Ingredients make the foundation of food. Food in its rawest form, they are the elements that make up the composition of food, the primary colours from which results the many shades of the culinary world.
At FiE in Frankfurt last week, we saw a range of ingredients in a range of spheres, offering functionality, sustainability and nutritional benefits.
Yeast protein
The plant-based protein trend is changing. Rather than simply being used for meat alternatives, many companies are utilising them for other purposes.
Revyve’s yeast protein, for example, is versatile and has a range of functional benefits. Yeast protein acts ‘like a gel’, Jordania Valentim, chief commercial officer for the company, told FoodNavigator. It can bind together vegetables as well as texturised proteins.
The protein is also allergen-free, she says, meaning that it can be used as an egg substitute for those with allergies to egg. Demand for egg-free products has grown in recent years, she suggested. As a binding agent, yeast protein can work well as a substitute.
“We are here to remove the egg as much as we can, but it doesn’t have to be for plant-based consumers,” she says. The protein can be used as an egg replacer in products such as brioches and burgers, aimed not just at plant-based consumers but those with allergies as well.
Furthermore, according to Valentim, “in terms of nutrition, yeast loses nothing to dairy, to egg, and to meat.” In terms of digestibility, for example, it matches animal proteins.
High oleic palm oil
As the EUDR edges ever closer, companies are looking for sustainable variants of key commodities such as palm oil.
The company Daabon produces high oleic palm oil, a hybrid between the African palm tree and the native Latin American palm tree. According to Daabon, its palm oil is higher in oleic content than ordinary palm oil.
This means, according to the company, it is well suited for liquid vegetable oil applications such as salad dressings, frying, mayo and sauces. The company states that the oil has a high smoke point, as well as higher oxidative stability and less fat intake than other common fry oils.
According to the company, it is also ranked highly for sustainability by the RSPO.
Yeast extract for salt reduction
One of the key trends that FoodNavigator saw at FIE was an overwhelming focus on health. Reducing the need for ingredients such as salt is a part of this.
German company Ohly uses yeast extract as a replacer for salt, aiming to replicate the salt taste without the linked negative health impacts. According to Ohly, these ingredients allow salt to be reduced up to 50% without the taste being significantly impacted. The introduction of the yeast flavour, it suggests, can complement the salt so its reduction is less noticeable.
As well as salt reduction, these ingredients can be used to bring out and enhance flavour, as well as mask the off-notes in plant-based protein.
Preservatives derived from biotechnology
In this year’s FIE, biotechnology was everywhere, moving into a wide range of areas beyond meat and dairy alternatives.
One area where biotechnology is being used is preservatives. Spanish company 3A Biotech is using bioreactors to develop preservatives and antioxidants for food products (along with feed and industrial). Biotechnology can enable companies to respond to very specific needs of their clients, and 3A Biotech’s is no exception.
For example, its range of antioxidants for vegetable fats and oils are suitable for a wide spectrum of processes, taking into account exposure time, temperature and the presence of water, alongside the fatty acid profile of the raw material it is used for. It also provides preservatives which aim to maintain colour in meat, condiments and spices.
Citrus fibre
‘Healthy indulgence’ is one of the key trends seen at FIE, and alongside protein one of the other big ingredients that people look for from healthy products is fibre.
The company Fiber Star, for example, provides citrus fibre to a range of products. As well as dairy, sauces and beverages, Fiber Star provides fibre to bakery products and processed meats, products that are sometimes considered ‘indulgent’.
Alongside health, the company’s fibre also provides functional benefits; for example, Fiber Star’s fibre can, according to the company, improve water holding and contribute to heat and PH stability.
The citrus fibre used is upcycled from the juicing industry and, according to the company, is produced sustainably, with no chemical modifications.
Smart proteins
Continuing with the ‘healthy’ trend, as well as the plant-based market’s move away from meat alternatives, Vienna-based ingredients company Austrion develops ‘smart proteins’ under the brand name Ayaca. These proteins are versatile and can, according to the company, be used in a dynamic array of foods, and with a range of tastes including salty, sour, spicy and sweet.
Furthermore, the product is, according to the company, the only organic protein that does not require refrigeration. It has a shelf life of up to two years.