“Buttery” bacteria discovered to convert sugar in plant-based drinks into natural flavor

07 Sep 2022 --- Scientists at Denmark Technical University National Food Institute have discovered a new butter flavor to improve the taste of plant-based dairy.

“We have been working with butter and fermented dairy products since 2016 and optimized that. The current trend is toward more plant-based foods; it is something we could easily do, which is why we pursued it,” lead researcher Christian Solem tells FoodIngredientsFirst. 

Scientists obtained the butter aroma by converting sugar in plant-based beverages. The results were a lactic acid bacteria that can be used as an ingredient in many future plant-based dairy products. 

“The new lactic acid bacterium has the potential to create plant-based products with a taste that comes closer to the one we are familiar with from traditional products.” 

However, Solem has concerns about the nutrient value of plant-based foods. 

“There are a lot of positives in plant-based foods, but it is extremely important to look at the nutrient aspect to ensure you do not just throw yourself into the plant-based foods because, in the long run, it could have consequences.”

The discovered bacteria
‘Normal’ butter flavor is created when lactic acid bacteria converts the citric acid in milk. Typically, an artificially produced butter flavor is made from plant oils. By changing the properties of the lactic acid bacteria slightly, the scientists were able to create their butter flavor from sugar instead of citric acid. 

The new bacteria seem promising for butter-flavored plant-based dairy.Solem has worked in dairy processes and fermentations for the last 23 years. The team used its dairy fermentation knowledge and experience and transferred it to the plant-based industry.

The scientists added lactic acid to oat and soy milk and found that it grows well in those substrates, similar to when it is grown in milk. The lactic acid bacteria are then entirely naturally made in a very similar process to traditional dairy products. 

According to the researchers, the key to acquiring a good taste in many dairy products is the buttery flavor they create from the bacterium. 

Nutrition concerns
While the plant-based industry seems to be booming regarding health, environmental impact and price, there are still negatives Solem highlights. 

“In developing countries, people have been eating plant-based foods for a long time and suffer from severe malnutrition. I think that is an overlooked perspective.” 

Even though plant-based dairy alternatives benefit the food industry, their nutritional value in essential vitamins and minerals is often much poorer than their original counterpart, he notes. 

“Plant-based foods often have anti-nutrients. They have a lot of compounds in them that work against the digestive system of animals and humans. When eating plant-based foods, you might get fewer nutrients out of the food than is actually present because of the anti-nutrients,” informs Solem. 

Some solutions to adding nutrients to plant-based foods include microorganisms and fermentation. 

“It is well known that by fermenting plant-based foods, you can get rid of some of the anti-nutrients,” says Solem. “We can also use microorganisms to make plant-based foods not only taste and have better texture but to increase the nutrient content.” 

Some companies are keeping the nutritional value of plant-based foods in mind. FoodIngredientsFirst has spoken to Eyal Afergan, co-founder and CEO of Imagindairy, who says its plant-based dairy is ‘nature-identical,’ without any compromise on taste, texture, functionality or nutrition. 

“I think it is a good idea to focus on all these things, not just flavor, texture and aroma, but also nutrition. That is something we would like to explore,” concludes Solem. 

An impossible feat?
Solem recalls he once attended a trade show where prominent culture manufacturers stated that it is “currently not possible to make good butter aroma for plant-based foods because they end up tasting wrong.”

The scientists are looking to change that and provide an authentic butter flavor for plant-based foods, “it had the right aroma and flavor according to the tests we did.”

The complete results from the study are expected to come out soon. Yet, companies are currently exploring options for implementing the discovered butter aroma into plant-based foods.

“There are many different products. Looking at dairy products, butter aroma is essential in butter but also in products such as cheese, yogurt and various soups. Plant-based dairy is trending upwards, but scientists are concerned with nutritional aspects.  It is surprising how many different products have a butter aroma. There are many different things with a buttery flavor; the bacteria could be used for all of these.” 

Entering the plant-based space
The study was conducted with the rise of plant-based foods on top of mind, knowing that would be the use for the lactic acid bacteria. Solem remarks that the inspiration for the research was the current trend in plant-based foods.

When discussing the found bacteria, Solem said, “I think it is an opportunity for the plant-based food industry to make more clean label products. Some chemically manufactured plant butter on the market is generated from sugar cane using a high-temperature chemical process, which to me, does not seem to be very natural. Here it is similar to what you do in dairy products.”

Solem predicts that customers will continue to lean toward plant-based products due to a rising consciousness regarding food’s ingredients and environmental impacts. “Consumers increasingly demand products with fewer ingredients, with a clean label.”

Awareness of health and environmental effects is not the only reason the market is increasingly shifting toward plant-based food options. The rising price of classic dairy products is also a leading contributor.

The annual rate of retail price inflation has been steadily rising month-to-month, notably for dairy products, creating an opening for cheaper made plant-based products in the market. 

According to Innova Market Insights, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for food and beverage with plant-based claims was 69% between 2017 and 2021. 

By Sabine Waldeck