Wacker is going to present innovative solutions for vegan food at the forthcoming Food ingredients (Fi) Europe 2019. With its powerful ingredients, the Munich-based group is helping the food industry develop products that serve the growing market for vegan food. The Fi Europe will be held in Paris from December 3 to 5.
The company’s alpha-dextrin, marketed under the brand Cavamax W6, is used as a substitute for eggs in fine baked goods, thereby enabling vegan recipes and its Fermopure vegan cysteine is an ideal raw material for flavours, particularly savoury flavours, as well as for use in bakery applications.
No eggs, no milk, no meat as more people are forgoing animal ingredients. Current market studies confirm that the number of people adhering to a vegan diet is continuously rising worldwide. This trend is particularly pronounced among young people. Today, some 1.3 million people are estimated to follow a vegan diet in Germany alone. This figure has recently been rising by an annual average of 15 percent.
Growing affluence, changing ethical awareness of animals and increasing health awareness are three key reasons underlying fundamental changes in our eating habits in recent years. Consumers want healthy, sustainably manufactured products with no ethical concerns that are completely tailored to their needs and they want all that without compromising quality or taste.
If it is to offer these kinds of products, the food industry needs powerful production methods and ingredients, says Dr Ulrike Fischer Ngele, head of technical service at the company’s nutrition business team. With its two brands, the company offers innovative solutions that fulfil current market requirements.
Vegan baked goods
Under the Cavamax brand, the company supplies the food industry with cyclodextrins derived from plant starches. The brand of alpha-cyclodextrin (or alpha-dextrin for short) offers manufacturers of fine baked goods a solution to replace eggs. In doing so, the brand provides vegan baked goods with volume, elasticity and moisture, while yielding the consistency and taste experience that consumers expect important properties, which are usually impaired when eggs are omitted.
The emulsifying, soluble dietary fibre can replace eggs because it stabilises oil-in-water emulsions in cake batter as well as the sensitive pore structure of finished cakes, explains Dr Fischer-Ngele. The brand is a water-soluble powder that is easy to process. Baked goods containing alpha-dextrin can be produced using existing equipment. Moreover, manufacturers can save up to 40 per cent of their costs, if seasonal fluctuations in egg prices are taken into account.
Due to their multifunctional properties, cyclodextrins have a broad application range. In addition to vegan baked goods, the brand also enables the production of egg-free, mayonnaise-like products. The texture and mouthfeel of other vegan sauces, dips and spreads can be significantly improved. Thanks to alpha-dextrin, animal-based and hydrogenated vegetable fats can be completely replaced by vegetable oils in cream toppings and glazes.
Cyclodextrins are also good for decorating fine bakery wares, where they improve the stability of these finishing touches and allow them to retain their shape in warmer climates. The brand can also replace sodium caseinate, a milk protein used in the production of coconut milk powder. This enables the manufacture of vegan coconut milk powder, which is used in Asian cuisine and in beverages.
Vegan cysteine for flavours and baked goods
The conventional way to obtain the amino acid cysteine is to extract it from human or animal sources (such as hair, feathers and pig bristles) using hydrochloric acid. Fermopure vegan cysteine is based on a fermentation process with an extremely low environmental impact. Since it is manufactured from purely plant-based raw materials, cysteine is halal, kosher and vegan, making it ideal for all specific food requirements. The products are used to manufacture flavourings, particularly meaty flavours. It is also used as an essential component of baby and toddler food. As an additive in baked goods, cysteine facilitates mixing and processing of doughs and batters, and has a positive effect on the end products texture and volume. The amino
acid cysteine and its dimer cystine are popular ingredients in nutritional supplements for strengthening skin, hair and nails.
