KEY INTERVIEW: Stabilizing Systems – Benefiting Through Broad-Based Applications Technology
27 Oct 2015 --- Hydrosol, a specialist in hydrocolloids and proteins, markets stabilizing systems the world over for dairy, cheese preparations, vegetable whipping creams, delicatessen, meat, sausage and fish products, as well as vegetarian and vegan alternative products. On July 1, 2015, Dr. Matthias Moser took up his duties as the new Managing Director of the international stabilizer and emulsifier system specialist.
Dr. Moser, who holds a PhD in natural science, is also Managing Director of sister company OlbrichtArom. Both companies are part of the independent owner-operated Stern-Wywiol Gruppe, which maintains offices and production facilities in the world’s key markets. Managing Director Dr. Matthias Moser and Head of R&D Thies J. Meier and his team explain what sets “The Stabilizer People” apart from the competition.
Hydrosol is one of the successful and fast-growing companies in the Stern-Wywiol Gruppe. With 16 foreign subsidiaries and eleven German ingredient companies, Stern-Wywiol Gruppe as a whole is enjoying continuous growth. “In 2014 the efforts of our 950 or so employees around the world brought us consolidated revenues of just under €400 million,” says Moser. “For the future we expect further growth as the production of convenience foods continues to skyrocket on the international market. Without stabilizing systems tailored to specific customer needs, the economical production of food at high quality would not be possible.”
According to Moser, Hydrosol stands out from the other big global stabilizer players, by being a family-owned company led by the second generation of the family. For Moser, the company is more than merely a supplier, but also functions as an idea-giver for customers. “We don’t just develop single ingredients or functional systems that industrial manufacturers can order from us, but create tailor-made concepts for our customers,” he notes.
The total package ranges from formulation development to product and process improvements to help with marketing concepts. “One big advantage is definitely our position as a member of the Stern-Wywiol Gruppe with eleven sister companies, owner-operated now in the second generation. That lets us react faster, more flexibly and more dynamically to events on the world convenience food market,” he adds.
The company has an international network of 16 foreign subsidiaries in place and numerous qualified representatives, and is represented in the world's key markets “to literally have a finger on the pulse.” For Moser: “We know the regional trends and requirements, as well as the potential. So even before we talk to a prospective customer, we can develop specific ideas for new products and show them the individual value-add potential.”
Thies J. Meier (pictured) notes the development of a fermented whey dessert made with yogurt cultures, as an example of looking at international potential. He noted how the economical production of yogurt is very important in Latin American markets. But while whey and water are used as replacements for milk, there are limits to how far this can go. “Milk is very important to give yogurt a smooth, shiny texture and a pleasant mouth feel,” he explains. “With our new Stabisol JOC stabilizing system we make it possible to replace the milk entirely with sweet whey. The sweet whey is mixed with cream, butter or vegetable oil, plus sugar, stabilizers and yogurt cultures, and then cultured. Instead of whey, manufacturers can naturally also use whey powder and water.”
But this product development concept holds potential far beyond Latin America, notes Meier: “The whey dessert is also an attractive concept for European dairies focusing on the export market. This gives them a profitable way to market their excess whey – not least due to the shift in the image of whey protein, which is now recognized as having very good nutritional properties. Whey is also much cheaper than milk,” he notes.
In addition to dairy products, the company is also offering alternatives like vegetable whipping cream for hot countries. Meier explains that this technology allows the company to control the melting point of the foam using the melting point of the vegetable fat, which is a major ingredient of the whipping cream. “Normally the vegetable fat we use melts at 36°C, meaning that the foam starts to lose its shape at about 26°C. That causes cakes and other baked goods to lose their crisp contours,” he notes. By using the new Laboron Vega series product, the whipped product remains stable at temperatures up to 40°C and keeps its shape for a long time. It has special advantages in places where there are gaps in the cooling and distribution chains, resulting in large temperature fluctuations. “Our stabilizing system keeps whipped cremes looking appetizing even at higher temperatures. With this newly developed functional system, we have solved a central problem in hot countries like India,” he adds.
Another new development is freeze- and bake-stable mayonnaises and ketchups for the eastern European market, which hold more mainstream potential than one would expect. “In Russia, mayonnaise is almost a major food group all on its own,” says Meier. “But demand is also growing in Germany and West Europe for freeze-stable products, especially in the delicatessen category.” These stabilizing systems make it possible to make mayonnaise 75 percent fat that can be used as a filling in savoury frozen baked goods or as a topping on frozen pizza. With freeze-thaw stable ketchup manufacturers can make convenience products like pigs in blankets that consumers just need to heat up.
Among the trends on the German and European markets are vegan products, which was clearly on display at the recent Anuga 2015 in Cologne. Moser notes how the company has all-in-functional systems that let customers address the rising demand for meatless foods. They make it possible to produce vegetarian and vegan cold cuts and alternatives to HotDog sausages. “The systems contain all the components of the overall formulation, including a mild basic seasoning that can be enhanced as desired,” he notes. “The texture of the meatless cold cuts is absolutely comparable with bologna or mortadella, and allows for problem-free slicing with conventional slicers. The vegetarian alternatives to wieners and currywurst also compare favourably with their traditional meat counterparts,” Moser explains.
The company has also developed an alternative sausage casing that offers several advantages. The solution is based on a co-extrudable casing made of water-soluble fiber and ideal for meatless cooked sausage alternatives, giving customers the complete vegan package. But he stresses that that’s only a small niche market right now. “Our main focus is on economical all-in solutions for conventional cooked sausage. Research in our meat laboratories has resulted in co-extrudable sausage casings including the appropriate sausage filling stabilizers. That gives the customer everything from a single source,” he adds. “The casing and filling are adjusted to each other so that the casing has the ideal adhesion to the sausage after cooking. Another plus point is that the casings permit continuous production at a high hourly throughput,” he notes.
The meat lab is only part of the 3,000 square meter Technology Centre in Ahrensberg, with broad-based applications technology stretching far beyond meat. Around 70 R&D specialists work there, with the business offering extensive knowledge plus versatile applications technology. Says Meier: “We don’t just mix single ingredients together. We research new synergies and possibilities. This basic research is possible only with our modern pilot plants covering all applications. What’s more, interdisciplinary communication, for example with colleagues from the bakery and milling area of the vitamin and enzyme application labs, gives rise to interesting solutions for customers.”
In terms of offering practical product ideas that came about from basic research, Meier elaborates that the company is always looking for new synergies. For example, one of the things being looked at is traditional stabilization technology in conjunction with enzymes. One practical outcome of this is the product Stabimuls CreamAid. “This is a protein enzyme complex that addresses the undesired agglomeration of fat globules, as for example in the manufacture of high-fat cream products,” he explains. To investigate the potential of Stabimuls CreamAid, the company ran tests with high-fat cream at their dairy application lab. “The result was that even at a fat content of 50 percent there was no fat clumping. The ingredient complex helps the cream stand up to high shear forces. It remains liquid, neither foaming nor turning to butter. This stable O/W emulsion is critical for further processing. Since the fat globules are so stable, there is no butter formation in the tubes and lines of the system, and the texture of the product is improved, both with conventional cream and with recombined products,” he concluded.
Out of the box thinking in stabilization will be key for Hydrosol to continue to deliver these innovative solutions that address the demands of both niche consumers, including the vegan market, and the mainstream food industry as a whole.
By Robin Wyers
