Polygal launches vegetable protein ingredient for “gluten-free enjoyment”

30 Mar 2020 --- The number of people with food intolerances is increasing steadily and the intolerance to gluten is at the forefront. That is according to Polygal AG, a Swiss-based company specializing in the research and utilization of vegetable hydrocolloids for industrial applications. The company’s latest ingredient, Polygum Carob Pro-TN, is a solution which is comparable to conventional products made with gluten, Sabrina Bortoluzzi, Marketing Manager, tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

People with intolerances to gluten cannot consume food of a wide range of cereals. The consumption would lead to damages of the small intestine, which leads to serious malnutrition. Symptoms are fatigue/exhaustion, anaemia, abdominal pain, loss of strength, reduced performance and concentration problems, to name a few.

The trend for clean food in general and a healthy lifestyle is very important for many consumers today, not only if you are allergic to specific ingredients, Bortoluzzi states.

Bakery products including bread, cookies, crackers or pizza doughs are based on ingredients containing gluten. For this reason, Polygal and its long-term partner DKSH collaborated to find an ingredient to level up gluten-free bakery products. Not only an alternative, it can improve the gluten free bakery products in many ways, the company notes. 

Polygum Carob Pro-TN is a solution which is comparable to conventional products made with gluten.“In collaboration with our partner, this launch took one year with the testing,” Bortoluzzi says.

The company’s goals were to create an appealing texture similar to the one using gluten, to improve the nutritional profile, to make the products look more delicious and healthier by a whole grain touch and to create a “rusty” taste.

“We found out that Polygum Carob Pro-TN, the carob germ flour of the seeds of the carob tree is the perfect ingredient to get all of those results,” Bortoluzzi explains. “It can also be used in vegan products and for clean label food. But for now it’s tested for the gluten free bakery market,” she adds. 

Besides enriching the nutrition values with regards to fiber and plant-based proteins, Polygum Carob Pro-TN also improves their organoleptic properties. Another benefit is the fact that doughs containing this product have exactly the required consistency and are easy to use while remaining elastic and pliable, the company states. 

Polygum Carob Pro-TN is an ingredient rather than a food additive, therefore, it does not need an E-number and is GMO- and allergen-free. It is also easy to implement Polygum Carob Pro-TN in nutritious and healthy bakery products free of any gluten.

By Elizabeth Green