A key driver of the food ingredients industry is the ability to innovate. Innovation may bring about added value, and as such, premium pricing opportunities. This is particularly true for ingredients companies working in today's sluggish climate.
The upcoming Food ingredients Europe exhibition in Germany next week is obviously the opportunity for the industry to promote these innovative products to potential buyers. The Dutch company DSM, which reported a less than rosy set of second quarterly figures in July, will present a host of new launches in Frankfurt.
The company's savoury ingredients business unit will launch new products under its Maxavor and Maxarome portfolio of savoury building blocks. These include the yeast-based Maxavor Rye M series of vegan ingredients that 'create a roasted, meaty taste direction, but are free from animal derivatives'.
Responding to increasing health concerns for lower dietary salt, Maxavor Rye ABLS, a low sodium process flavour with a 'clean roast note' and Maxarome Plus LS and Plus MS, a low and medium sodium natural flavour enhancer, are also on show from the company.
Tackling the stable but relatively stagnant baking industry DSM's business unit baking enzymes will exhibit its recently launched bacterial xylanases for baking, Bakezyme BXP 5000 and Bakezyme BXP, that both originate from the Bacillus Subtilis. According to the company, both products provide 'dry, smooth doughs and improve gluten extensibility as well as dough tolerance'.
In addition, DSM claims they improve 'oven-spring, crumb structure and softness as well as increasing volume'. The difference between the two products is that Bakezyme BXP 5001 yields dryer doughs and Bakezyme BXP 5000 has a positive anti-staling effect.
Tapping into the burgeoning trend for healthy dairy products, DSM's second-generation LAFTI probiotic strains will be on show. LAFTI strains - suitable for use in dairy drinks, yoghurts and dietary supplements - deliver more live bacteria to the GI tract to promote health and a general feeling of well-being, claims the company.
Moving onto the competitive world of sweeteners, the Holland Sweetener company, DSM's joint affair with Tosoh for the manufacture and sale of aspartame, will highlight Twinsweet, a new intense sweetener for a range of foods and beverages including instant powder drinks, dairy, confectionery and table-top sweeteners.
Twinsweet - that combines 64 per cent of the salt of aspartame and 36 per cent acesulfame - is approximately 350 times sweeter than sugar.