- 11/10/2025
- Article
- Food/Feed
From bean to burger: Process engineering as the key to vegan products
Vegan nutrition is a trend that can no longer be stopped. It is also driven by technological innovations. A look at market trends and the most important manufacturing processes shows that modern process technology is crucial to the success of vegan products.
Written by Marius Schaub
Vegan nutrition: Development, market, and relevance in Germany
Even though the EU Parliament wants to ban names such as “veggie sausage” in the future, more and more consumers in Germany and other countries are turning to plant-based diets – whether for ethical, ecological, or health reasons. The market volume for vegan and vegetarian foods in Germany is currently already over 1.2 billion euros. Sales of meat substitutes in particular have more than doubled in the last decade: from 273 million euros in 2019 to almost 650 million euros in 2024. With 1.52 million vegans and a further 8.12 million vegetarian consumers, as well as a significant proportion of flexitarians, the market offers enormous growth potential. Germany is also a pioneer in the market launch of vegan products: around 15 percent of all new products worldwide originate from the German market.
Differences from traditional foods: climate, resources, nutrition
Compared to conventional meat or dairy products, vegan alternatives usually have a significantly better environmental balance: CO2 emissions, water and land consumption, and the ecological footprint are lower on average. From a nutritional point of view, vegan products offer many advantages, but they also pose challenges in terms of development, for example in the provision of essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. Research at institutes such as the Fraunhofer IVV shows how targeted process engineering is continuously increasing the nutritional density and sensory quality of plant-based alternatives.
Key processes in vegan food production
Process engineering plays a crucial role in all efforts to develop new vegan products and optimize the properties of existing foods.
Protein extraction and modification
Protein extraction is at the heart of plant-based alternatives: high-quality protein fractions are extracted from raw materials such as soy, peas, wheat, lupins, oats, potatoes, algae, and mushrooms using mechanical, enzymatic, dry, or wet processes. The Fraunhofer IVV has been driving the development of extraction technologies, functional protein fractions, and their modification for industry for several years. But machine and technology providers such as Lödige and Probst & Class also offer the food industry equipment that guarantees efficient processing, homogenization, and production of plant-based protein mixtures.
Extrusion: Texture and bite for alternative products
Extrusion is a key process for creating meat-like textures. This involves passing a protein mixture through an extruder at high temperatures, under pressure and shear, causing the molecules to rearrange and form a fibrous, firm structure. Machine manufacturers such as Kilia and Ruland offer complete systems for the industrial production of meat substitute products. They rely on flexible extrusion solutions as well as mixing, cutting, and forming technology for structure, juiciness, and mouthfeel. Amixon, a specialist in powder mixing technology, also contributes to the development of uniform starting products.
Fermentation: Taste, Functionality, Nutritional Value
Fermentation processes are increasingly being used in the production of vegan foods. Microorganisms such as lactic acid bacteria or molds improve the flavor and increase the protein value. Precision fermentation produces purely plant-based ingredients such as milk proteins or enzymes for cheese alternatives, which were developed at Fraunhofer IVV, among others. Suppliers such as Ruland offer automated process systems in hygienic design for the production of vegan fermentation products. Krones uses its many years of expertise in brewing technology to develop systems for the production of alternative proteins for vegan foods.
Further processes and new technologies
In addition to the key technologies mentioned above, inline measurement and automation technology, colloid mills (such as those from Probst & Class), and special mixers such as those from Lödige or Amixon are becoming increasingly important in ensuring high levels of consistency, taste, and microbiological safety. Future trends include working with microbial and cell-cultured proteins, 3D food printing, and the continuous automation of entire production lines. Here, too, manufacturers such as Ruland are already important drivers today.
Conclusion: Process engineering as a driver of innovation
Behind the success of vegan products lies dynamic and highly technical process engineering. It enables plant-based foods to be brought closer and closer to the top quality of meat, milk, and cheese, making them accessible to a broad market. Future innovations—for example, in protein sources or in the form of digitized processes—will continue to drive the industry forward and have a significant impact on the state of the art in food production and sustainable nutrition.
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