designed especially for being used in vegetable and vegan recipes. However, the best part is that the veggie casings also work exceedingly well for all types of sausages (breakfast sausages, pepperoni, chorizo,…). Aimed at meeting the demand of veg consumers, their vegetable casing are the only edible ones available in the market. Moreover, they are created using plant ingredients. This makes sure that they are absolutely free from GMO and allergens. They are even gluten-free which helps those who are conscious about maintaining a gluten-free diet. 

Particularly perfect fresh and cooked preparations, Viscofan veggie casings showing good frying ability. Moreover, they offer a super-tender bite. This edible product is a ‘ready to use’ casing. Some of the key facets of this product that make it sought after is its ease of use as it’s presented on stick format. Simple to stuff and handle, you can use it with existing stuffing, linking and processing machinery. Because it is edible, these casings do not need to be peeled off and in fact, they enhance the meal experience as the covering offers a pleasant texture to the final product.

The Growth Story

Viscofan offers its proprietary casing technology to over 100 nations and is renowned for facilitating an extraordinarily positive environmental impact on the society. As a matter of fact, two out three sausages that are consumed in the US (largest sausage market in the world) are produced using Viscofan´s technology. The company’s breakthrough technology aids many who hope to establish a more healthy life by consuming foodstuffs that are more sustainable. Furthermore, Viscofan’s premier casing technology has ensured it stands out for food producers and product developers. This is mainly because the company can optimize costs and streamline processes while still managing to maximize production yields. 

José Domingo de Ampuero y Osma, the President of Viscofan Group speaks of their journey on a global level, saying, “We currently have 22 production plants and our own presence in 19 countries, from where we sell to more than 100 countries throughout the world. The acquisitions of Vector, Supralon, Transform Pack, Globus and Nitta Casings in recent years reinforce our business model. A global presence that combines our production presence on the most significant markets with a sufficient scale to attend to a multitude of countries with homogeneous quality requirements. This combination of flexibility and proximity has been decisive when restricting movements, both of people and goods, enabling Viscofan to be a guaranteed provider of supply needs such as those that have arisen this year.”

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Let’s Glance at the Mission and Vision of Viscofan Group

One of the leading reasons why Viscofan Group’s offerings are sought after is that they have made it their sole aim to meet the rising demand of the global food industry for customized casings. They are widely seen as authentic global leaders when it comes to producing sausages and foodstuff products. The largest and most well-known plant-based meat brands and Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) all around the globe are in different levels of collaborations with Viscofan to not only supply their know-how and casing technology but also to develop new products.This is primarily because Viscofan proactively develop an in-house knowledge using different ingredients from different suppliers which represent an unmatched value proposition in the market when it comes to service, pricing and even their stellar technology they use.

The Alternative Protein Sector in India

Recent surveys have observed that in India, a whopping 77% of the consumers nationwide are open to trying plant-based products. This also suggests that plant-based veggie casings such as those offered by Viscofan have the best potential for success in the Indian market to take the sausage concept to a mass adoption level. Speaking of meeting the rising consumer demand, President Jose adds, “The pandemic has shaken up consumer habits in many countries. We have continued to eat, but we have had to adapt to a context of restrictions and less social interaction. Our diversified product portfolio has given us sufficient flexibility to adapt to this change. Perhaps there has been a slowdown in the marketing of new products but, on the other hand, others, in which our proposal is the market benchmark, have accelerated,” he explains.

You may reach out to Sinues Pedro (sinuesp@viscofan.com), the India Business Head of Viscofan to delve into more details of the first ever 100% edible veggie casing that’s swiftly establishing a market stronghold globally and for any further technical assistance which may be required.