Redefining tahini: Israeli technology yields “next-gen tahini with better functionality”

14 May 2019 --- Rushdi Food Industries has launched “a next-gen creamy tahini with better functionality and easier preparation” for ready-to-eat salads and prepared foods. The new tahini will be introduced at PLMA’s 2019 “World of Private Label” International Trade Show in Amsterdam on May 20-22, 2019. Achieving tasty, creamy tahini “without separation” is key, according to the Israeli manufacturer of sesame-based products.

Raw tahini can pose a challenge due to the natural separation of oil and the sesame paste itself. Making ready-to-eat tahini sauce also can be tricky due to this characteristic and the stiffness of its texture when water is added to raw tahini. “Our technology enables us to add more water and change the ratio between the raw tahini and water, making it more affordable for our customers,” explains Metalya Sivan, Marketing Vice President of Rushdi.

It took two years to develop the tahini, Sivan tells FoodIngredientsFirst. “The natural separation of oil and the sesame paste is the biggest problem that our customers mention, so we did lots of trials and used a special mechanization method to achieve tasty, creamy tahini without separation.”

Tahini is a paste of pureed raw or toasted sesame seeds and often sold as “tahini sauce” in a mixture flavored with lemon juice, garlic, thinned slightly with water. This traditional sauce is served in Israel and Arab countries throughout the Middle East. The versatile condiment is best known for its essential role in making hummus, although its uses go far beyond that.

Rushdi’s proprietary production process allows tahini made from sesame seeds to maintain smooth texture with high viscosity and improves water absorption. The process helps prevent separation for up to eight months. The result is smooth, tasty tahini with much easier preparation.

“The creamy texture of the tahini influences the organoleptic characteristics and, most of all, its flavor,” explains Mariano Ben-Oren Business Development Vice President of Rushdi. “Our technology makes it possible to achieve a creamy texture while high nutritional value, is preserved.”

In addition to the organoleptic and nutritional advantages of the new tahini, the product also improves safety and lowers overall costs. The new tahini can be packed in larger containers such as a 1.2 MT Big Bag, without the risk of raw material loss (less than half a percent), reducing the cost of packaging material and using more eco- friendly, recyclable materials. No extra mixing procedure is needed, and the tahini stays fresh, says the company.

Tahini is touted as a healthy superfood and a good mayonnaise alternative. It is plant-based, vegan, rich in vitamins and minerals, and a good source of plant protein. The smooth, clean-label product can be incorporated into dressings, ready-made salads, or squeezed into smoothie blends to add a boost of protein and minerals. It contains no preservatives, sugar, synthetic or artificial ingredients of any kind. 

There is an increased demand for tahini, which according to Sivan, is driven by the interest in hummus. Tahini is a superfood and fits in with many of the current key trends including gluten-free, vegan, clean-label, plant-based and protein trends. 

“Consumers are willing to try and eat tahini and we definitely see the increased demand. Vegans are fans of tahini, but we also see flexitarians and keto dieters adopting tahini as an ideal plant-based food,” Sivan notes.

“Our vision is ‘to spread the sesame magic all over the world,’ and as it is, we own the biggest tahini factory worldwide,” he says. “We are also working on developing new products, few of which are unique patents.”