Dried ingredients for clean label preservation, low-calorie positioning and color vibrancy

11 Aug 2020 --- Crunchy dried vegetable ingredients and organic fruit and vegetable varieties are popular in today’s market. These pure, plant-based ingredients aid in boosting color vibrancy and flavor with a clean, single-ingredient label in consumer products with health, vegan and low-calorie positionings. In addition, some dried ingredients offer the potential to replace artificial additives for clean label preservation. FoodIngredientsFirst speaks to suppliers in this space about the myriad of functionalities for these offerings.

To produce its dried ingredients, Milne MicroDried uses low impact vacuum radiant technology that combines conventional drying and radiant energy to produce whole fruit and vegetable pieces, fragments and powders. With this proprietary process, the moisture content can be customized (low or high) to provide its customers with a chewy or crunchy product. Its finished products are marketed as 100 percent fruit- and vegetable-based ingredients with no added color, preservatives or additives.

Milne MicroDried uses low impact vacuum radiant technology that combines conventional drying and radiant energy to produce whole fruit and vegetable pieces, fragments and powders.With a two-year shelf life and limited water activity, MicroDried ingredients also provide more uniform piece identity throughout the application, providing a visual appeal and desirable flavor. “This is accomplished through the MicroDried process by keeping the cell structure intact, which holds up through blending in customer manufacturing. Our low heat drying temperatures help retain much of the color and nutritional values of the fruit and vegetables,” says Greg Anchondo, Regional Sales Manager, Milne MicroDried. 

Allergen-safe
Ensuring that products are allergen-safe is the key focus of Dutch Spices’ dried ingredients business, as highlighted by Innovation Manager Rody de Wolf. “The unique selling point of the production method of Dutch Spices is that we do not allow the 24 most known allergens (including 14 legal allergens) in our factory. As a result, cross-contamination of dried ingredients with allergens, which causes a large part of the allergens infections and recalls, is not possible during production.”

“Many dry blends we develop at Dutch Spices, are also used for the development of sauces and marinades. These types of products have an increased demand, especially in our export markets,” he further comments.

A variety of applications
Henrik de Vries, Commercial Director at Kroner Starke, highlights: “Our dry ingredients are based on flour, starch and wheat protein. They are used in various applications in the food sector. The main applications are baked goods of all types. However, the products are also used in other applications such as meat- or vegetarian products, convenience, delicatessen or sauces. 

“The variety of cold and hot swelling products – such as the different functionalities regarding viscosity, texture and baking/stabilizing properties and the declaration as clean label ingredients – make our products so versatile in use.”

Kroner Starke’s ingredients are used, among other purposes, for protein enrichment. “Various functional wheat proteins, some of which contain more than 80 percent protein, are used for protein enrichment as well as to achieve certain sensory properties such as texture, color or taste,” says de Vries.

An example of a product that – in addition to being vegan and vegetarian – also meets the trend for high protein content, is spelt gluten. “The upwards trend in consumers opting to follow plant-based or flexitarian diets, spelt makes an ideal basis for meat replacement applications, as its fibrous, meat-like consistency gives good texture control and ‘bite’ as well as being an excellent source of protein. So it works effectively as a meat substitute in such products as burgers, sausages and nuggets,” says de Vries.

Among other dried ingredients within its range, Kroner Starke offers a low bacteria starch used in unbaked fillings and therefore a request for specific bacteria content. It also is a supplier of MAYO-Fix, a pre mix to create a vegan mayo. “We offer some of our products as natural fresh keepers. This means that customers can eliminate the need for artificial additives and receive a more attractive and natural declaration in return,” notes de Vries.

Functional fruitsDried ingredients can be used for protein enrichment and clean label preservation.
Ever-popular on the market are dried fruits, which are incorporated as an ingredient in bakery products, trail mixes, snack bars, confectionery, ice cream or as a “ready-to-eat” consumer product on their own. 

“Our newest and latest products are healthy and clean label fruit snacks which can be produced in different textures like crunchy (fruit chips) or chewy (fruit jerky or fruit leather). These products also come in different shapes like whole fruit, fruit pieces or triangles, or squares. It is also possible to fortify them with minerals and vitamins,” says Gloria Solis, Regional Innovation Manager for Agrana Fruit Mexico.

“We use a range of drying methods which are common practice in the industry. Our competitive advantage is that we can process fresh fruits right from the harvest into a final consumer packaged dried fruit product at one site. We offer a certified product with consistent quality that is also traceable.”

The biggest added value of such ingredients is provided by the fruit itself, “made from real fruit.” “Then there is also the possibility to provide extra value by adding vitamins, minerals, fibers, natural colors and flavors, which can be integrated during the production process. Consumers are always looking for new sensorial experiences. Depending on the type of dried fruit it can bring a crunchy or chewy texture to the final product,” Solis adds.

By Benjamin Ferrer