2 Jun 2010 --- AAK, the UK’s leading supplier of edible oils and fats, has introduced a new product to help food manufacturers and commercial bakers to meet consumer demand for sustainable palm oil in their food.

AAK has redeveloped its Akofluid Pumpable Shortening, which is a blend of rapeseed and palm oils. The product’s palm oil content is now fully certified as being from sustainable sources.

Akofluid also offers additional benefits such as reduced waste packaging and handling costs, and helps to meet the FSA’s guidelines on saturated fat content.

AAK has been supplying RSPO certified sustainable palm oil to European manufacturers since November 2008, and has since worked continously with customers to research and develop products suitable for various manufacturing applications. Many key customers now buy AAK’s branded straight sustainable palm oil, Akopalma SG, but the derivatives commonly used in many food products require a more complex solution.

Akofluid is a major step forward in the development of sustainable palm oil products for the food manufacturing industry. Previously there has been no sustainable option providing the blend of oils required by most manufacturers of pastry and bakery products.

Akofluid had already become popular for its fat reduction properties. The use of liquid oils, which contain lower levels of saturated fat than palm oil, means Akofluid’s saturated fat content is as low as 15% - less than half that typically found in standard block shortening or bread fats.

As well as saturated fats, AAK customers can also reduce overall fat content by up to 25% by switching to Akofluid from their usual block fats. Akofluid Pumpable Shortening’s liquid consistency allows for more efficient dough mixing, requiring less fat and less working-in.

Akofluid is developed for use in cake mixes and shortcrust pastry for pie and quiche bases. AAK’s technical support teams are available to work with manufacturing plants and bakeries to advise on recipes and systems that gain the most benefit from pumpable shortening.

Akofluid can be supplied in reusable intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) or delivered in bulk to a tank on the customer’s site, reducing packaging waste and the manual handling of boxes and pallets, further cutting costs.

Judith Murdoch of AAK said: “Akofluid is the product many food manufacturers have been waiting for as not only does it offer several clear benefits, including saturated fat reduction, but it also means they can show consumers they are playing their part in tackling the problems associated with unsustainable palm oil.

“Consumers are increasingly concerned about the impact of palm oil production on the rain forests in Asia and the subsequent threat to endangered species such as the orang-utan. Palm oil is present in about 40% of supermarket items, from bread and confectionery to soap and detergents, and many of these products use a blend or fraction of palm that is not currently available in a sustainable form.

“Until now, the shortening used in many pastries and breads has fallen into that category, which is why it was a priority for AAK to develop a sustainable version of our Akofluid Pumpable.

“Since we first began supplying sustainable palm oil in 2008 we have been working behind the scenes on the derivatives, blends and fractions our customers need in their products. It is part of our long-term strategy to continue working with our customers to develop sustainable products that provide them with a genuine technical and commercial benefit.”

The palm oil content is certified as sustainable in line with the rules of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), which sets out principles and criteria for the responsible production of palm oil and palm kernel oil.

AAK offers two supply chain options for customers. Users of sustainable material must join and be audited by the RSPO, so for those either waiting for certification or using a complex supply chain, the GreenPalm certificate trading programme is available to enable businesses to show their support of sustainable palm oil production.