Win consumer dollars with bake-stable inclusions
Inclusion Technologies
KANSAS CITY — Bakers have intensified competition when vying for the consumer’s snacking dollar. With mini meals the new norm, especially for millennials, producers must find ways to differentiate and add allure to baked snacks. Bake-stable inclusions are proving to be a cost-effective and efficient way to do just that. They can also solve allergen problems, and many make attractive toppings.
And they help sell the finished item, noted Scott Cowger, vice-president, Cereal Ingredients, Inc. (CII).
The fabricated piece
Inclusions such as fabricated flavorful bits, chips, chunks, crunches, fillings, flakes, nuggets and sprinkles are designed to withstand the rigors of baking. They may be colored, fortified and texturized. And through careful manipulation of formulation, suppliers control their performance in the finished product.
Such items may be designed to engage the consumer, said Kyle Stuart, culinary scientist, Parker Products.
“Inclusions can take baked goods to new heights,” he said. “A great flavor goes a long way, but intriguing texture and aroma takes it up a notch.”
Ideally, these types of inclusions are added to baked goods with minimal or no adjustments to formulations. The way they go into — or onto — a baked good is what the consumer experiences; some are designed to absorb moisture and plump up, while others go through controlled melt or bleeding for visual effect.
Pieces that hold their shape and integrity through baking make unique eating experiences, Mr. Stuart said.
“When you provide a consumer with the satisfying crunch of a hard toffee in a brownie or muffin, you deliver elements that many other snack products lack,” he said.
Such characteristics can make a big difference in product appeal. Smokey Waters, director of culinary innovation, Pecan Deluxe Candy Co., said, “Bake-stable inclusions allow you to add different textures and experiences that delight the customer. Imagine a blueberry muffin filled with sweet, crunchy blueberry bits and topped with an orange ginger crumble. Not only do you surprise the taste buds with a pop of unexpected flavor, but you also add texture and dimension to a traditionally one-dimensional product.”
While inclusions provide an easy way to deliver flavor, color and protein content, their main job is to boost product appeal.
“After all, first, you eat with your eyes,” said Bob Hatch, chairman and owner of CII.
The snacking drive
Bakers find inclusions to be useful ingredients that differentiate and “premiumize” mainstay snack products. This has become important because frequent snacking characterizes modern eating styles.
It’s important to note that snacking drives change across the day, as do snack forms, flavors and even nutrition profiles. Morning snacks may be more about satiation and nourishment to get through a hectic start to a day. Think of a whole grain “muffin top” with peanut butter protein chunks and strawberry gems.
An afternoon snack might be for energy or to satisfy a sweet craving. Think of a caffeinated dark chocolate-coated layered bar with a chewy coconut caramel filling. For the evening snack, focus on relaxation and pleasure. How about an oatmeal cookie with green tea bits and a mango almond crumble topping?
“Inclusions can add excitement, visual appeal and texture that attract customers to a product during (different) dayparts,” said Jessica Vogel, marketing communications manager, bakery, Kerry Americas Region. “Bakery products are inherently indulgent, and consumers are most likely purchasing them for a treat or special occasion. Some (bakers) may also add to the health halo of a product by including fruit-based inclusions, nuts and grains.”
The real-deal dilemma
Numerous performance considerations influence how formulators work with inclusions. First and foremost, label claims must be part of initial product development. Inclusions can be quite complex, which may mean a busy ingredient legend.
“Consider label requirements such as natural, non-G.M.O., etc.,” said Brigham Sikora, R.&D. and applications director, bakery, Kerry. “It is important to determine if the inclusion needs to meet a Standard of Identity, such as real chocolate or real fruit.”
Some inclusions are made to look and taste like the real thing but to do a better job. This is particularly true of fruit-like bits. Real fruit introduces moisture into the product. In the case of cookies or snack bars, the excess water will have a negative impact on texture and shelf life. Inclusions, however, may be customized in moisture levels.
“These problems haven’t gone away, but today there are real fruit ingredients available that overcome this problem,” said Wayne Lutomski, vice-president, Welch’s Global Ingredients Group. “(The company’s new juice bits) are next-generation real fruit ingredients that mitigate moisture transfer between the inclusion and the rest of the product.”
Welch’s process involves concentrating the juice or purée of Concord and Niagara grapes into pieces and flakes without adding sugar. The technology also binds moisture, enabling use in dry applications.
“The crucial parameter is water activity, a measure of the ability of water to migrate from an ingredient into the surrounding food matrix,” Mr. Lutomski explained. “If you want to use real fruit in a dry product, it’s really important to ensure the water activity of the inclusion has been tailored specifically for the application. In this way, you can make sure that the fruit you use won’t ruin the recipe or cause product spoilage.”
Some inclusions may provide a cost-savings opportunity by supplementing or completely replacing more expensive whole food ingredient inclusions.
“For example, blueberry nuggets can be used to supplement or replace real whole blueberries,” Mr. Sikora said. “These nuggets allow real blueberry to be listed on the product label. They provide the appearance of blueberries without having the cost fluctuation or seasonality of blueberries.”
Other formulation considerations include time of addition to the baked good, as well as finished product appearance. Formulators should set reasonable expectations for the color, piece identity and degree of melt, if any.
“It’s important to decide if the inclusion will be used as a topping (after bake) or will it be mixed into the batter or dough and then baked,” said Claudia Granda, vice-president of R.&D., Pecan Deluxe. “If used after bake, there is some flexibility on bake stability. Still, a moisture barrier is often needed to keep the inclusion from melting or staling, especially if an icing is water-based. In addition, if the product will be refrigerated or frozen, and thawing is needed before serving, then a moisture barrier will help keep the ingredient’s integrity.”
If the inclusion is added to the batter or dough, bakers should consider the amount of agitation and dwell time. Bake time and temperature can also impact inclusion integrity.
“Processing may impact the final functionality and success of inclusions,” said Dennis Reid, vice-president, sales and marketing, Inclusion Technologies. “By knowing those processing parameters up front, inclusions can be formulated to complement the conditions.”
Another important consideration is stability of the flavors and colors after they go through the baking process.
“Formulators should take into consideration if they want inclusions to stay crunchy or soften in an application, and also whether or not they want inclusions to bleed,” said Mary Reynolds, research scientist, bakery applications, Kerry. “There is also the risk of colors migrating or losing piece identity under long residence time in batter or dough.”
To mitigate against this, inclusions may be coated with a lipid, hydrocolloid or sugar solution. This slows moisture movement, as well as color bleeding. In some instances, such coatings may assist with suspension in thin batters. This prevents inclusions from settling to the bottom.
“Lipid inclusions are made with a lipid base, with sugar or flour incorporated along with flavors and colors,” said Robert Mason, technical development manager, encapsulates and inclusions, SensoryEffects, a division of Balchem. “These lipid inclusions do not contribute moisture or affect water activity, and the lipid can delay a flavor’s release for better intensity.”
Pecan Deluxe Candy
The allergen question
Since ancient times, nuts have complemented the flavor and appeal of baked foods, but many consumers now avoid them for their potential allergenicity. Mr. Reid explained that fabricated inclusion technology enables the manufacture of allergen-free, nut-like ingredients. This includes non-G.M.O. nut replacers and extenders, which also may be formulated to be higher in protein, offering as much as 20% of their content as “complete” protein.
“We are also working on some nut-free granolas,” he said. “These ingredients can be customized to create signature finished baked goods.”
Still, nuts provide plenty of allure on their own. Pecan Deluxe offers praline nuts, including almonds, peanuts and pecans. The sugar coating protects the crunch of the nut inside higher-moisture baked goods.
“They can be custom-made in different flavor profiles,” Ms. Granda said, citing new sugar-coated pretzels.
The bake-stable inclusion business is dynamic. Many suppliers today focus on developing inclusions with cleaner, simpler labels. This includes replacing artificial color additives with naturally sourced colors. Others are adding better-for-you ingredients to the fabricated inclusions.
“Today’s consumer is looking for healthy and sophisticated snacking options,” said James Bruce, vice-president of international sales and marketing, Pecan Deluxe. “There’s growing interest in adding ancient grains, protein and other value-added ingredients to the bake-stable inclusion segment.”
Ms. Reynolds agreed that ancient grains and seeds are growing in popularity.
“We have a lot of customers trying to find ways to add the visual appeal of grains and seeds to their baked goods,” she said. “Toppings that are seed- or grain-based can also elevate the health halo of a product.”
For example, chia seeds can be included in fruit bits. The seeds provide extra nutrition and texture, while the fruit matrix protects them from oxidation, thus holding off rancid flavor development.
“Larger particulates such as crushed grains, whole seeds and grits are popular inclusions, as they signal to consumers that the product is wholesome and natural,” said Joni Huffman, vice-president of domestic sales, Healthy Food Ingredients.
Among developments at CII in its heat-expanded line is a low-sodium, plant-based “salt” crunch.
“It looks and tastes like pretzel salt and is freeze-thaw stable,” Mr. Cowger said.
Watson
The content declaration
Inclusion systems also provide flexibility for flavor innovation. For example, SensoryEffects plans to debut a flight of beer-flavored lipid inclusions for baked goods. Available in five flavors — Amber Ale, Belgian Ale, IPA, Stout and Wheat Beer — the inclusions may be used alone or with fruit ingredients to give unique flavor twists to bread, crackers, cookies and pretzels. Creative concepts include maple wheat beer cookies, honey brown ale pretzel bread sticks and vanilla stout biscotti.
Watson Inc. offers bake-stable edible glitters that deliver both color and flavor, artificial or natural, based on the baker’s preference. Made of gum arabic, they have a simple ingredient declaration.
“The ingredient statement for our edible glitters is very short,” said Mary Watson, senior vice-president of business development, Watson. “We have a number of stock products but also offer customized glitters. These are useful in limited-edition and seasonal products.”
With so many creative inclusions, bakers can easily innovate to differentiate. It’s time to design baked goods that better satisfy snackers’ cravings for flavor, nutrition and adventure.