Vantage Foods unveils clean label cake emulsifier for enhanced functionality

01 Sep 2023 --- Vantage Food has launched Simply Kake, an alternative to conventional emulsifiers to help food formulators enhance their bakery product quality. The patent-pending ingredient claims to help bakers attain taller, lighter and even textured cakes and sweets with an ideal crumb structure.

The product aims to complement food manufacturers’ cleaner label initiatives in the wake of consumer awareness and keen label-watching habits.

Addressing the launch, Mike Savidakis, Ph.D. and director of innovation for Vantage Food says: “Consumers have grown increasingly conscious of what’s in their food, and in turn, our customers are striving to achieve superior baked goods without including ingredients that infringe on evolving clean labeling standards defined by specialty grocers, such as the Food Ingredient Quality Standards.”

Targeting better functionality
Researchers are consistently working toward creating ingredients that help enhance the functionality of baked goods.

Cake slice baked with Simply Kake emulsifier. (Image credit: Vantage Foods).In a recent conversation with Food Ingredients First, Dr. David Seung, a researcher at the John Innes Centre, UK, flagged the importance of evenness and the food industry’s preference for homogeneity and smooth processing. 

The Simply Kake emulsifier delivers the baking performance and benefits of traditional, hydrated emulsifiers while avoiding the challenges of working with enzymes, which are delicate to process and have a limited shelf life, details Vantage Foods.

“It offers superior operational tolerance and the ability to increase cake volume with even, consistent crumb structure,” notes the baking solutions provider.

The company’s latest emulsifier joins the Vantage Food family of hydrated emulsifiers, which includes Kake Mate and Proform, a conventional all-purpose emulsifier for bread and dough-based products.

Scientists are also delving deep into baked products to understand the essential compounds that impact their flavor and quality. For instance, German research has found a way to help bakers control the bread quality and prevent excessive sourness in sourdough bread.

Clean label demand
Consumers are increasingly scrutinizing food labels to know what is going into their bodies, further stressing the need for F&B companies to offer clean labels.

"Consumers have grown increasingly conscious of what’s in their food."“Our innovative Simply Kake emulsifier enables our customers to meet or exceed these more stringent and sought-after ingredient expectations without compromising quality,” flags Dr. Savidakis.

Ingredient suppliers like Beneo offer clean label and natural wholegrain barley flour with functional fibers such as beta-glucans that confer benefits like positive impacts on heart health and blood sugar management.

At the IFT FIRST trade show held earlier this year, Kemin Food Technologies launched its clean label functional protein for breaded and fried foods. The company told us the ingredient can help lessen the batter breading adhesion issues, improving the quality of various items.

Meanwhile, the milling industry is also focusing on finding alternatives to eggs used in bakery applications to overcome supply chain issues.

By Insha Naureen