LCI Markets Natural Toasted Corn Germs as Alternative to Nuts

“Thanks to their tasty, nutritional and clean label aspects, nuts can be used in many applications,” says Patricia Panel-Dusséaux, Marketing Manager at LCI. “However, nuts are one of the major allergens in Europe and have limited shelf life due to the high risk of lipid oxidation.

4 Sep 2012 --- Limagrain Céréales Ingrédients (LCI) have launched ‘Nutricorn Nuts’ – a unique ingredient to substitute nuts that gives a cost saving, is easy to use and is nutritionally well-balanced with less fat and more fibres than nuts. Importantly, It is nut-free and therefore suitable for nut allergy sufferers.

“Thanks to their tasty, nutritional and clean label aspects, nuts can be used in many applications,” says Patricia Panel-Dusséaux, Marketing Manager at LCI. “However, nuts are one of the major allergens in Europe and have limited shelf life due to the high risk of lipid oxidation.

“These factors, combined with the high cost of raw materials such as hazelnuts and almonds and price fluctuations, was the driver behind LCI’s development of Nutricorn Nuts as a cost-saving and non-allergenic ingredient with maximum flavour.”

The product is natural toasted corn germs sieved through a specific process. The nutty taste and smell and the specific and controlled particle size give an ingredient that can substitute nuts in a broad range of applications.

First of all, Nutricorn Nuts has a toasted and authentic taste which means it is ideal for innovation and product differentiation.

Added to this, there is a positive nutritional impact as Nutricorn Nuts is well-balanced with less fat than hazelnuts and walnuts and less calories, but richer in fibres and in minerals.

And it gives excellent processability because it contains less fat, so allows a better behaviour on the production line.

There is a cost saving in recipes and a price stability for, while nut prices can fluctuate widely from crop to crop, with Nutricorn Nuts, the price is stable at least for one year.

“Finally, a very important benefit is that the product is suitable for nut allergy sufferers. By using maize grain as raw material, nut allergens are not present in formulations, and it is possible to avoid contaminating facilities with nuts,” adds Patricia Panel-Dusséaux.

Limagrain Céréales Ingrédients (LCI) have developed their expertise in five markets: snacks, breakfast cereals, bakery, convenience food and non-food applications (bioplastics from cereals). Developments in all these areas are underpinned by ulice, LCI's laboratory at the cutting edge of cereal research. LCI is a subsidiary of the Limagrain Group - the European Union’s leading seed group. This gives LCI a unique understanding of cereals and their advantages for the food processing industries. This understanding of the functionalities of each ingredient and each raw material, along with their interactions in the various processes used, enables LCI to develop authentic and functional ingredients as solutions to improve clients’ products and margins.