Loryma introduces innovative wheat-based fat replacements for plant-based and hybrid products
Ingredients specialist Loryma has introduced a range of wheat-based solutions designed to replicate animal fats in plant-based and hybrid food products. These innovations aim to address the growing consumer demand for healthier, plant-based alternatives without compromising on taste or texture.
The food industry has long grappled with the complexities of replacing animal fats in plant-based products. The primary challenges include:
- Replicating authentic textures and sensory properties
- Achieving low fat content while maintaining product quality
- Creating clean, natural ingredient lists
- Ensuring proper behaviour during production and preparation
Loryma’s new offerings seek to overcome these hurdles through three distinct solutions, each tailored to specific product requirements.
Melt-in-the-mouth functionality
For applications requiring a tender melt post-preparation, such as reheated salami pizza or low-fat poultry sausages, Loryma has developed the Lory® Stab blend. This system, based on the modified wheat starch Lory Starch Amber, offers impressive technical properties:
- Freeze/thaw stability
- Thermal stability
- Shear resistance
These characteristics make it particularly suitable for ready meals and products that need to maintain quality through various temperature changes and mechanical stresses.
Loryma fat reduction pizza salami
Stable, non-liquefying textures
Another challenge in meat analogues is maintaining structural integrity during cooking. Loryma addresses this with an emulsion-based stabilising system comprising alginate, gluten, and starch. This cold-gelling compound offers several advantages:
- Low fat content
- Cut resistance
- Elasticity
- Water retention
The system is particularly useful for products like plant-based chorizo, where preventing fat liquefaction during frying is crucial for maintaining texture and appearance.
Visually authentic fat replication
For products where visible fat is a key characteristic, such as salami or raw ham, Loryma has engineered a compound using Lory Starch Jade and Lory Starch Ruby. This solution allows for:
- Scalable fat reproduction size
- Clean, additive-free labelling
This development is particularly noteworthy for its ability to mimic the visual appeal of traditional meat products in plant-based alternatives.
Scientific implications
These innovations from Loryma represent a significant step forward in the field of food science, particularly in the realm of plant-based and hybrid food products. The ability to replicate the functional and sensory properties of animal fats using wheat-based ingredients opens up new possibilities for product development and reformulation.
Norbert Klein, Head of Research & Development at Loryma, emphasised the increasing demands on finished products: “The demands on finished products, whether as meat substitutes or hybrid solutions, are becoming more and more stringent. Thanks to functional ingredients and extensive testing, we can advise manufacturers on their individual concepts. Our compounds and blends offer advantages not only in terms of product quality and nutritional value, but also for the efficient and targeted creation of new trend products.”
The development of these wheat-based fat replacements aligns with several key trends in food science:
- Clean label formulations: The ability to create visually authentic fat replicas without additives supports the industry’s move towards cleaner labels.
- Nutritional optimisation: These solutions enable the creation of lower-fat products without compromising on texture or taste, addressing health-conscious consumer demands.
- Functional ingredient innovation: The use of modified wheat starches to achieve specific textural and functional properties demonstrates the ongoing innovation in ingredient technology.
- Sustainability: By offering plant-based alternatives to animal fats, these solutions contribute to the development of more sustainable food products.
As the plant-based and hybrid product markets continue to grow, these wheat-based fat replacements from Loryma are likely to play a significant role in shaping the future of food product development. Food scientists and product developers will undoubtedly be keen to explore the full potential of these ingredients in creating the next generation of plant-based and reduced-fat products.
- For more information, visit: https://crespeldeitersgroup.com/loryma
