When it comes to creating a custom fat, collaboration is key to achieving the proper solution.

“It behooves the baker to act with their supplier in partnership,” said Frank Flider, consultant for Qualisoy.

That requires open communication about what the baker needs and what the supplier can deliver.

“Bakers need to know their company’s value chain and strategy to meet their target consumer’s needs and preferences,” said James Jones, Ph.D., vice-president, customer innovation, AAK USA Inc.

This includes product attributes such as texture, flavor and shelf life; clean label and nutritional profile; sustainability needs; and processing considerations. Knowing these parameters will speed up the co-development process.

If bakers can boil down their must-haves for the solution, it’s imperative for the ingredient supplier to listen and meet those needs.

“If our existing products don’t fit the application or work in the process, then Columbus Vegetable Oils can work directly with the customer to create and develop a new product based off of our knowledge in fats and oils as well as our unique position to offer such a lengthy list of fats and oils as part of our repertoire,” said Rick Cummisford, director of quality control at Columbus Vegetable Oils.

With all the technology available today and the collaborative mindset ingredient suppliers have, Mr. Flider doesn’t believe there is any problem the fats and oils suppliers can’t solve.

“Suppliers are really well-equipped to deal with whatever the bakers need,” he said. “It’s really a matter of communication, trust and partnership. The sky is the limit now.”

With a collaborative ingredient supplier by their side, bakers can rummage through the toolbox of fat technologies and find the one that works best for their specific application.

This article is an excerpt from the April 2019 issue of Baking & Snack. To read the entire feature on fats and oils, click here.