Dairy Dialog 116: ArcAroma, Red Boat Ice Cream, EverGrain

ArcAroma extends whey protein quality improvement evaluation period with Swedish dairy company

During the summer, ArcAroma signed an evaluation agreement with one of Sweden's largest dairy companies, regarding quality improvement of whey protein using a modified juiceCEPT+.

The CEPT platform, a high-voltage generator combined with a treatment chamber, uses the technology within FoodTech for increased extraction from the raw material and extended shelf-life and increased quality of the final product.

The evaluation period is now coming to an end and ArcAroma said the results are promising. The dairy company has now decided to go from a temporary installation to fully integrating CEPT into the production process to achieve even higher results. The agreement has therefore been extended until the end of Q1 2021.

“We are pleased that we have achieved positive results with the customer and how we in this process have been able to further develop our treatment chamber technology - lessons that will benefit our other applications. We started with our product juiceCEPT+ and have gradually adapted it to develop this new application. We look forward to taking this further to a fully integrated solution,"​ said Johan Möllerström, CEO ArcAroma.

The evaluation period at the dairy company achieved a good reduction of bacteria through the treatment with CEPT, and in order to further streamline and improve the process, ArcAroma's unit is now further integrated into the customer's production process.

The customer invests in the process control and ArcAroma contributes with a reduction in rent for three months and adaptation of CEPT. The changes in the process will be flow optimization, start and stop sequences, cooling and a customized clean-in-place program (CIP).

After the evaluation period, the dairy company has an option to be able to buy out juiceCEPT+ for €420,000 ($513,790), minus a paid rent of 750,000 SEK ($90,700).

Red Boat Ice-cream unveils expansion plans

Red Boat Ice Cream, which has four ice-cream parlors across Anglesey and north Wales in the UK, has invested £400,000 ($544,000) in a new ice-cream production lab at its Llangefni hub on Anglesey.

Here they plan to create a visitor attraction for people to watch ice-cream chefs making gelato while also enjoying the on-site mini-parlor.

The investment has helped fund product development which includes a new range of 120ml mini pots of ice-cream and innovative gelato products such as cakes, gelato sticks and filled chocolates to allow the company to target and grow its B2B and retail listings across Wales, Cheshire and Merseyside as well as nationally.

The company added new customers during the last lockdown including retailers, restaurants and farm shops in north Wales and Anglesey. It is working on new collaborations, one of which is with Halen Mon – Anglesey Sea Salt Company.

Red Boat Ice Cream said it is also looking to target a national retailer to carry its products.

Red Boat Ice Cream founder Tony Green said, “We have lots of exciting plans for the business in 2021 including growing our number of stockists not just in Wales and across the region but throughout the UK, launching some fantastic new gelato products and collaborating with a number of other well-known Welsh brands.​

“We have a new range of 120ml mini pots of ice-cream which are perfect for restaurants, coffee shops and tourist attractions as well as food wholesalers and supermarket chains.​

“Our team of gelato chefs can even bespoke products for customers to suit their requirements.”​

Red Boat Ice Cream parlors can be found in Beaumaris, Menai Bridge, Prestatyn and Llangefni with a new parlour due to open in spring 2021. It also supplies The National Trust with ice-cream at Plas Newydd and Penrhyn Castle.

During the pandemic, Red Boat Ice-cream launched its first direct to customer service with people able to place orders online. It trialed a local delivery service along the A55 corridor and there are now plans to roll out online sales every fall and winter.

EverGrain Introduces Sustainable and Innovative, Plant-Based Barley Ingredients

A new company has been launched in the US. EverGrain is a sustainable ingredient company using barley to deliver protein and fiber barley-based ingredients to the world.

The new company, backed by brewing giant Anheuser-Busch InBev, uses proprietary processes to utilize saved grain from brewing and transforms the circularly sourced barley into nutrient-rich ingredients that can be used in a variety of food and beverage products.

“Our unique barley ingredients will transform plant-based products, delivering better tasting and more nutritious options to consumers who seek a healthier and more sustainable future,”​ said founder and CEO of EverGrain, Greg Belt.

“EverGrain’s innovative and circular approach, which we’ve honed over the past five years, offers a scalable, local and reliable solution for the global food industry to help address the world’s food security and sustainability challenges.”​

Plant-based foods are one of the fastest growing categories in the global food industry, greatly outpacing other traditional categories. According to the HealthFocus International (HFI) 2019 Global Report, a quarter of global shoppers say plant-based foods and beverages have become more important in their diets and are willing pay a premium for plant-based products.

Backed by the world’s leading brewer, EverGrain said it will support the growing demand from its commercial customers by providing a scalable, consistent, and stable supply of its ingredients – reaching businesses across the globe, with ingredients made locally.

“AB InBev is proud to support such a remarkable, purpose driven venture with a mission to create incredible ingredients to nourish the world through the transformative power of circularity,”​ said Tony Milikin, chief sustainability and procurement officer, Anheuser-Busch InBev.

“EverGrain marks an important milestone in our ultimate goal of building a better world as we look to the next 100 years and beyond.”​

EverGrain said it seeks to partner with some of the world’s leading organizations as they turn to barley as an essential ingredient to elevate their products with more nutritional value for consumers around the world. Ultimately, it said, the ingredients will also have a positive impact on social and environmental challenges like the goal of affordable, sustainable nutrition for the undernourished.

“Plant-based proteins have been an important health trend for over a decade. But for many new consumers coming into these categories, their motivation is no longer just their personal health and wellbeing, but more broadly their environmental concerns and commitment to sustainable practices and companies. EverGrain is an exciting and important step forward for the entire plant-based protein marketplace. As a “circular” project, there’s no additional land or energy needed to grow EverGrain, and minimal water and energy are required to transform this nutritionally dense barley source into an exciting new plant protein,”​ said Jeffrey Brams, GC & VP R&D for Garden of Life, LLC.

“At Puratos, our ambition is to accelerate the transformation of our industry. EverGrain’s barley offers a unique plant-based protein and fiber option that doesn’t require additional land, saves water, and lowers a product’s overall carbon footprint. At Puratos we are working with EverGrain to develop the ingredient technology that will allow bakeries to make great tasting, nutritious and sustainable breads featuring barley ingredients in line with consumer preferred texture and freshness expectations,”​ said Frederik Lievens, group products director, Puratos.

With the launch, EverGrain is commercializing its first generation of nutrient-rich, ancient-grain products to market, EverPro and EverVita. Both product lines can be used across a wide range of food products.

EverPro, a fully soluble protein isolate, is currently being formulated in multiple plant-based protein products, including beverages, protein bars and snacks. EverVita, barley fibers and proteins with minimal starch, are being used as a single solution to boost the nutrition and gut health benefits of baked goods, pasta and snacks without impacting taste and texture.

EverGrain ingredients are currently available in products such as Take Two, a plant-based barley milk alternative line. The company also has multiple product launches with commercial partners planned that will reach shelves in both the US and Europe in the first quarter of fiscal year 2021.

The company said in shakes and smoothies the product improves mouthfeel of RTM protein powder with no chalkiness; offers high dispersibility for easier integration; and extends shelf-life with no need for thickeners. In plant-based milk alternatives, it enables clean ingredient legends with good dispersibility; is simple to blend with other plant-based proteins; and enables a creamy texture comparable to dairy milk.