Ingredient innovation that makes you sit up and take notice

Bunge Loders Croklaan is a global pioneer in specialty and nutritional fats. The company is active in tracking changing consumer and product trends and aims to provide new solutions to adapt to these innovations.

THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC increased demand for food ingredients that are perceived as immunity-boosting; coupled to natural, plant-based and cleanlabel products.

Traditionally, non-tempering cocoa butter alternatives (CBA) were used for making chocolate compounds by hydrogenating vegetable oils like palm kernel oil, palm oil or soybean oil. This process results in the formation of trans-fats – reportedly very bad for human health.

To prevent trans-fat formation, most producers used full hydrogenation. This could result in an end-product with a very high level of saturated fat. Intake of high saturated fat in the diet is also considered bad for health, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Most low transfat alternative fats available in the market contain a very high level of saturated fat.

Keeping innovation on the agenda, BLC developed a range of CBAs for confectionery application that doesn’t use a hydrogenation process, which won’t cause an increase of trans-fat and saturated fat. They are produced using special technology of interesterification, which doesn’t cause trans-fat formation. Furthermore, these products use special state-of-the-art technology like solvent fractionation, which is very unique in that it isolates special fractions of triglycerides that result in the production of these fats.

The new Couva range of fat provides a clean label of non-hydrogenated, low transfat and reduced saturated fat. It also offers functionality in making compound chocolate with fast crystallisation and indulgent taste and recently won the Most Innovative Health Ingredient Award at the Gulfood Manufacturing Industry Excellence Awards.

Another new category is plant-based meat solutions. With a strong technical team in place, BLC offers a one-stop solution with ingredients ranging from protein to specialty fat and emulsifiers that can help these plantbased products resemble a standard meat variant available in the market.

Non-hydrogenated and non-palm solutions have created curiosity among food manufacturers who are looking for premium, healthy and sustainable products in their meat analogues. With in-built application "The new Couva range of fat provides a very clean, healthy label of nonhydrogenated, low transfat and reduced saturated fat, but also gives special functionality in making compound chocolate"

support, BLC offers a variant of fat forms that could help customise specific end products like an analogue meat patty, pâtés and analogue sausages, etc.

As a prominent global producer of emulsifiers, this application further strengthens BLC’s status for nutritional and plant-based solutions. In conjunction with functionality and stability, there is a maximum focus on achieving the right sensory requirement to indulge customers.

BLC’s technical team offers customised and application-based solutions for a wide range of food categories, including cheese, ice cream, culinary, beverage, bakery and confectionery products that need plantbased solutions for vegan label claims. BLC’s range of products is supplied locally through Savannah Fine Chemicals. •

Savannah Fine Chemicals – www.savannah.co.za