Discover how innovative plant-based fats and oils are transforming the food industry, offering sustainable alternatives to traditional animal-derived products, and learn how to gain consumer trust with clean label ingredients. Kiran Grewal reports.
There is no escaping the fact that animal agriculture is bad for the environment and that the food production system is going to sustain a growing global population. Global analysis has shown that while meat and dairy provide just 18% of calories and 37% of protein, they use 83% of farmland and produce 60% of agriculture’s emissions. In short, it is inefficient and unsustainable.
The food industry is all too aware of this, and is ploughing huge resources into the development of plant-based foods and technologies that have the potential to reduce reliance on animal agriculture. However, predictions of meat and dairy alternatives displacing demand for animal products haven’t quite materialised.
Oliver Zahn, founder of California startup Climax Foods, believes this is because so far, the alternatives are “pretty lacklustre”.
“Usually they don’t taste like animal products. They don’t have the same texture, they don’t have the same functional characteristics when you heat them, and they don’t have the same nutritional value,” he said, addressing delegates at the Future of Nutrition Summit at Fi Europe 2023.
Broadly speaking, two strategies are dominating advancement in this space: using trial and error approximation to develop products that closely resemble their animal-derived counterparts and using precision fermentation to grow cultured meat or dairy.
The problem with ‘band-aid’ products
The problem with the former approach, according to Zahn, is that in trying to recreate the functionality of the animal product, companies usually end up with what he refers to as a “band-aid” product. “They end up piling band-aids on top of one another. They might add flavours, then gums, and in the end, they still don’t manage to recreate the actual functionality,” he said.
He gave the example of casein, a dairy ingredient whose breakdown functionality is difficult to replicate. “If you try to recreate the melt and stretch functionality of casein through a mix of ingredients that aren’t animal-derived protein, you will never end up with the same outcome. It may melt but it won’t melt in the same way,” he said.
Is identical a must?
Turning his focus onto cultured meat and dairy, Zahn questioned the assumption on which this approach is based, namely that the products created have to be biologically and chemically identical to their conventional equivalent.
“The notion that you have to recreate the animal product identically is an interesting route to explore, but ultimately the only thing that matters is that it behaves in the same way. It does not matter whether the protein from which ‘melt and stretch’ is derived has the sequence of casein in it. A human will not look under the microscope. No human cares. No human will ever care,” he said.
So how should the food industry be approaching the development of foods that can replace those produced by land-based agriculture?
Another formulation strategy is ‘deep plant intelligence’
According to Zahn, a better way is leveraging the largest resource of edible protein, lipids, and biodiversity on earth, namely the plant kingdom. This was the premise on which Zahn founded Climax Foods three years ago.
“The plant kingdom is so overwhelmingly large and complex that no company to date has dared to explore what we in data science call the ‘global optimum’ of what you can accomplish in terms of recreating any desirable food functionality,” he said. “Climax Foods is a data science company leveraging deep plant intelligence to unlock food products that are tastier, healthier and more sustainable.”
He said the key to unlocking this potential is to harness the intelligence of both humans and machines. “There is a limit to what humans can imagine. There is also a limit to what machines and AI can imagine. The beauty of our model comes from the symbiosis of the two forms of intelligence,” he said.
He added: “And this is what we’re learning every month in our lab: how we can harness the intelligence of humans and machines simultaneously to speed up the product development process and answer the question of how we can replace animal products in a zero-compromise way more quickly.”
Capturing the human interaction with food through machine analytics
The starting point for this was to collect data on what makes cheese and other animal products behave the way they do in order to provide its AI-driven platform with a set of labels from which to learn.
“In supervised learning, you have a bunch of outcomes that are predicted by a bunch of inputs. So you need a comprehensive set of labels and features to be able to recreate these outcomes,” he explained.
With no existing data available, the company developed a comprehensive set of assays that characterised the human interaction with food – in other words, how humans perceive compounds that affect key functional attributes like flavour, texture, melt and stretch.
Essentially, this enabled it to create an AI-powered sensory panel, a far more cost effective and efficient solution for testing prototypes than using a human panel.
It has also provided the basis for rapidly screening thousands of ingredients and comparing the outcomes to its targets and animal equivalents. Machine learning enables it to converge faster to fewer failed experiments. “We optimise focusing on functional efficacy, ingredient source, scalability and de-risked dependency on any one source ingredient,” explained Zahn.
Through this platform, the company is able to understand how proteins behave in response to physical and chemical modifications, and can optimise them to achieve certain characteristics. For example, it can make a plant-derived milk matrix that it claims is the first protein matrix to stretch and melt like casein, and has developed a plant-based fat that combines the desirable properties of margarine and butter.
Elevating plant-based alternatives to match dairy butter
As consumer preferences shift towards plant-based alternatives, Bunge has unveiled its latest breakthrough in the realm of dairy substitutes: Beleaf™ PlantBetter. This innovative product emerges as the answer to the challenges faced by food manufacturers and bakers who seek plant-based alternatives that can replicate the sensory qualities and versatile functionality of traditional dairy butter, while seamlessly integrating into their current production processes. The surge in demand for dairy alternatives is further fueled by the escalating volatility in butter pricing, prompting the need for sustainable and cost-effective solutions.
Aaron Buettner, President of Food Solutions at Bunge, emphasises the transformative nature of Beleaf™ PlantBetter, stating, “This game-changing innovation brings together the sustainability attributes of plant-based ingredients with the uncompromising sensory and performance characteristics of dairy butter, all while offering a lower cost-in-use compared to traditional butter.”
Beleaf™ PlantBetter is carefully crafted from a blend of primarily coconut, cocoa butter, rapeseed, and lecithins, meticulously formulated to capture the distinctive aroma, taste, and texture of traditional butter. While initially designed for bakery applications, Bunge has ambitious plans to extend its usage to other dairy and confectionery applications in the near future.
In a series of blind sensory panel studies conducted across three countries, Beleaf™ PlantBetter has been proven to be on par with premium national butter brands, affirming its sensory excellence. Moreover, the product offers tangible benefits to manufacturers, including cost savings and reduced input price volatility. By providing stability amidst fluctuating butter prices and offering the convenience of the same processing method as dairy butter, Beleaf™ PlantBetter ensures seamless integration into existing production processes.
Beyond its sensory attributes and functionality, Beleaf™ PlantBetter champions sustainability and transparency. Independently verified studies conducted by the Terra institute confirm that Beleaf™ PlantBetter reduces carbon emissions by 50% compared to standard dairy butter, making it a conscientious choice for both manufacturers and consumers alike. Additionally, the product is composed of easily recognizable ingredients from all natural sources, aligning with the growing consumer desire for transparency in food products.
Revolutionising fats: Cargill’s CremoFLEX for clean label indulgence
Finally, we speak to Cornelia Schaffrath, Product Line Director, Edible Oils Europe at Cargill and ask how does Cargill anticipate CremoFLEX filling fats addressing the current consumer demands for innovative, sensory experiences while ensuring clean labels and sustainable sourcing of ingredients?
Cornelia says: “As consumer access to nutritional information improves, they are increasingly aware of the impact of fats and oils on their diets and health. Most consumers have reported changes in their shopping behaviour, with almost 1 in 3 consumers reporting that they pay more attention to the ingredients in food and beverages now, and 42% are trying to buy healthier products (Source: Cargill’s IngredienTracker 2022).”
Fats continue to be a top ingredient that consumers look at on the nutritional label, beaten only by sugar in terms of top nutritional information sought. Oils are also in the consumer spotlight – those that are recognisable and sound ‘natural’ such as organic sunflower and coconut oil are perceived as a slightly healthier option. Conversely, palm oil and chemical sounding ingredients are all perceived as less healthy, a real consideration for food manufacturers hoping to tap into the clean label and healthy eating trend.
One way that Cargill is helping its customers navigate these demands is with its CremoFLEX ® filling fat range, a customisable range of premium filling fats. These range from “the volumizer”, which enables fluffier delicacies to “the intensifier”, which helps to achieve true indulgence.
The CremoFLEX ® filling range can be tailored to suit different specific formulation needs – including the use of RSPO certified palm solutions – and can be used in several applications like filled biscuits and sandwich cookies, wafers, filled chocolates tablets and pralines. In addition, the portfolio is entirely compliant with Cargill’s commitment to ensuring that 100 percent of its global edible oils portfolio will comply with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended best practice of a maximum two grams of industrially produced trans-fatty acids (iTFA) per 100 grams fats/oils by the end of 2023, including in countries where there currently is no legislative mandate.
CremoFLEX ® also meets the WHO standard (which is also the standard for European Union regulation) and offers the ability to develop indulgent products with a lowered saturated fatty acid (SAFA) by comparison to conventional solutions and provides clean label non-hydrogenated products. Our range of solutions are tailored to our customer’s need, including “the volumizer” to enable fluffier delicacies, “the equalizer” to reach healthier filling options, “the intensifier” for true indulgence and the “all-rounder” for cost effective and easy processing solutions.
So, what role does innovation play in maintaining a competitive edge in the food industry in terms of healthy fat and oil? Cornelia says: “The world is fast-paced and changing quickly, with volatility becoming the new ‘normal’. As an organisation, we are adapting accordingly to work more regionally with our customers, providing them with a breadth and depth of resources that set a new standard for innovation and collaboration.
“Our customers are looking for a growth and innovation partner who engages further on sustainability, while continuing to deliver reliably. Cargill Food Solutions is our response, where we innovate to new heights, deliver comprehensive solutions, and accelerate sustainability – all anchored by connections to revitalise food for happier, healthier lives.
“Our customers can depend on our insight-led innovation to create nutritious and tasty products that contribute to happier, healthier lives. One great example can be found in the development of plant-based and healthier solutions to tap into macro trends. Here we can bring a broad portfolio of solutions – from texturisers and fats to healthier oils – that can deliver a delicious mouthfeel and enhanced flavours while serving consumer demand.”
The food industry faces challenges due to the environmental impact of animal agriculture and the need for sustainable alternatives to meet growing global demand. Despite investment in plant-based options, current alternatives often fall short in taste and functionality. Oliver Zahn of Climax Foods advocates for leveraging plant resources through data-driven innovation and Bunge’s Beleaf™ PlantBetter offers a promising solution, replicating traditional butter’s qualities sustainably.
Introducing Cargill’s Oils & Fats Solutions!
Indulgence remains one of the essential reasons for purchasing bakery products. However, consumers want the best of both worlds, and expect tasty products with a healthier profile. Elevating texture through the right ingredients is key to meeting consumer expectations. That’s why bakers are increasingly looking to differentiate the look and feel of their product via the dough and batter.
Oils and fats are key components in achieving desired textures in baked goods and contribute to the overall indulgence. They also play a role in reaching the claims that consumers are looking for.
That’s where Cargill comes in as your partner to elevate baking indulgence!
Your elevation & innovation partner
Cargill’s wealth of baking oils and fats solutions, years of bakery experience and supply chain capabilities make us your bakery expert partner. Our ingredient, formulation and baking technology expertise will help speed up your product development process.
Whether you’re on a journey towards healthier formulation, cost efficiency, supply security, sustainability, and plant-based alternatives, we have the customizable solutions you need to succeed.
Oils and fats
• Wealth of baking fats solutions: By leveraging our broad portfolio of baking fats (liquids, fats, specialities, and blends) you can meet key consumer needs around both indulgence and healthier nutritional profiles. In this way, you can tackle any look and feel challenge or formulation need in a holistic way.
• Trust meets partnership: Partnering with Cargill will help you facilitate seamless operations with end-to-end commercialization support and global supply chains. In this way, you will benefit from our risk management services and sustainability solutions.
• Baking excellence: By relying on our dedicated R&D specialists, vast ingredient and application knowhow, you’ll be able to translate trends into winning concepts. We offer a holistic technical expertise across all ingredients in the recipe and the knowledge of their interdependence on each other.
To show what’s possible, our bakery application teams have been busy in creating some excellent concepts that demonstrate how we are elevating baking indulgence together.
For example, we have developed three delicious madeleines validating the functional benefits of our baking oils and fats. They deliver the uniformity and elasticity of the crumb, support creaminess and airy mouthfeel, generate tenderness, and impact sweetness perception. Expert sensory panel assessments were also done to objectively describe the sensory attributes and match them with the key consumer benefit platforms uncovered from Cargill’s proprietary market research.
Your baking indulgence partner
In short, Cargill is your partner for elevating baking indulgence. Beyond oils
& fats, we have an unparalleled portfolio
of bakery ingredients in terms of cocoa & chocolate, starches, sweeteners, texturizers, proteins, fibers, functional systems and decorations & inclusions.
We know how all these bakery ingredients interact and work together to deliver the best bakery sensation. We understand your challenges, needs and opportunities, so you can focus on what you do best: creating moments of indulgence.
So whether you’re looking for baking oils and fats for cakes, biscuits or any other applications, reach out to our bakery experts today and let us help you identify the best solution to address your business challenges. Let’s elevate baking indulgence together!
Editorial contact:
Editor: Kiran Grewal kgrewal@kennedys.co.uk
