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Commercial Baking: Plant-based profits – capitalizing on the new normal
Plant-based profits
Consumers have come to expect plant-based products that are as good or better than the original, oftentimes without the use of ingredients that would break their idea of clean label.
+The term ‘plant-based diet’ has been circulating in the US since the 1980s without any formal definition, but now it is one of the trendiest topics in the food industry. While it was originally used to describe a niche population following vegan diets, today ‘plant-based’ has evolved to mean anyone who is actively trying to reduce the number of products they eat that come from animals. Plant-based eating is often grouped with buzzwords like ‘flexitarian,’ ‘alternative’ and ‘better for you.’
A quick walk through the grocery aisles reveals ever-expanding product selections of alternative meats, dairy-free alfredo sauces and even egg- and dairy-free baked goods, all trying to capture a piece of the plant-based food market that is expected to reap a 19.4% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the next six years, according to Grand View Research. Underlying this rapid growth are trends that will gain momentum, and plant-based products should be considered as part of the new normal for doing business in a crowded bakery marketplace.
In a 2020 survey conducted by Archer-Daniels Midland, 44% of respondents said they were actively pursuing a flexitarian diet – which limits the consumption of animal products – going hand-in-hand with the ‘better for you’ market. Increases in plant-based eating are driven by a mixture of changing diets for three main reasons: health factors, dietary preferences and sustainability.
Consumers are concerned with high levels of saturated fats and cholesterol often found in animal products, and they are drawn to the fiber and disease-fighting polyphenols in plantbased products. People following a plant-based diet are also more likely to be concerned with their total protein intake, so product lines that feature plant-based protein are particularly important on the health front.
For bakeries, an important segment of consumers who care about health factors include the 8.7 million Americans with allergies to egg and dairy, two of the hardest ingredients to remove from baked goods. However, taking out eggs and dairy is not enough to gain the halo of being plant-based. Even though many baked goods are already part of a plant-based diet, these products also need to be clean-label and ideally include a unique plant ingredient, such as cauliflower for pizza crust and spinach in wraps, to have the positive associations consumers are looking for.
Dietary preferences as the result of religious beliefs, as well as shifts toward vegetarianism, are also driving the plant-based market, with 61% of females and 60% of males ages 18-34 reporting that that they sometimes or always eat a vegetarian diet, according to a 2019 Harris Poll conducted on behalf of the Vegetarian Resource Group.
The enormous increase in sustainability that comes from eating a plant-based diet is also driving this trend. A 2019 assessment from the University of Wageningen found that eggs and dairy require 4.5 lbs. of protein in feed for every pound of protein produced. The production of animal proteins also requires huge amounts of water and generates significantly more greenhouse gases when compared to currently available plant-based alternatives. These factors are an area of public concern, as topics like climate change and water scarcity become increasingly top of mind, particularly with younger audiences.
Capturing a piece of the growing plant-based market means reformulating indulgent snack cakes and fillings without the use of eggs or dairy.
This means that products need to maintain the chewy, creamy and fatty textures that milk and eggs provide without compromising on flavor or a clean label.
It may be challenging, but if replacements are chosen carefully, the substitution of animal products for plant-based options not only allows bakeries to capitalize on a new market, but it also gives them a chance to make new health claims in other trending categories including high fiber and high protein. This is because many of the best available egg and dairy replacers come from companies that have developed novel ways to process pulses, seaweed and even mushrooms to engineer new ingredients that provide sources of functional fiber and protein.
Pulses are legumes – including peas, lentils, chickpeas and other common beans – which are not primarily used for oil. These plants conform to all the market drivers for plant-based diets including sustainability, health and wellness, and other dietary preferences. They are naturally sustainable, requiring less water than many other crops, and they also fix nitrogen in the soil, reducing the need for fertilizers.
Additionally, pulses do not have any known allergens. They have exploded in use in the past five years, spurring companies like Ingredion, Cargill’s PURIS and Roquette to dramatically increase their product lines of pea protein for use in meat and dairy imitation products. Today, pulses now make up one of the biggest shares of the USD1.4 billion egg replacement market, quantified by Market Data Forecast. This has helped reduce the price of pea protein and spawned secondary markets for flavor maskers specific to hiding the earthy and beany flavor that pea and other pulse proteins can have.
Pea protein and other pulses including lentils have shown their potential in bakery applications. Due to their unique amino acid composition, pulses form complete proteins when partnered with wheat, which opens the door for “excellent source of protein” claims when using these functional ingredients in reformulating baked goods. Pulse proteins have also been found to help replace the emulsions and gels that eggs form in cookies and cakes, maintaining the texture that consumers are looking for. Pound for pound, pulses are the cheapest source of the protein on the planet, and as production continues to ramp up for these products, they can reduce the final cost of baked goods in an environment where the price of animal-based products is often volatile and increasing.
Aside from their protein, pulses also have unique fibers which can be good replacers for eggs and dairy. Aquafaba, the wastewater from producing chickpeas, creates the best alternative currently available for the foaming seen in egg whites in applications such as vegan meringue and meringue powder.
On top of pulse fibers’ ability to make plant-based baked goods, they also add fiber, capitalizing on the trending gut health market.
Companies like PeaTos are using blends of pulse flour and protein isolate to make high-protein and high-fiber chips, while Barilla, the world’s largest pasta maker, has launched pulse-based pasta with various shapes and textures made from red lentil flour and chickpea flour, as well as high-protein pasta featuring pea protein.
Since consumers are already comfortable with seeing things like pea protein, fava bean fiber and other functional ingredients on product labels, the pulse market in baked goods will continue to increase. This high level of consumer acceptance, low cost of ingredients and high levels of sustainability make pulses an important cornerstone in any plant-based product lineup.
There are options other than pulses for replacing eggs and dairy in the bakery aisle though, and seeds including quinoa, flax and chia can all be part of a plant-based strategy.
Ardent Mills launched its Great Plains Quinoa program in 2017 and since then has expanded its quinoa lineup to include ingredients intended for extruded products, bars, biscuits and more. Like pulses, quinoa benefits from strong consumer acceptability, and it is a complete protein, which can help achieve excellent source of protein claims for new product lines.
Quinoa also contains functional fiber, which can be included to replace certain textures in baked goods, as well as reel in
60% 61%
61% of females and 60% of males ages 18-34 said they sometimes or always eat a vegetarian diet
Source: Harris Poll
Going plant-based
ÒREMOVE
Eggs Dairy ËADD
Pulses Seaweed Vegetables
If done strategically, you can capitalize on plant-based eating, and trends including foods for neurological and gut health
Source: Harris Poll
health-conscious customers. Chia and flax seeds are both growing markets in the US and globally and, due to unique carbohydrates, have shown benefits in increasing shelf life in baked goods while also giving a boost in fiber.
They can also be part of egg and dairy replacement strategies, as they have been shown to improve texture in cakes and cookies made without eggs and dairy. Flax is also high in omega-3 fatty acids, opening up the potential for market claims on what is expected to be one of the top trends in 2021 and 2022: foods that promote neurological health. Chia and flax also enjoy high levels of consumer acceptability, and many people group them in the ‘superfoods’ category, which includes ingredients that are particularly nutrient dense.
Some other superfoods such as seaweed have been used for years in the baking industry. They’re often applied in the form of their extracted components carrageenan and agar, but some food manufacturers are now looking at the many other benefits imparted by seaweed.
With as many as 1 million species to choose from, the applications of algae-derived ingredients include antioxidants, antibacterial ingredients, mold inhibitors and texturizers that can aid in replacing eggs and dairy or adding extra nutrition to products. Their bright green or sometimes red colors can also be used as natural sources of color. Additionally, some species contain up to 47% protein.
Seaweed is also considered even more environmentally friendly than pulses, given its incredibly fast growth, removal of carbon dioxide from ocean water and the air, and the fact that they do not require fresh water and fertilizer inputs to grow. These are factors driving the expected 9.7% CAGR for seaweed over the next six years, based on a report from Mordor Intelligence. Companies like Dupont and Cargill and are the largest producers of seaweed powder and blends, and aside from carrageenan and agar, baking companies primarily add seaweed to crackers and other snack goods for an extra kick of umami flavor and to provide unique colors.
While the egg and dairy replacement markets are the most obvious opportunities to capitalize on plant-based additives, adding vegetables to traditional baked goods is another strategy to gain entry to this thriving market. Sweet potatoes, cauliflower, kale, bell peppers and more are all starting to work their way into the baked goods aisle in the form of a partial replacement for flour or even as part of a gluten-free product.
Consumers are increasingly drawn to low-carb and betterfor-you options, and using a vegetable flour to add flavor and color can help catch the shopper’s eye. These color changes are often sought out by those looking for plantbased options. ‘Going green’ can help signal to consumer that you’re also making commitments to sustainability, and these positive associations with natural colors are becoming more popular.
Veggie products have been particularly present in the frozen aisle, where companies like Conagra and Green Giant now offer pot pies and pizza crusts made with cauliflower. Developing strategies around these sorts of ingredients can be another strong entry point for companies trying to figure out how to get into the plant-based market.
Reformulating for the plant-based consumer can be challenging, but the time and effort involved is well worth the potential gain. Providing a diversified lineup of plant-based offerings can help your bakery move toward sustainable and clean-label products that taste just as good as the original.
Ingredients like pulse protein, functional fiber from seaweed and whole flour from pulses can be part of replacing the eggs and dairy in baked goods, and they are already accepted by consumers. Adding these ingredients can also help capitalize on other trending categories like food for neurological health, gut health and benefits from high protein.
Going plant-based can help your bakery capitalize on the new normal, making healthy and sustainable products that consumers feel good about eating. +++
About the author
Harrison Helmick is a PhD candidate in food science at Purdue University. His research includes uncovering new structure-function relationships of plantbased protein. Prior to his Purdue studies, he worked as a production supervisor and continuous improvement supervisor at Bimbo Bakeries USA.
Content provided by Commercial Baking magazine (Avant Food Media)
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Functional ingredients go vegan
Health- and sustainability-conscious consumers determine that bakeries follow suit and reformulate products to be better for you while still preserving their indulgence characteristics. When baking vegan goods, specialty functional ingredients provide the answers to having the best of both worlds.
+Conventional fine baked goods such as cakes, muffins and brioche are traditionally made with animal-based ingredients like egg, milk or butter. Replacing those ingredients is directly linked to poor product performance: the crumb texture will lack cohesion and elasticity, resulting in unstable, crumbly products with low volume and deficits in taste and appearance. Developing vegan bakery products requires a good understanding of the functionality of animal-based ingredients in fine bakery wares. Several functionalities of egg or milk products, such as emulsifying, foaming, texturizing and stabilizing properties, must be provided by other ingredients in order to achieve excellent vegan products without compromising the texture or sensory profile. Furthermore, the ability to use established production processes is important for bakery manufacturers, because they will not need to make any major changes to produce these vegan solutions. At the same time, the challenge is to offer solutions that will allow manufacturers to produce vegan solutions economically.
Cyclodextrins for vegan cakes
A functional ingredient that can also be found in nature provides the solution to replacing eggs in vegan baked goods: Alpha-Cyclodextrin, an oligosaccharide derived from starch. It consists of six glucose molecules linked together to form a ring. The secret of cyclodextrins lies in their unique molecular structure, a donut-like shape. The exterior shell of the molecule is hydrophilic (water-soluble) on the one hand, while the inner cavity, on the other hand, is lipophilic (fat-soluble). This structure enables the cyclodextrin to interact with lipophilic components like residual fatty acids from triglycerides. The resulting cyclodextrin-triglyceride complex exhibits excellent ‘in situ’ emulsifying properties and stabilizes the oil in the batter – a job usually performed by the lecithin in egg yolk, which stabilizes the batter in conventional fine baked goods and ensures an even distribution of fat.
CAVAMAX® W6 developed by WACKER can be used for egg-free or vegan baked goods to provide excellent crumb texture, volume and a taste profile similar to that obtained with the animal-based counterparts. It is a water-soluble dietary fiber with no taste or odor of its own. The free-flowing white powder can be easily dosed together with dry bakery compounds and it does not require major adjustments when including it in existing production processes.
Alpha-cyclodextrin consists of six glucose molecules linked together to form a ring
Beyond its emulsification properties, this Alpha-Cyclodextrin also improves cake crumb texture by interacting with other ingredients of the batter such as proteins and carbohydrates. The usage of cyclodextrin significantly increases cake crumb cohesion and elasticity and ensures adequate crumb firmness, which has a clearly noticeable positive effect on the sensory characteristics of the final baked good. Due to its multifunctionality, CAVAMAX® W6 can be used for partial or total egg replacement in combination with either whey protein concentrates or plant-based protein sources. It is suitable for many applications such as pound cake, sponge cake, muffins and sweet dough products.
WACKER produces the oligosaccharide at its site in Eddyville, Iowa, via an enzymatic process that converts plant starch to cyclodextrins. The site began producing cyclodextrins in 1999, and development has been proceeding steadily ever since.
Utilization
Several formulation guidelines for egg-free and vegan baked goods have been developed in WACKER’s food labs. In muffins, pound cake or brioche, the combination of CAVAMAX® W6, protein and water can completely replace egg or the animalbased ingredients normally found in those products. In a vegan muffin formulation tested by WACKER, the Alpha-Cyclodextrin is combined with almond or pea protein, for example. Water and oil levels have to be adjusted to achieve the desired batter properties. Adding hydrocolloids to work together with CAVAMAX® W6 will help to further finetune product performance.
Vegan dough conditioners: L-cysteine
To standardize the flour and improve the dough’s processability, flours can be treated with enzymes, oxidants or reducing agents like cysteine. The use of L-cysteine is especially common in strong flours, where it reduces the disulfide bonds of the gluten network to weaken it. This results in a softer dough with lower viscoelastic properties, greater extensibility and improved workability. Extensibility and reproducible stretchability are key parameters for tortilla and pizza dough processing, which are becoming more and more industrialized. In addition, proper elasticity is needed to prevent these products from shrinking or curling after they are shaped. Improving dough extensibility with cysteine is also valuable for numerous other yeast and chemically
CAVAMAX® W6 is a water-soluble dietary fiber with no taste or odor of its own. The free-flowing white powder can be used in existing production processes with no need for major adjustments and can easily be added to dry bakery compounds
© WACKER
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