Kemin Bakery Center, New Products, and Industry Updates

INNOVATION

Kemin Showcases Bakery Center

As more manufacturers turn to their suppliers for help with research and development initiatives, Kemin is sharing the expertise of its food scientists at its Des Moines, Iowa–based Bakery Innovation Center, which opened its doors in 2019. Kemin recently offered members of the media a close-up look at the facility.

The $1.5 million Bakery Innovation Center replicates customers’ industrial setups on a smaller scale. The 2,300-square-foot facility includes an analytical lab as well as industrial mixers and ovens to test tortillas and other baked goods. Kemin’s food scientists can then test different conditions and sensory factors before sharing their results with customers. This includes blending capabilities for batch packs, pilot scale production capabilities, and shelf-life testing.

Kemin works within several markets, including food technology, animal nutrition and health, aquaculture, and crop technology. The company was founded in 1961 by R.W. and Mary Nelson. R.W. mixed his first animal feed product in his father’s Maytag dryer, which is on display in the Bakery Innovation Center.

Within the food technology sector, this supplier specializes in proteins, baking and snacks, fats and oils, and tortillas. Kemin’s products can improve the shelf life of food products without compromising on quality.

The company recently launched its new SHIELD liquid mold inhibitor, which is based on propionic acid. This clean label product is a one-to-one replacement for cultured dextrose and can increase dough softness and moisture retention while preventing spoilage and mold growth. The SHIELD liquid mold inhibitor is typically used in tortillas, breads, and cakes. There are four variations of the SHIELD product, each tailored for use in specific product categories.

With its new products and innovation center, Kemin hopes to help its customers find optimal customized solutions without wasting time and resources. These solutions will help keep manufacturers’ food fresher and safer longer.

RESEARCH

Feeling Full With Pomegranate

A recently published clinical study revealed a positive impact of pomegranate extract on satiety. In the three-week study of 28 healthy people, those who consumed natural pomegranate extract (Pomanox from Euromed S.A.), showed significantly lower levels of hunger and desire to eat, as well as higher levels of satiety, compared with a placebo group.

While preliminary, the findings demonstrate the appetite-regulating effect of polyphenol-rich extracts reported in previous studies, suggesting possible novel approaches to reducing risk factors for obesity and
compulsive eating.

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

Planning for a Plant-Based Future

To meet the demand both in volume and in desired product characteristics of plant-based alternatives, constant innovation and new technologies are necessary. In its latest white paper, “The Protein Horizon: The Landscape of Alternative Protein Technologies Enabling Future Food Experiences,” Givaudan, in collaboration with the University of California, Berkeley, provided cutting-edge information on current, emerging, and future technologies for manufacturers producing meat and fish alternatives.

The paper takes a future perspective, reviewing the benefits of emerging 3-D printing technology, the “near future” techniques of cultured meat, and mycelium biomass fermentation producing fungi-derived protein. It also looks at lab-scale technologies such as shear cell, which is set to attract significant investment. The paper offers insights into adoption, market potential, challenges, and opportunities for future development. The white paper can be downloaded on Givaudan’s website, givaudan.com.

INDUSTRY UPDATE

CuliNEX announced Aleksandr Klokov has joined the team as a culinologist, working with the product development team and providing flavor-first product innovation and development solutions.

Florida Food Products announced Anuhya Bhaskara, director of R&D, has completed training and earned Tea Sommelier Certification from the World Tea Academy.

Nellson commemorated its 60th anniversary. Founded in 1962 in Los Angeles, under the name of Nellson Candies, the company today is a manufacturer of branded and private label nutritional bars and functional powder solutions.

Thanks to a dedicated team and decade-long commitment to intense agricultural science and research, HOWTIAN has achieved up to 12% average Reb A yield this season, creating a significant turning point as stevia costs approach parity with artificial sweeteners.

CSM Ingredients has formalized a strategic partnership with Allozymes, a Singapore-based startup that leverages proprietary technology to rapidly develop novel enzymes. The multi-year agreement enables CSM Ingredients to collaborate closely with Allozymes to design and develop custom enzymes for improved and sustainable processing of natural, clean label, functional ingredients.

AIDP announced an exclusive North American distribution agreement with American River Nutrition for GG-Gold and DuoQuinol. AIDP will be responsible for all sales and marketing efforts to promote these products. By replenishing natural levels of geranylgeraniol, GG-Gold can help reduce the risk of age-related physical decline, maintain structural support for the body, and promote healthy muscle strength and function. DuoQuinol is a patented combination of ubiquinol and geranylgeraniol that supports heart function, cellular energy, healthy muscle function, and strength.

A recently published clinical study demonstrated that a whole-algae ingredient of Haematococcus pluvialis, AstaPure Arava (Solabia-Algatech Nutrition) can have a beneficial effect on the immune system and well-being. A key function revealed in the research was significant reduction in the stress hormone cortisol, coupled with positive changes in the gut microbiome.

NEW PRODUCTS

Cargill debuted its new soluble corn fiber, which supports sugar reductions of 30% or more, while also giving products a fiber boost, at the 2022 International Baking Industry Exposition. Cargill also added RSPO-certified segregated palm olein and palm stearin to its North American portfolio. Other new product introductions include a vital wheat gluten and PalmAgility 507 and PalmAgility 516 icing shortenings to help achieve consistent and reliable performance over a wide temperature range.

Startup Meala FoodTech created a veggie protein platform that allows for a 1:1 replacement for methylcellulose and other hydrocolloids and gums widely used in meat alternatives as binding and gelling agents. Meala’s proprietary platform creates functionally activated plant proteins using naturally occurring biocatalysts, enabling them to function as methylcellulose replacers. The protein ingredients can appear on an ingredient panel simply as a protein, such as pea or soy, and make up roughly 4% of the end product.

Imagic Plant-Based Bacon Products from Kansas Protein Foods are flavored ready-to-eat textured vegetable proteins made from soy flour and formulated to resemble crispy or chewy cooked bacon in flavor, aroma, texture, and color. The company also announced that its ULTRA-SOY, an unflavored textured protein made from soy flour, is now available in Non-GMO Project Verified product options.

Kerry launched Puremul, a new texture system that enables manufacturers to reformulate using a label-friendly, non-GMO alternative that overcomes the existing sunflower supply challenges. It can replace the use of sunflower lecithin and monoglycerides and diglycerides across multiple applications, including baked goods and plant-based beverages. Produced using naturally sourced acacia from the sustainable, drought-resistant acacia tree, Puremul can be included on the ingredient list simply as “Acacia, Natural Flavor.”

Innophos released two new ingredient solutions under the LEVAIR brand. LEVAIR Stabilize helps bakers reduce waste by improving batter stability, and LEVAIR Fortify helps improve volume and texture in high-protein baking applications.

Royal DSM recently unveiled its first portfolio of all-in-one cultures for fermented milk products developed using its new AI-powered Culture Co-Creation Platform. DSM’s Delvo ONE portfolio is made up of five cultures offering taste, texture, and health benefits—all with built in bioprotection. Combining DSM’s expertise with machine learning, the new platform enables yogurt manufacturers and DSM to collaborate on unique solutions that deliver on multiple product targets at the same time.

Royal DSM also extended its Delvo Plant enzyme portfolio with the launch of Delvo Plant Go for oat-based dairy alternatives. This new enzyme solution simplifies the production of oat-based products by enabling manufacturers to perform the liquefaction and saccharification process—breaking down the oat starches into glucose and maltose—in one step. This enables a shorter and more efficient process, reducing hydrolysis time by up to 30%.

Loryma has expanded its product portfolio with a new pregelatinized wheat starch with excellent solubility: Lory Starch Opal. As an adhesive for seeds and decorative seasonings, the modified wheat starch not only reduces waste during production processes, but it also guarantees an aesthetic, glossy appearance.

GNT launched a new portfolio of Non-GMO Project Verified clean label EXBERRY color concentrates. The 20 EXBERRY products are certified by North America’s only third-party nonprofit verification initiative.

Roquette introduced a new line of organic pea ingredients: organic pea starch and organic pea protein. These ingredients are produced at its plant in Portage la Prairie, Canada, and supported by peas sourced in a network of organic pea growers from Canada.

CONSUMERS

Cheesy Opportunities

Consumers across the world associate cheese flavors with indulgence, comfort, and freshness, with regional variations in their perspectives, according to new research from Kerry. Understanding these emotions, in combination with local taste preferences, presents a significant opportunity for snack producers, the company points out.

Kerry found that consumers have a deeply positive perception of cheese flavors in savory snacks, with
62% stating that cheese flavors make savory snacks more exciting—indicating strong potential for brands to connect with them emotionally. Cheese-flavored snacks also outpaced the overall savory snack category in new product launches, demonstrating potential for innovation.

While 77% of consumers globally said taste is the No. 1 reason they love cheese, indulgence is a big driver in Europe. Consumers in the United States, United Kingdom, and South Africa say they often turn to cheese for comfort. In Latin American countries such as Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, and Honduras, consumers associate cheese with freshness.

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