Palsgaard CCO: Emulsifiers can thrive on a sustainability platform
12 Dec 2017 --- Emulsifier and stabilizer manufacturer Palsgaard A/S is the enabler of a new industry initiative aimed at inspiring and sharing expert knowledge, know-how and ideas to help realize the full potential of sustainably sourced and produced emulsifiers. Emulsifiers contribute to a very small part of the ingredients list for a range of foods – from baked goods to ice cream, chocolate, dairy and margarine – but they play a huge role in ensuring product quality and shelf-life, enabling them to support a number of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In fact, they are already playing a valuable role in achieving some of these goals through providing a growing population with safe and nutritious food, reducing food wastage and lowering the amount of energy used in food production. Equally, emulsifiers are enabling the production of more sustainable plastic products as they can replace petrochemical additives while, for example, adding efficient anti-static and anti-fogging effects important in food packaging. Facts which not all may be aware of, but which Palsgaard hopes to educate on via its new blog.The blog, Palsgaard explains, is an open, online and non-promotional forum, planned to provide a platform for experts within the global food and non-food industry to share their unique perspectives, discoveries and other experiences related to emulsifiers.
Since 1917, when founder Einar Viggo Schou invented the modern food emulsifier, the company has created hundreds of differently specialized emulsifiers and perfected their use in many applications. Nowadays, sustainability is at the forefront of the company, driving development and innovation at Palsgaard.
At FiE, in Frankfurt last month, FoodIngredientsFirst caught up with Allan Sandbeck, CCO at Palsgaard who discussed the company’s approach to sustainability: “At Palsgaard, we have historically always been highly dedicated to the welfare of our employees and the local communities in which we work, which is why it has been natural for us to take it a step further and look at how we can reduce our impacts. This we have done primarily by working towards our declared goal of achieving a zero-carbon footprint for our factories in Denmark, Mexico, the Netherlands and Malaysia, by sourcing RSPO certified segregated sustainable palm oil and by working strategically with responsible supplier management.”
“Our factory in Denmark achieved a zero-carbon footprint in 2015, followed by our facilities in Mexico in 2016 – and our factory in the Netherlands is expected to meet the target in 2018. Our factory in Malaysia is taking a bit longer as the sustainability infrastructure isn’t as developed yet in that region, but we are certain it will be achieved in time for our 2020 deadline. We take great pride in achieving our zero-carbon-footprint the right way – by carrying out extensive energy optimizations and switching to renewable energy sources, and only buying carbon offsets as a last resort,” he explains.
“Sourcing sustainable palm oil is another way we help reduce our impact on society and the environment”, Sandbeck explains. “We have worked extensively with the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) since 2008 and are very proud to say that our factory in Denmark uses 100 percent RSPO certified segregated sustainable palm oil, the highest commercially available grade of sustainable palm oil, and as such we are able to deliver our full product range of emulsifiers made from 100 percent sustainable palm oil.”
How has Palsgaard responded to the request for palm-free products? “If our clients decide to move away from palm-oil, we can also offer palm-free emulsifiers. You might not always get the exact same functionality when you’re working with palm-free emulsifiers as you would from palm-based solutions, but we have developed several emulsifiers that will come very close,” he notes. Here at FiE, we have launched our new palm-free powdered emulsifier for industrial cakes, Palsgaard SA 6615, as well as we have presented margarine manufacturers with a series of palm-free emulsifier systems, including a series of recipe suggestions for various types of palm-free margarine.”
Meeting specific functionality demands is another important aspect for Palsgaard: “It’s really looking into what the customer needs and what the market demands. In some cases, it’s a matter of getting more functionality in ice creams, such as slower melting, a different type of mouthfeel or better heat shock resistance” he explains. “For other segments like sponge cakes, it is about having a leaner label, meaning [lowering] the number of E numbers in sponge cakes. It really depends on the market,” he adds.
How does the demand for clean label and lean label present challenges for Palsgaard? “Instead of talking about clean labels, there’s more to talk about in terms of which value you’re bringing to a product,” replies Sandbeck. “And as an example, it is in some cases a matter of getting food on the table. So actually, if you want convenience food, then you need emulsifiers to do that. Again, it’s about looking into markets and accepting that some request leaner labels than others. It’s important to be active in the right markets with the right products,” he confirms.
Is there any role for the sector to educate consumers in this regard as to why these ingredients are there and how to overcome this? “It’s a matter of knowing the markets, but also explaining that these ingredients are not dangerous, but are actually giving value. Sometimes we add an emulsifier to extend shelf-life,” continues Sandbeck. “By extending shelf-life, you reduce food waste. So, it’s a combination and you actually gain some value for the paying customers. It could also be reducing fat in products, and if you reduce fat in products, you also bring value to the market,” he explains. “This is also what we hope that Emulsifiers for Good can help achieve so that people will be better educated on the functionalities of emulsifiers.”
There are also several opportunities for Palsgaard in the dairy sector, Sandbeck says: “If you look into the dairy industry, you have, in many markets, less milk available than the market actually demands. By adding emulsifiers and stabilizers, you can stretch the dairy-based raw materials and help feed a growing population.
“The food sector is a growing market because of the demand we’re creating; the consumers are demanding more and more. When they demand more, we have to develop products which fit their demands. Meaning if they look for even lower fat products, then we must develop products that can help them to produce the lower fat products,” Sandbeck details.
It’s not only about looking into trends in the market but also listening to consumers and what they’re looking for. For Sandbeck, Palsgaard looks to what the public is looking for and try to adapt to that. “That is by looking to us for sustainability and emulsifiers,” he concludes.
By Robin Wyers and Elizabeth Green
