Wanting to satisfy a market that is increasingly attentive to the nutritional profile and labels of food products, CSM Ingredients – a global player in food ingredient research, innovation and production – has developed a number of solutions ideal to reduce fats and additives in laminated bakery and pastry products, without compromising performance and taste.
Fats – in recommended doses – are a fundamental part of the human diet. They also offer functional and sensory characteristics necessary to make products appealing and rewarding for consumers. The real challenge, therefore, lies in finding solutions that can improve the nutritional profile of food products without changing their appearance, texture and taste.
“Fats are a segment of great interest for the evolution of the entire food industry,” – explains Christian Sobolta, CSM Group Managing Director – “At CSM Ingredients, we have an entire innovation centre in Delmenhorst, Germany, dedicated precisely to the research and development of increasingly innovative and sustainable oils, fats and emulsifiers, in order to meet the needs of our customers and enable consumers to find nutritionally balanced products that can also satisfy their taste buds. SlimBAKE and our E-free margarines represent the results of these efforts and are the demonstration that it is absolutely possible to reconcile the pleasure of food with a wellness-conscious approach.”
SlimBAKE, in particular, is an emulsion that enables up to a 30% reduction in the fat content of finished bakery products, made possible thanks to an innovative combination of functional ingredients and advanced production technologies. The use of SlimBAKE has a twofold benefit: on the one hand, it allows industrial users to keep both the original recipe and the production processes unchanged while adding the claim ‘reduced fat content’ on pack in accordance with EU regulations [1]; on the other hand, it allows end consumers to combine taste and lightness without having to make compromises on the joy and sensory experience of croissants, Danish pastries and puff pastries.
The new emulsion – perfect for both ambient packed products and frozen baked goods – is available in two variants, butter-based and vegetable-based, thus allowing to meet the diverse demands of today’s consumers, including those who choose to follow a vegan diet.
In addition to SlimBAKE, CSM Ingredients just launched an “E-free margarine”, which was created by combining natural functional ingredients with advanced production technologies. This additive-free margarine meets the desires of modern consumers who are increasingly looking for “clean labels” and is ideal for major lamination applications.
It was possible to start producing this unique, new margarine thanks to technological and production innovations achieved with the introduction – in September 2023 – of a new production line at the company’s plant in Crema, Italy.
CSM Ingredients is also developing a second variant of the E-free margarine ideal for incorporation applications, which will soon be available on the market.