Egg replacement ingredient expansion: Renmatix forms US distribution agreement with The Ingredient House

04 Jan 2019 --- Renmatix has signed a distribution agreement with The Ingredient House, a supplier of specialty food ingredients, selling to food and beverage manufacturers across the US. Together, the two companies see the potential to replace eggs in baked goods by incorporating Simple Cellulose, a plant-based ingredient that provides manufacturers up to 50 percent in cost-in-use savings.

According to Renmatix, there is an abundance of growth opportunities in supporting the clean label movement using Simple Cellulose, which exhibits multifunctional property benefits in emulsification, texturizing, moisture retention and fat replacement. These are increasingly desirable traits to meet today’s ever-changing consumer tastes.

Derived from plant materials and agricultural feedstocks, Simple Cellulose allows food producers to replace eggs and fats, as it enhances the efficiency of texturizing ingredients and the moisture retention required for freshness extension – all while undercutting the cost of conventional ingredients.

In October last year, FoodIngredientsFirst reported that Renmatix was expanding its hydrolysis technology with its ingredient; Simple Cellulose.

Since 2007, Renmatix has been at the forefront of sustainable bio-supply chains. While previous Plantrose applications have focused on fuels and chemicals, Renmatix achieved a breakthrough discovery in 2017 that positioned the Plantrose co-products – such as Simple Cellulose – for a new set of value streams and markets within the food, beauty and industrial sectors. 

The patented Plantrose Process uses supercritical water to reduce costs in the conversion of plant materials to cellulosic sugars, the critical intermediary for second-generation biochemicals and biofuels. With faster reactions and virtually no associated consumable-expenses, Renmatix’s supercritical hydrolysis economically enables a multitude of renewable process technologies to access the market for “high volume, low cost and broadly sourced” cellulosic sugars that are compounding today. 

The ingredient has also shown advantages in gluten-free and vegan baked goods and its breakthrough properties are currently being realized in baked goods such as breads, muffins, cookies and donuts. Future targets include soups & sauces, meat & dairy systems and many other food ingredient applications, according to Renmatix.

Egg replacement is vital in today's baking industry for a few reasons, Mike Hamilton, Renmatix CEO tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

“Firstly, eggs are a costly and volatile commodity. Natural disasters like hurricanes, disease, recalls, and other factors can disrupt the supply chain, adding costs and causing uncertainty for businesses that depend on a regular supply of ingredients,” he notes. “Furthermore, Simple Cellulose is derived from plant material such as agricultural feedstocks using only water, so it's less expensive than eggs – without the price volatility.”

A graph of the 10-year volatility of egg prices: Renmatix estimates that Simple Cellulose can save bakeries 25-50 percent on their cost of eggs annually.Renmatix estimates that Simple Cellulose can save bakeries 25-50 percent on their cost of eggs annually (a valuable benefit, given that egg replacement is often the most expensive replacement ingredient in the baking process). Secondly, consumers are increasingly demanding plant-based ingredients that are both environmentally sustainable and cruelty-free.

“Bakers using Simple Cellulose thus far are universally enthusiastic about the ingredients’ versatility and elegance,” Hamilton adds.

“The volatility of egg prices is and always will be a challenge for bakeries and we believe that Simple Cellulose can be part of the solution,” he claims.

In addition to the rising demand for plant-based ingredients, Hamilton highlights increased consumer calls for allergen-free and gluten-free foods. “There's also a high demand from bakers for freshness extenders and we see increasing evidence that Simple Cellulose provides value there, too. If a baker can put something on the shelf that lasts for four instead of two or three hours, that's an important improvement that translates into profits,” he comments.

Simple Cellulose debuted at the IFT Food Expo 2018 in July. Since then, it has been a key ingredient in dozens of bakery trial tests across the US, according to the company, winning reviews and orders for its ability to improve free-from recipes with extended freshness and reduced costs.

“We debuted Simple Cellulose last summer and have been testing it regionally in commercial bakeries around Philadelphia. We're producing it in large amounts in our Kennesaw (Georgia) factory, and have seen great success in the bakeries and tests with partners like Mattson Foods, and we are ready to offer Simple Cellulose to bigger customers across the US,” Hamilton says. Simple Cellulose: The early applications have been in
specialty and allergen-free baking, according to Renmatix. 

“The Ingredient House is very well-positioned to help us do that, given their extensive experience providing ingredients to many of the top US food and beverage manufacturers. Consumers are looking for clean processes as well as clean ingredients: Simple Cellulose is one of the cleanest ingredients on the market, created with a unique, chemical-free process that produces uniquely multi-functional results,” he claims. 

“We plan to look at Canada and other markets eventually, but are currently only focused the US,” he adds.

Rudi Van Mol, President & COO of The Ingredient House tells FoodIngredientsFirst: “Consumers are looking for clean processes as well as clean ingredients: Simple Cellulose is one of the cleanest ingredients on the market, created with a unique, chemical-free process that produces uniquely multi-functional results.”

“We're pleased to be joining with Renmatix to bring this unique ingredient to the food market, and our early market efforts will focus on leading bakery manufacturers,” notes Graham Hall, CEO of The Ingredient House.

Founded in 2006, in Pinehurst, North Carolina, The Ingredient House supplies ingredients across a focused range of categories that includes ingredients focused upon areas where Simple Cellulose could be highly effective.

“Renmatix has achieved a true breakthrough with Simple Cellulose, offering multifunctional property benefits and cost savings to the baked goods industry. Given our ability to penetrate a supply position within leading bakeries in the US, and our proven ability to deliver customer growth with innovative products, we expect market success to promote Simple Cellulose across our target customer base,” Hall adds.

Hamilton welcomes a new era in food in which there is a consumer appetite for healthier foods and balanced with higher-quality ingredients and cost savings for food producers. 

“This has always been the promise of plant-based ingredients and the growth and interest we've seen has been amazing,” he explains.

The demand for novel plant-based ingredients like Simple Cellulose, coupled with the success of The Ingredient House, provides an exciting next chapter for consumers, claims Hamilton.

The relationships and track record that The Ingredient House has with its customer base, combined with the introduction of Simple Cellulose, will further allow it to serve the changing US consumer food preferences and support cost savings in production for its customers, according to Renmatix.

You can read further FoodIngredientsFirst coverage on Simple Cellulose here.

By Elizabeth Green