Algaia creates seaweed extract ingredient for non-dairy desserts
The alginate ingredients create a rich, creamy texture without the use of eggs or traditional additives in desserts such as low-fat dairy flans and will be exhibited at Fi Europe in Frankfurt, Germany, this month (November 28-30).
Low fat
Fabien Canivet, applications manager, Algaia, said one the challenges was to prevent the interaction of the alginate with calcium beacause alginate ingredients are known to interact with calcium, creating potential technological complexity limiting their use by dairy manufacturers.
Satialgine offers a rich, creamy, indulgent profile with a low fat advantage and can be used in non-dairy desert formulations based on soy, almond, or coconut.
“It is the first time we have created a specific ingredient for desserts,” he said.
“The seaweed extract gives the consumer an interesting mouthfeel. We have not yet partnered with anyone on the product but it is a natural process for us to develop the ingredient, launch it to the market then approach current and potential customers.
“We also have customers who may be looking for some adjustments to the properties of their desserts or who may be interested by the product itself.
“We are constantly developing ingredients in response to what is happening in the market and we work with a group of customers, for example we are partnering with Gelymar at FiE which exports seaweed for carrageenan production.
“Gelymar in Chile is one of the few seaweed processors who use fresh/wet high purity red seaweed in its manufacturing.”
According to Simone Baroke, analyst, Euromonitor International, global values of lactose-free food will continue to grow at a CAGR of 6% between 2015-2020, reaching $8.8bn in 2020. Lactose-free dairy, which is expected to enjoy a slightly higher CAGR of 7%, will account for 80% of this.
However, she said: “Consumers will keep looking for lactose-free dairy alternatives derived from plant sources, and the choice of products multiplying on the shelves satisfies health and wellness-orientated consumers’ taste for novelty and variety, but, in the end, many will continue to appreciate a product that tastes like cow’s milk, because it is, in fact, cow’s milk, just with the lactose removed.
Baby food
“Vegan alternatives, such as nut milks, may be tasty in their own right, but sometimes there is just no substitute for the 'real thing'. Lactose-free baby food is also only just starting to take off in key emerging markets.”
Algaia is based in Paris, with an R&D center in Normandy and a production facility in Brittany. The brown algae is harvested near Brittany, France, to ensure a constant fresh, local supply of the raw material.
Alginate properties include solubility at low temperature, can help preserve sensitive ingredients (vitamins, flavors) and reduce fat oxidation.
