Bezmięsny explains why taste, nutrition, transparent ingredients and everyday convenience must develop together – and how FUDO responds to those expectations

The plant-based food market has changed significantly. After a period of rapid growth, consumers have become more conscious, demanding and selective. Today, a plant-based label alone is no longer enough: products also need to deliver taste, nutritional value, transparent ingredients and convenience.

For Bezmięsny, a partner in the Sustain-a-bite initiative, this change creates both a challenge and an opportunity. Innovation is no longer only about replacing animal-derived ingredients; it is about creating products that people understand, enjoy and genuinely want to use in daily life.

The wider Horizon Europe project brings together research and industry partners to develop nutritious, minimally processed plant-based foods and more resource-efficient production concepts.

Innovation starts before the final product

Sustain-a-bite works across several levels of plant-based food development: ingredient functionality, processing methods, nutritional value, sustainability and consumer acceptance. Its methodology combines natural processes such as fermentation and seed activation with other minimal-processing technologies.

The project is investigating how fermentation and seed bioactivation can improve ingredients before they reach the final product stage. For Bezmięsny, participation provides access to knowledge and inspiration that can support the continued development of plant-based foods in Poland and beyond.

This exchange also works in the other direction. Scientific possibilities need to be considered alongside real consumer needs and translated into products that fit familiar meals, routines and expectations.

FUDO: responding to new consumer needs

This perspective is reflected in FUDO, Bezmięsny’s plant-based pea-protein block launched in early 2026. The product was created to offer the functionality and versatility of tofu while providing a different taste experience and nutritional profile.

“Use it like tofu, love it like FUDO.”

The first half of the message describes function. FUDO was designed as a versatile culinary base that can be eaten cold, fried, baked, boiled or frozen. The second half describes experience: unlike plain natural tofu, it has a delicate flavour and a slightly umami profile, so it does not need intensive seasoning or marinating before use.

FUDO also offers an option for consumers who reduce or avoid soy because of allergies, intolerances or personal dietary preferences. Its role is not simply to imitate tofu, but to provide another practical plant-based base for everyday cooking.

Nutrition and ingredient transparency

FUDO contains 17 g of protein and 4.5 g of fibre per 100 g. It is free from soy and wheat, and its recipe includes pea protein, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and flaxseed, alongside plant ingredients, herbs and spices familiar from everyday cooking.

For Bezmięsny, these choices respond to consumers who look beyond a plant-based claim and also consider protein, fibre, ingredient clarity and ease of use when deciding what belongs in their regular meals.

A production process designed to reduce losses

The process begins with seed activation through soaking, which prepares the ingredients for further processing. The base is then prepared, superfoods are added and the mixture is placed in specially designed forms before cooling, cutting and packing.

According to Bezmięsny, the forms help optimise production and reduce raw-material losses. This is distinct from the broader resource-efficiency research conducted within Sustain-a-bite: it is a feature of FUDO’s current production process, not a claim that the product already incorporates every technology studied by the project.

The future of the plant-based market depends on trust

The plant-based sector will not grow through trends alone. Continued development depends on products that consumers enjoy, understand and trust – products that combine taste, nutritional value, simple ingredients, practical functionality and a more responsible approach to production.

Sustain-a-bite’s consumer research examines how people perceive minimally processed plant-based foods and what supports long-term adoption. For food brands, these insights can help connect scientific progress with the decisions consumers make in shops and kitchens.

By combining scientific knowledge, responsible production and real consumer needs, research organisations and food companies can work towards plant-based foods that are more nutritious, more sustainable and better suited to everyday life.