NEWS
New texturates for a wide range of fish and meat substitute applications Via its Vitatex® brand, GoodMills Innovation has announced that it is presenting the sector with some new texturates made from wheat, soy and peas, and at a time when vegan and vegetarian options are in increasing demand. Ideal for the production of fish alternatives such as tuna substitutes and vegan versions of fish fingers, pan- or deep-fried fish, versatile popular meat applications can also be reproduced in a ‘true-to-the-original’ format, claim the company. From a sensory point of view, end products based on Vitatex are particularly convincing due to their authentic fibrous texture, they also claim. The high protein content adds nutritional benefits and, thanks to the high waterbinding capacity of the texturates, individual consistencies can be created too. In addition, they add texture and structure to both convenience and hybrid products with products made with Vitatex also optimally suited for the frozen food sector. The plant-based market is skyrocking, with vegan seafood in especially
high demand (according to a survey from ProVeg International, for example, 85% of respondents who follow a solely plant-based lifestyle report a lack of onshelf choices, especially when it comes to seafood alternatives). GoodMills Innovation feels that its new products will enable manufacturers to position themselves in a market that is popular and still relatively unsaturated. Vitatex can be used to replicate canned tuna, a common ingredient for pizzas and classic to-go snacks such as wraps and sandwiches, but whether it’s fish & chips, fish fingers or fishcakes, all of these specialities can be readily converted into vegan form with Vitatex, claim the company. Furthermore, manufacturers can realise a versatile application portfolio within the meat substitute segment, such as vegetable counterparts of ‘beef’ patties, ‘meat’ balls, ‘Bolognese’ sauce, ‘chicken’ nuggets, Vienna sausages or schnitzels, the company point out, these prototypes having successfully come to life in GoodMills Innovation’s proprietary GoodMills Innovation Centre. During the past decade, the company
has demonstrated its application expertise with wheat texturates, but by implementing new extrusion technology and adding soy and peas to its raw material portfolio, it feels that it has succeeded in raising the sensory quality of fish and meat substitute products to a new level (to imitate fish or meat, the texturates are rehydrated and processed with other ingredients). Because of their authentic fibrousness, Vitatex can be used to make substitute fish and meat products that closely replicate the original dish, with the added benefit of being 100% vegetable. Off-notes can be successfully remedied with the use of special flavours and spices, say the company, who also offer a variety of customised solutions on request. The range is available in different sizes or granulations and is easy to process, and for the production of alternative end products, conventional meat and fish production equipment can be used, as well as mixers and stirrers from the bakery sector, say GoodMills Innovation.
FareShare celebrates the companies achieving the ‘gold standard’ in food waste fight FareShare, the UK’s largest food redistribution charity, has launched a new scheme to recognise food businesses in the supply chain which consistently divert their edible surplus food to charities and community groups. Over 100 companies will be awarded a Leading Food Partner badge, including Tesco and Cranswick. Over the last year, the food industry has diverted 35,000 tonnes of in-date, nutritious food that would otherwise have been wasted, enough to create 84 million meals for vulnerable families –and avoid the needless wasting of 56,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases emitted in the production of this food. Food waste accounts for 10% of the world’s CO2 emissions, and, in the UK alone an estimated 2m tonnes of edible food is wasted every year. Diverting unsold, edible food to charities avoids 17x more carbon emissions than the next most environmentally friendly method of disposal (sending it to animal feed). 10 November 2021 www.sandwichandfoodtogonews.co.uk
FareShare CEO, Lindsay Boswell, said: “Food waste is an enormous contributor to climate change – and, quite frankly, this issue hasn’t been getting the attention it merits at COP. “Hearteningly, the food industry has woken up to the problem of food waste. In the last five years we’ve quadrupled the amount of surplus food we redistribute, working with over 700 food businesses in the past year alone. Companies are putting plans in place to measure and report on food waste within their operations, reduce avoidable waste, then divert in-date, edible food that can’t be sold to charities putting meals onto people’s plates. “We value each and every one of our food partners, but the Leading Food Partner badge recognises businesses who have achieved the gold standard when it comes to fighting food waste within their operations – those who are consistently getting surplus food to good causes,and taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint.”
