FiE 2019: Hydrosol to spotlight phosphates and E-numbers free concepts

02 Oct 2019 --- German-based food stabilizer supplier Hydrosol will focus on “free from” solutions at this year’s Food Ingredients Europe (FiE). The company will present its new concepts for melted cheese preparations and plant-based alternatives to dairy, deli and meat products. Declaration-friendly preservatives for meat products are also a category the company will be addressing, as the demand for food free from phosphates and E-number continues to boom.

“The ‘free from’ trend has an impact on the food market as a whole. It is a very popular trend without an official definition, but with lots of facets,” Katharina Schäfer, Product Manager at Hydrosol tells FoodIngredientsFirst. “This is why this trend offers a lot of potential for the food industry to improve their products and use this for marketing reasons.”

However, there are challenges involved with the “free from” trend, says Schäfer. “Every ingredient affects a formulation; for example, in a cheese-melt preparation, the melting salts ensure a homogenous mass without separation of water or fat.”

“So if you want to take an ingredient out and produce a ‘free from’ product, you need to compensate somehow on its functionality,” she explains. 

For the food industry, Hydrosol sees the “free from” space as quite competitive. “If given a choice between two similar products where the only obvious difference is seen in one being more declaration friendly than the other, consumers would be more likely to buy the ‘free from’ product,” notes Schäfer.

This is why the company is presenting concepts that fit this trend, she adds. 

Cheese preparations without added phosphates
Whether spreadable or sliced, processed cheese is an established product worldwide. However, recently, phosphates in the melting salts have come under fire for causing health problems, first and foremost osteoporosis, but also a heightened risk of heart attack and stroke in certain consumer groups. In response to this, Hydrosol has developed formulations that do not need added phosphates. 

“They are ideal for stabilizing the cheese-melt preparations that are so popular with families,” says the company. These “free from” products offer characteristics similar to standard products – they can be provided as spreadable cheese, in triangular packages or eaten as slices on burgers or toast.

Clean label solutions for plant-based products
Meanwhile, plant-based alternatives to dairy and meat products are significantly strong growth drivers in the current food market. However, vegetarian-friendly products are no longer the sole priority. More and more consumers want to see a short ingredients list with the fewest possible E-numbers. 

“In the last few years, many plant-based products came onto the market and many existing ones improved regarding taste and texture. This is why the demands of consumers increase,” notes Schäfer. 

According to Schäfer, the next focus topic should therefore “be the nutritional profile which needs to be similar to regular meat or dairy products, as well as the ingredients of plant-based products.”

“On the one hand, this is a challenge for the plant-based food industry, but on the other, it offers a great opportunity for new and improved products,” she adds.

Inspirations in the dairy and deli categories offer vegan alternatives to sour cream, dessert, mayonnaise and a burger condiment. All four products are all-vegetable and clean label. In many other systems, Hydrosol has been able to replace E-numbered additives with declaration-friendly ingredients.

Earlier this week, Hydrosol revealed that plant-based meat analog products have “become more and more of a consumer shift to more mindful choices and sustainable alternatives to meat,” that is according to Florian Bark, Product Manager at Hydrosol, who spoke with FoodIngredientsFirst. 

By Elizabeth Green