Ferré & Consulting Blog (English Version)

Arla Foods Ingredients (AFI) has launched an egg-free glaze for bakery products that the company claims meets consumer demands and reduces raw material costs.

Glazes give a shine and golden tinge to baked goods that can make a crucial difference to consumers when deciding between different products. But they do contribute to production costs.

Cost savings

Arla claims its egg-free glaze MULTILAC BK1111 is a cheaper alternative to liquid pasteurised egg, typically cutting raw material costs by 10-30 per cent.

But it also claims that the glaze does a better job than traditional alternatives. AFI said: “Trials show the egg-free glaze can give a higher, longer-lasting shine than traditional egg wash.” In addition, it is capable of holding toppings such as sesame and poppy seeds in place.

AFI did not reveal the details of the formulation of the new glaze but said that it was built on the basis of tailor made solutions it has developed for clients.

“Although we have sold similar egg-free solutions for specific bakery products, this is the first all-round solution in our range,” said Søren Rothbøl Nørgaard, head of the AFI bakery application centre.

Label issues

AFI said is a natural, E-number free product that in most cases will not require companies to add anything to their labels as the ingredients in the glaze are typically already part of the formulation. There is also a low risk of contamination compared to liquid egg wash, which can be a potential breeding ground for bacteria.

MULTILAC BK1111 comes in a soluble powder form and just needs to be added to water in preparation for use.

Source: Bakery and Snacks

Ingredients ARLA, egg-free glaze, liquid pasteurised egg, MULTILAC BK1111

Puratos has developed a healthy snacking concept, based around its existing Oxanti chocolate product and combinations with the company’s other ingredients.

The Oxanti healthy snacking range includes a cereal bar, which has 45% more protein compared to other leading cereal bars, a wholegrain cake that has 40% less saturated fat than similar cakes, a ganache tart at just 74 calories per tart; and a friand that is very low in sodium (58% less compared to similar products).

Oxanti is part of the Belcolade range of chocolate made from single Origin cocoa beans from Ecuador with higher antioxidant levels. The company also claims that its antioxidant power remains effective for longer, thanks to a patent-pending conching process.

Chocolate Chocolate, Oxanti, Puratos

The world’s first 100 percent biodegradable chip packet – designed by FritoLay for its SunChips brand – has come in for criticism from Facebook members, with more than 30,000 agreeing the new packaging is too loud.

PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay North America division said it took four years to develop the 100 percent compostable package, which was launched in the United States in April. The snacks bags are made with the plant-based renewable material, polylactic acid (PLA), and biodegrade in as little as 14 weeks under ideal conditions.

At the time of publishing, the Facebook group SORRY BUT I CAN’T HEAR YOU OVER THIS SUNCHIPS BAG had attracted 32,464 fans, with many posting comments complaining that the new bags frighten their pets or that conversation cannot be heard over the sound of the packet.

One recent posting on the group’s wall said: “How am I supposed to sneak chips from the bag now without anyone knowing?”

In response to the consumer noise over the issue, the company has provided on-shelf signs that say: “Yes, the bag is loud. That’s what change sounds like.”

The package was chosen by product innovation experts from the market research organization Mintel at last month’s IFT food expo in Chicago as one of the most innovative new products of the past year. According to Mintel’s research, 43 percent of consumers say they are likely to buy the SunChips product because of its strong eco-friendly positioning.

No one from FritoLay was available to respond to a request for further information prior to publication.

However, some fans of the Facebook page have defended the SunChips packaging. Another posting reads: “A 100% compostable bag, great for the environment, and what bothers you is that it’s loud? Are you trying to hide the fact that you’re eating them? Pour them into a bowl and quit complaining.”

Facebook is the most popular social networking site, used by 78 percent of online households, according to TNS. The research organization has said that social media has the potential to “transform marketing as we know it.”

Source: Bakery and Snacks

packaging biodegradable, FritoLay, packet

Ferenc Mohos, the managing director of Food Quality 1992 in Budapest, Hungary, has launched the book Confectionery and Chocolate Engineering: Principles and Applications. It is published by Wiley.

“Confectionery and chocolate manufacture has been dominated by large-scale industrial processing for several decades. It is often the case, though, that a trial and error approach is applied to the development of new products and processes, rather than verified scientific principles,” notes Mohos.

The purpose of the book is to describe the features of unit operations used in confectionary manufacturing. In contrast to the common technology-focused approach to this subject, this volume offers a scientific, theoretical account of confectionery manufacture, building on the scientific background of chemical engineering.

The large diversity of both raw materials and end products in the confectionery industry makes it beneficial to approach the subject in this way. The industry deals with a variety of vegetable based raw materials as well as milk products, eggs, gelatin, and other animal-based raw materials. A study of confectionery and chocolate engineering must therefore examine the physical and chemical, as well as the biochemical and microbiological properties of the processed materials.

By characterizing the unit operations of confectionery manufacture the author, who has over 40 years’ experience in confectionery manufacture, aims to open up new possibilities for improvement relating to increased efficiency of operations, the use of new materials, and new applications for traditional raw materials.

The book is aimed at food engineers, scientists, technologists in research and industry, as well as graduate students on relevant food and chemical engineering-related courses.

Confectionery Production will run extracts from the book during the coming months.

Source: Confectionery Production

Chocolate, Confectionery Chocolate, confectionary, Ferenc Mohos, manufacturing