Wheat-based solutions for fat replication offer processing and nutritional benefits 

Zwingenberg/Germany, July 2024 – In the food industry, there are many reasons to replace animal fats with plant-based alternatives, be it to replicate meat products or provide hybrid offerings with an optimized label. Ingredients specialist Loryma supports manufacturers with wheat-based solutions that promise top-quality characteristics. They imitate animal fats that perfectly replicate the originals in terms of texture and processing properties. Wheat-based stabilizers, starches, and clean label compounds, meanwhile, enable manufacturers to create melt-in-the-mouth or stable, sliceable textures. They also improve the appearance and sensory properties of products such as juicy poultry sausage, mouthwatering vegan salami pizza, or crispy plant-based chorizo. 

Consumer demand for plant-based, health-conscious, yet tasty convenience products continues unabated. However, plant-based fats do not always behave like their animal-based counterparts when it comes to production and preparation. Here, manufacturers face several challenges: Meat analogs, meat products or hybrids should have an authentic texture and sensory appeal, and convince with a low-fat content and a short, natural ingredient list. Loryma has developed three innovative solutions that support targeted fat reproduction, all with low-calorie content.  

Melt-in-the-mouth, firm to the bite, and visually appealing  

Many ready meals require a tender melt after preparation. Examples include reheated salami pizza or pure poultry sausage that tastes juicy rather than dry despite its reduced fat content. The Lory® Stab blend based on the modified wheat starch Lory® Starch Amber perfectly addresses these needs. The system is freeze/thaw and thermally stable, and also shear resistant. 

Some end products require a pasty, creamy texture that does not run. One example is chorizo sausage: if the fat contained in the sausage liquefies during the frying process, the sausage meat and casing will no longer harmonize, and the skin will either burst or be difficult to slice cleanly. With an emulsion-based stabilizing system created with alginate, gluten and starch, this effect can be achieved without thermal activation. The cold-gelling compound is also low in fat, cut-resistant, elastic, and does not release water. 

If a visible fat content is to be a typical feature of the application, such as the white components in salami or the fat edge on raw ham, then the compound of Lory® Starch Jade and Lory® Starch Ruby is ideally suited.  The size of the fat reproduction can be scaled individually and is suitable for a clean, additive-free label.   

Norbert Klein, Head of Research & Development at Loryma, explains: “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.”