IFE Manufacturing 2023: Yeast-based vegan cheese and soy-free soy flavors

23 Mar 2023 --- Lallemand Bio-Ingredients (LBI), a division of Lallemand, was at the International Food & Drink Event (IFE) Manufacturing this week in London (March 20-22). FoodIngredientsFirst caught up with Janusz Wielich, sales director for savory EMEA-APAC, at the event, who discussed the company’s concepts, including its vegan cheese flavors and an allergen-free soy flavor.

LBI Savory Ingredients aims to provide food processors with wholesome and sustainable yeast components to optimize their culinary objectives.

Whole-cell inactive yeast and its derivatives can add to the preparation of plant-based meals by contributing to their multiple properties in different areas, from flavor characterization to balanced nutritional profiles.

“Taste is an important element in the plant-based sectors,” Wielich explains. “We are exploring the megatrends we see on the market today, such as vegan and vegetarian food trends.”

The Savor-Lyfe CA concept was available for visitors to try. The natural vegan cheese flavor “gives the taste of mature cheese.”“Plant-based products are proliferating in the market and our solutions are providing great taste to a number of food applications. Our flavor-masking capabilities help to cover up unpleasant notes such as fava bean, pea and soy, which are primarily used in the alternative dairy space.”

Vegan cheese flavors
A Savor-Lyfe CA concept was showcased on the company’s stand. The natural vegan cheese flavor “gives the taste of mature cheese,” according to Wielich.

“The cheese analogs which we have produced present how the products work, from a flavor perspective,” he adds. 

They are made using yeast extracts and an autolyzed yeast portfolio, which, like seasonings, helps improve taste and brings out and balances flavors in food products.

The Savor-Lyfe CC is a cream cheese, explains Wielich, “which contains more of a fresh cheese taste.”

“Both products also contain our off-note masking yeast ingredient and most people are surprised that we can create such a good natural cheese flavor.”

LBI also presented a cheese-flavored pea puff concept using Toravita 300 ingredients and Savor-Lyfe CA. “In this case, the ingredients we have used mask the flavor of pea and can also influence the texture to make it more crunchy, compared to the concept we have without Savor-Lyfe CA and Toravita 300,” he explains. 

Allergen-free soy flavor 
Soy sauce is typically used in Asian cooking and is made from fermented soybeans, salt, water, and sometimes wheat-roasted grains. It is known for its fruity aroma and umami flavor, which makes it an ideal all-purpose seasoning.

However, with soybean as its main ingredient, it is also one of the most common food allergens.

With a gap in the market for a soy-free soy flavor, LBI developed Savor-Lyfe SSC, a yeast extract derived from yeast of the genus Saccharomyces cerevisiae with the addition of natural flavoring. 

“The result is an allergen-free light brown powder with characteristic umami, savory impact and the classic soy sauce flavor notes,” notes Wielich. LBI presented a cheese-flavored pea puff concept using Toravita 300 ingredients and Savor-Lyfe CA.

Savor-Lyfe SSC can be used to elevate the flavor in soups, sauces, marinades, snacks and spice blends that require a soy sauce flavor. “It’s very convenient for processing and an all-natural ingredient,” he adds. 

Moreover, Savor-Lyfe doesn’t contain added salt. The flavoring characteristics of yeast extract, combined with soy sauce notes, make it “an ideal solution to reduce salt level without compromising on taste, thus contributing to a balanced and low-salt diet.”

According to Wielich, LBI’s flavor innovation can be compared to Kikkoman Soy Sauce, “which is the Japanese market standard and is completely allergen-free.”

Allergen-free trends have been a running theme at this year’s IFE Manufacturing. Earlier this week, we reported that show exhibitors were ramping up their offerings in the allergen-free space. 

By Elizabeth Green, reporting from IFE Manufacturing 2023