University of Helsinki’s OatGuard targets the taste problem holding back plant-based foods

Taste has remained one of the biggest obstacles to broader consumer acceptance of plant-based foods, even as pressure has grown for diets that are healthier and more sustainable. Now, researchers at the University of Helsinki have developed OatGuard, a clean-label ingredient made from oats and other natural ingredients, in a bid to help manufacturers tackle bitterness and improve mouthfeel across a wide range of products.

• OatGuard was developed by the University of Helsinki as a clean-label ingredient designed to mask bitterness and improve texture in plant-based foods using oats and natural components.
• The project has been supported by Business Finland funding from March 2025 to August 2026 to prepare the technology for commercialization and expand testing across food applications.
• The ingredient has been tested across plant-based meats, dairy alternatives, gluten-free bakery, and sports nutrition products to address flavor and sensory challenges limiting consumer acceptance.

The technology, being advanced through Helsinki Innovation Services, has been developed to address one of the most persistent complaints around plant-based eating: that many products still fall short on flavor. While plant-based proteins have continued to gain ground globally, unpleasant off-notes, especially bitterness, have limited repeat purchases and slowed adoption in categories that otherwise appeared primed for growth.

OatGuard emerged from research led by Professor Kati Katina and her team at the Department of Food & Nutrition in the Faculty of Agriculture & Forestry at the University of Helsinki. The project initially focused on identifying taste challenges in plant-based protein sources including faba beans, before moving toward the development of a masking solution that could work without relying on artificial additives or heavy use of salt and sugar.

That distinction matters in a market increasingly shaped by clean-label expectations. Conventional approaches to bitterness reduction often depend on chemical additives or formulation strategies that can undermine a product’s nutritional profile. OatGuard has been developed as an alternative that stays closer to current consumer demands for recognizable ingredients and more natural processing approaches.

Professor Kati Katina, project lead, said: “One of the biggest hindrances to the wider use of plant-based ingredients and side streams is taste. OatGuard is a potential solution to mitigate taste challenges and increase the use of plant-based ingredients.”

The ingredient has been developed not only as a flavor-masking tool but also as a texture-enhancing solution. That has widened its potential use across multiple food categories, from plant-based meat and dairy alternatives to gluten-free bakery and sports nutrition products. According to the project team, the technology can either be incorporated into plant-based ingredients such as protein concentrates or added during processing by manufacturers producing finished foods.

That flexibility could prove commercially important. Many ingredient technologies show promise in one narrow application but become harder to justify when formulators need separate solutions for different end uses. OatGuard has instead been developed with broader functionality in mind, allowing it to address both flavor and sensory quality in several product formats where off-notes continue to be a barrier.

The team has argued that this challenge extends beyond mainstream plant-based categories. Side stream-derived ingredients and underused plant materials often carry strong flavors that make them harder to deploy in consumer-facing products, even when they offer clear sustainability or nutritional benefits. In that sense, the technology has intersected with several priorities shaping food innovation, including waste reduction, ingredient efficiency, clean-label formulation, and healthier product design.

The commercial rationale is clear. If manufacturers can improve taste without adding artificial masking agents or relying heavily on salt and sugar, they may be better placed to bring more acceptable plant-based products to market while maintaining nutritional and label claims. Improved sensory performance could also help expand the use of plant-based ingredients in categories where formulation challenges have limited progress.

Beyond bitterness reduction, the project team has reported that OatGuard improves texture, an issue that often goes hand in hand with flavor perception. Graininess, dryness, and weak mouthfeel have all contributed to consumer dissatisfaction in plant-based foods, particularly in dairy alternatives and high-protein applications. A solution that addresses both flavor and texture therefore carries more weight with manufacturers than a narrower masking ingredient alone.

The project has now moved closer to commercialization. The team has been engaging with food industry players to better understand flavor problems from a commercial and formulation perspective, while continuing to refine OatGuard’s composition and processing. Work has also expanded the range of products in which the technology has been tested, with the aim of demonstrating performance across varied food applications.

That next stage has been supported by Research to Business funding from Business Finland, running from March 2025 to August 2026. The funding period has been used to prepare the technology for commercialization, while enabling continued technical development and industry engagement.

For Helsinki Innovation Services and the University of Helsinki researchers behind the project, the focus has not been on creating another plant-based ingredient, but on addressing one of the category’s most persistent challenges. Manufacturers have spent years improving nutrition, scaling protein production, and broadening product ranges, yet taste has continued to determine repeat purchase.

OatGuard has been developed with that constraint in mind. If it delivers consistent results across different product categories, it could provide ingredient producers, distributors, and manufacturers with a more natural approach to tackling off-notes while supporting clean-label claims and improved sensory quality.

As the commercialization phase progresses, the team has confirmed it remains open to discussions with ingredient producers, distributors, end-product manufacturers, and potential investors as it works to bring the technology to market.