B A K E RY
Pastry gets a vegan makeover Consumers are on the hunt for a well-balanced diet that goes hand in hand with healthy, convenient and sustainable products.
A
significant trend in this area is the development of vegan food. These diets have become mainstream and a ‘greener’ alternative to conventional food. As
a movement, it pushes global awareness of environmentally friendly production and consumption. For formulators of food products, this is an area that is continuously growing and well worth keeping an eye on.
NO EGGS, PLEASE Pastry manufacturer JP’s Pastry is following this movement and decided to reformulate its gluten-free pastry recipe to respond to consumer demand. Located in the US, the company is an online provider, specialising in baking gluten-free, artisanal cupcakes and pastries. They asked Brenntag to find a plant-based alternative to eggs, which could perform a similar role - without affecting taste or texture. ‘Our Food & Nutrition (F&N) team at Brenntag North America assisted JP’s Pastry in mastering this challenge by applying our passion for great food, the experience of our partners Vegan style pastry that ticks all the boxes
and our credentials to meet its needs,’ notes Graham Hines of Brenntag. ‘Leveraging the expertise of our application specialists, we used alpha-cyclodextrin. This is an effective emulsifier and foaming agent that can mask unpleasant flavours and aromas. It can even reduce cholesterol.’
A KEY TO SUCCESSFUL INNOVATION IN VEGAN FOOD Brenntag’s solution to use alpha-cyclodextrin as an alternative to eggs proved to be the right fit for the pastry processor. ‘With close and trusting cooperation with our partners and a wide range of specialist teams, we can elevate the vegan movement to a higher level at a lower price,’ Hines concludes. •
FAST FACT
Brenntag assisted JP's Pastry in all stages of research and development at its laboratories. With this solution, JP's Pastry could start manufacturing its proposed glutenfree, vegan pastry with a costeffective impact on production.
Brenntag – www.brenntag.com/south-africa
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Food Review | September 2019
