“Free From”
FREE FROM: THE NEW ALTERNATIVE CATEGORY
Naturalness and Clean Label are trending vigorously, as prognoses by Innova Market Insights have shown for a few years now. In fact, the top trend in 2015 was already “From Clean to Clear Label”. The shift from natural foods to natural foods with transparent ingredient information was very quickly apparent on product packaging. The lack of additives like preservatives, artificial flavourings and flavour enhancers was the first focus, and this has now almost become its own market category.
Foods without common allergens like milk and soy, or ingredients that can trigger intolerances like lactose and gluten. Less sugar, salt and fat. The Free From trend has given rise to the Alternatives category. Consumer health is the primary driver for the purchase of Clean and Clear Label products. The idea is to treat yourself well and act sustainably, boost your own health, preserve resources and protect the environment. In other words, indulge with a clear conscience. Because indulgence also plays a leading role in food. But simply removing certain ingredients from a recipe can quickly ruin a food’s appeal. Getting it right takes sure instincts and plenty of experience in the use of the different ingredients.
Clean label - Fewer additives
Cream cheese should have a nice sheen and a creamy texture, sausage should have a firm bite. Products need to look appetising, and naturally they also have to taste right. These often conflicting requirements are almost impossible to reconcile without additives. Yet consumers want the shortest possible ingredient list, without E-numbers. This is especially the case for additives whose health effects have come under criticism, like phosphate and carrageenan. Hydrosol has therefore developed alternative solutions for various meat and milk products.
| Our stabilising system for meat enables the efficient production of sausage and cooked cured products without adding phosphates. When used for boiled sausages, it gives the familiar bite and a stable texture. As a brine additive in cooked cured products, it gives optimum yield and a juicy consistency. | We also offer formulations for processed cheese preparations that don’t need added phosphates. These Free From products have characteristics similar to standard products. Like them, they can be offered as spreadable cheese, in triangular packages or enjoyed as slices on burgers or toast. |
| Application | Stabilising system | Properties |
|---|---|---|
| Boiled sausage without added phosphate | HydroTOP CS CL | For many kinds of meat, gives ideal texture formation |
| Cooked cured products without added phosphate | PLUSstabil CM CL | Enables moderate yield and stable curing colour |
| Application | Stabilising system | Properties |
|---|---|---|
| Processed cheese preparations without added phosphate | Stabisol PCCL 2 | For spreadable products without E-numbers |
| Processed cheese preparations without added phosphate | Stabisol PCTR 5 | For triangular shapes; gives ideal filling viscosity without sticking |
| Processed cheese preparations without added phosphate | Stabisol PCTR 5 | For slice on slice, enables simple cutting and melting like with sandwich slices |
| The use of carrageenan is controversial, especially in sour milk products like cream cheese preparations. With our stabilising systems these can be made in different fat content levels, without carrageenan. Since “carrageenan-free” is now often used to differentiate from the competition, we also offer alternative solutions for products with neutral pH, like milk mixed beverages and puddings, as well as for vegan milk replacements. |
| Application | Stabilising system | Properties |
|---|---|---|
| Cream cheese preparation with 12-30 % fat content | Stabisol FCG | Offers flexibility and requires no homogenisation |
| Pudding | Stabisol PDP 01 | Gives low filling viscosity |
| Milk mixed beverages | Stabiprime MFDG | Gives a creamy mouth feel and stability |
Less sugar, same great taste
Reducing the amount of sugar in foods and beverages is a major health issue worldwide. But from a technological point of view sugar has many positive properties. It gives products flavour, body, texture and a pleasant mouth feel. This is just what the new stabilising and texturing systems from Hydrosol accomplish, thus reducing the need for sugar as a technical ingredient in foods. In application testing we have determined the optimum interplay of hydrocolloids, starch and plant fibre in various products.
| Application | Stabilising system | Properties |
|---|---|---|
| Milk mixed beverages | Stabiprime Reihe | Gives a creamy mouth feel and stability |
| Sugar-reduced high protein pudding | Stabisol PCC + Stabiprot 90 C (AA) | Enables flexibly adaptable texture and a creamy mouth feel |
| Application | Stabilising system | Properties |
|---|---|---|
| Ketchup and sauces | Stabisol KO 3 | Provides mouth feel, body and stability |
| Fat-free dressing | Stabisol SCDH 0 | Gives a creamy consistency and long-term product stability |
Fat-reduced dairy and deli products
For reduced fat products, the targeted combination of individual building blocks like vegetable fibre, hydrocolloids, starch and emulsifiers is the recipe for success for authentic flavour and pleasing mouth feel. The same goes for yogurt and pudding as well as cream cheese, bread spreads, vegetable-based cream alternatives and naturally mayonnaise as well. Our stabilising systems offer indulgence even with reduced fat content.
| Application | Stabilising system | Properties |
|---|---|---|
| Plant-based whipped cream alternative with 8 – 16 % fat | Stabimuls ICR 150 SOY | Enables good whippability |
| Cream cheese preparation with 6 – 28 % fat | Stabisol FKBP | Gives a creamy mouth feel |
| Application | Stabilising system | Properties |
|---|---|---|
| Mayonnaise with 15 - 20 % fat | Stabimuls M 15 CWC | Provides appealing mouth feel, body and stability |
| Application | Stabilising system | Properties |
|---|---|---|
| Boiled sausage | HydroTOP Perfect E | Enables outstanding bite and a juicy texture |
| Burgers and meatballs | HydroTOP High Gel 30 | Gives a meaty, full-bodied texture and freeze-thaw stability |
Salt reduction: Focus on meat and sausage
Along with sugar and fat, the sodium content in foods is another major health concern. Hydrosol offers functional systems that enable meat and sausage producers to easily make boiled sausage and cooked cured red or white meat products with reduced sodium, up to 25 % less in the final product.
| Application | Stabilising system | Properties |
|---|---|---|
| Sodium-reduced sausage products | Hydrolon LS | For targeted sodium reduction in meat products, without bitter aftertaste |
| Sodium-reduced cooked cured products | Hydrolon LS Ham | Enables moderate yield and with low sodium content |
Trend
The demand for vegan foods is skyrocketing, accompanied by another trend – Clean Eating. According to market research, these two trends will continue to dominate the food market going forward.
Marketing potential
Free From information on packaging is turning into a strong marketing instrument. “Better for you” claims address consumers’ desire for a healthier lifestyle and more transparency.
Image
The milk beverages market clearly shows that in many cases the lack of additives reflects positively on the image of a product. This is particularly the case for ingredients like carrageenan that have come under criticism.
SAVE COSTS - USE OUR R&D
Do you want to benefit from the Free From trend and offer more declaration-friendly alternatives? Consider us your outsourced R&D department.
We’ll accompany you from idea development to market readiness. With our help you can greatly reduce your development effort and costs, while moving the market introduction of your products ahead.
Use our long experience in the development of innovative stabilising and texturing systems. Over 100 R&D specialists work daily on profitable concepts at our Stern-Technology Center. We have deep roots in the raw material markets and know precisely which components will make your products successful.
Our all-in assistance extends from product development to production to marketing. As an owner-operated family company, we can respond to your needs very quickly and flexibly.
Mail or call us.
We look forward to hearing from you!