Ingredients our
Ingredients our sustainability strategy. For example, by 2025, 100% of our herbs, spices and vegetables will be from certified sources and a 100% of our supply base will be EcoVadis certified. We constantly look at how to engage with more suppliers with a focus on regenerative farming. On that subject, with Platinum in Belgium and Spain and Gold in the UK, our Ecovadis awards put us in the top 1% category of all global suppliers. Growth also means new partners, ecosystems, territories, we know there are major opportunities in existing markets such as the UK, Spain, and Germany. Additional investments there are paying dividends, as our Poland office was successfully opened as a bridge to Eastern Europe, a key new territory where we saw immediate growth. We also launched and seeded our Africa strategy in Kigali, Rwanda. Operationally, we set up and source locally using immediate values chains to design products that work in local markets for both African consumers and businesses – it’s an Africa for Africa approach. Broadly speaking what’s your new product approach to 2022? At Griffith Foods, we will be focussing as ever on Health and Nutrition, Sustainable sourcing, and best practice in keeping with consumer demand. We know that new products need to have a nutritious advantage as well as great taste and texture. All our six product launches next year will be a mix of improved nutrition, even better sustainability creds and more natural, cleaner label propositions, depending on the product in question. We are very excited about the Alternative Protein space especially. What is Infuso and why is it a breakthrough savoury snacks innovation? Infuso is a customisable flavored oil that delivers an impressive taste in a one single way process with a clean label benefit – especially interesting to boost the taste of healthier snacks. Griffith Foods Sensory and Consumer insights capabilities have proven that creating bold and unique flavor profiles that are also natural is a way to differentiate in the market besides branding In what way can Infuso improve the production process? One of the best examples of innovation at work is Infuso because it delivers on taste in a single step process with clean label benefits. It offers options to create multi flavour bold profiles and new taste experiences. What specific properties of this oil can attract consumers who want to innovate their portfolio? Infuso is cleaner and more cost effective. The standard two step seasoning process is replaced by an energy saving smoother, less complex single step application. Infuso replaces the oil that is sprayed on the snack substrate before seasoning so it can be used without disruption or extra cost as it requires a single sprayer, often already installed on the line. In which flavors is infuso available? The Infuso product range offers flavored oils in various flavor buckets: from green herbs to Chili flavored oil and even a Peking Duck style. And it can be applied to a huge range of snacks including premium crisps, veggie extruded snacks, pop chips, breadsticks, pretzels, rice cakes, nuts, seeds and tortillas. What are the advantages of using Infuso – for human health, food production and the environment? As the solution provides less, up to no dust on site, that means less product waste. Customers can experiment with a variety of processes as well as salt reduction, Gluten elimination, and an absence of anti caking agents which strengthens health profiles from a nutritional point of view. Its heavy concentrations mean easy and less storage requirements, making infuso a highly sustainable choice with light weight jerry cans that can support easier transport. How do you see the market developing in the next 2 to 5 years? Raw materials are still seeing some major price increases and supply is tight. Obviously, all business is operating in an inflationary environment, so costs are being passed on and that won’t change back quickly. Beyond that, health and product transparency will become even more important in 2022 and beyond. Clearly, consumers want to have a healthier lifestyle so healthier snacks without compromise on taste and texture make sense. We believe there will be an opening up of non-plant-based AP where the first products will hit the shelves next year and that will trigger more investment, a larger market and with it more opportunities for Griffith as we look to expand our presence and customer base. fmt 12 food Marketing & Technology • February 2022
Ingredients Creating Classic Confectionery with Gelatin Gelatin is a versatile hydrocolloid that provides various functional benefits to confectionery manufacturers Gelatin, derived from the Latin term gelatus – meaning stiff or frozen – has a long and successful history as a multifunctional ingredient. Today, it’s one of the most important hydrocolloids for food and beverage products. And even though gelatin is usually associated with the characteristic texture, form and bite of gummy bears, this highly purified collagen protein can be applied to many other applications. As a texturizer, gelatin acts as an excellent gelling, binding and whipping agent, stabilizer and emulsifier, and as a perfect film and foam former. It can also be used as a fat replacer and to improve the nutritional properties of various foodstuffs. Unlike its carbohydrate-based hydrocolloid counterparts, gelatin is a natural and easily digested protein. Being nonallergenic and free from E-numbers, it’s clean label, it’s compatible with most food and functional ingredients and can be formulated with other hydrocolloids to produce different textures or improve thermal resistance. The multipurpose hydrocolloid In its natural state, gelatin is a dry, white powder that is free from fat, cholesterol, purines and additives. It comprises 86–90% protein and 8–15% water. In water, gelatine swells rapidly and, after heating, dissolves to form a clear, viscous solution, followed by gelation after cooling. As a flexible ingredient, it’s easy to incorporate gelatin into a wide variety of production processes. However, the critical issue is choosing the most appropriate gelatin for each product and application. When choosing confectionery products, for example, consumers are predominantly looking for a treat. As such, taste and texture are key. It’s also crucial to understand the specific preferences of the target market. Some countries generally prefer firmer textures than others, and the range of shapes, flavors, colors or other critical determinants is almost limitless. Thus, to create a suitable and market-driven product concept, the corresponding formulation needs to be based on solid industry experience. Getting gummies right A traditional gummy candy is characterized by its texture, its gum-like “bite,” mouthfeel, taste and color, as well as its clear and shiny appearance. To achieve these product properties, gelatin is mandatory. Although other gelling agents are available, none of them is as effective as gelatin, which plays a key role in When choosing confectionery products, consumers look out for great taste and mouth-watering textures. Copyright: ©dusk_AdobeStock_172081133 both the production process and the quality of the end product. So, whereas the fundamentals of gummy candy formulation are relatively straightforward, multiple factors need to be considered when producing a high-standard gummy product that meets both consumer – and producer – demands. One important parameter is the “Bloom value,” which indicates the gelatin’s gelling properties and the gel strength. For gummy candies, gelatin with a Bloom value of 160–280g Bloom must be used to achieve the desired bite, texture and mouthfeel. In addition, some ingredient interactions and/ or production-induced artefacts or effects can be remedied by choosing the right type of gelatin. To unfold the functionality of gelatin, its complete dissolution is necessary. Therefore two parts of water and one part of gelatin are needed. Due to this low water content less water needs to evaporate during processing and, as such, production times are shorter. In addition, gelatin requires lower dissolution temperatures than other hydrocolloids and when it comes to the end product only gelatin provides that unique melt in your mouth experience, typical elastic texture and brilliant clarity. “Manufacturing issues like recrystallization can occur when the sucrose content is too high or not dissolved in enough water. This adversely affects the product’s characteristic clear and glossy look. Moreover, ingredients such as fructose can influence the color and lead to a yellowing of the product. Deformations, cloudiness and undesired textures may be the result of incorrect production and recipe parameters. This is why our experts offer all the advice needed to get it right,” explains Dr Johanna Schmidgall, Global Head of Application Technology and New Product Development Nutrition and Health Ingredients from GELITA. food Marketing & Technology • February 2022 13
