With around 65% of the human population being lactose intolerant after infancy and with the growing demand for sustainability, plant-based ice cream is an opportunity not to be missed.
Rice on the rise ?
According to a 2019 report by Grand View Research, the global dairy-free ice cream market size was valued at $455.9 million in 2018 and is expected to reach $1.2 billion by 2025. Evidently, we are seeing tubs of plant-based ice cream just flying off the shelves where new flavours are emerging at a rapid pace. So how do you keep up with innovation and get your piece of the pie? Perhaps rice is the answer.
We took a look at Japan and came across the rising popularity of rice-based ice cream, in particular rice gelato. Their rice gelato is primarily based from Sake Kasu, which is fermented rice left over from the sake brewing process. If you combine it with lactic acid, it creates a creamy yoghurt flavour. The result is an incredibly similar texture to ice cream that can deliver the same sweet satisfaction. It could be the trick to achieve pure indulgence using dairy-free and remain competitive to standard premium ice cream.
A fermented ice cream, full of nutrients
Rice gelato has also the added benefit of being extremely rich in nutrients since it is a fermented product. Fermented foods are rich in probiotic bacteria and helps to enhance one’s immune system. This added benefit could be the key difference between other rice-based desserts such rice pudding.
Overall, it is certainly a compelling idea to explore further. What remains to be decided is how to position your frozen fermented rice-based product in comparison to your competition. Do you see a gap in your market? If so, see if you can innovate with rice!
About INNODELICE
INNODELICE is a worldwide ecosystem of frozen dessert manufacturers / brand owners, importers and suppliers. We help them discover, buy and/or sell between them the needed solutions to drive growth for their respective businesses. Connect with us for more information on innovative frozen desserts (including rice ice cream!).