Kiwi derived fat replacer claimed to add fibre to baked goods
Adriana Tong, director of Nekta Nutrition, told BakeryandSnacks.com that its new bakery ingredient Nektabake acts as a natural stabilizer, flavour enhancer and texturiser and is produced through a proprietary kiwifruit extraction process that relies on ''enhancing the natural attributes of the fruit'' so that the pulp behaves like fat.
“The natural pectin in Nektabake acts in a similar manner to shortening, fats and oils and naturally mimics the volume and moisture of fats,” she said.
She said that the ingredient, which is supplied in a paste form (40-45 brix), ranges in colour from dark green to brown and has a pH of 3.3. “It is very cost affective to use and in most cases it will lower costs by 7 to 30 per cent in bakery products,” continued Tong.
Natural product
The company director said Nektabake is processed using all the fruit and contains no additives, or added sugars, artificial ingredients or preservatives, and thus adheres to manufacturers’ current clean label requirements.
It has been in development for many years, said Tong, but was only trial launched two years ago in New Zealand with selective industry players. This month sees its wider release.
Fat replacement
Pre-release evaluation of Nektabake was based on cakes, muffins, biscuits, bread and pastry products with trials demonstrating its successful incorporation into bread products with all the added fat, milk powders and eggs removed, she continued.
“The colour of the bread was a little darker than the control but the addition of soy flour ensured a whiter colour. The softness of the bread was good and improved after three days,” commented Tong.
In terms of pastry, she reports, a baker can remove up to 90 per cent fats but that the flavour will change at this level and in cakes, muffins and cookies it is possible to remove up to 100 per cent of fats but the manufacturer, said Tong, would then need to add a natural flavour to give the butter notes.
The natural fructose content in Nektabake enhances a product’s humectancy, explained Tong, and this helps to keep the bread product in a moist state. As fruit sugars are a food source for yeast, Nektabake will feed the yeast longer and in turn gives more volume, she added.
“In some cases it is best to add Nektabake to water (1 to 1) to make a more liquid form to get the best distribution in bakery products,” said Tong.
Multi-functionality
The Nekta Nutrition director also said that its multifunctional ingredient can prevent ice crystallization and makes most products microwaveable:
“The ingredient works in a way that is very similar to encapsulation, in that it coats the water particles to prevent the water from freezing. And the high moisture binding capabilities of Nektabake means it can take up to four times its own weight in water, thus helping to control water loss in products during microwaving.”
The company said that trials showed the ingredient can also be used in dairy and meat products.
