01 Dec 2011 Food Ingredients Europe’s award winners for 2011

Food Ingredients Europe & Natural Ingredients, in its 25th edition, has been on the go in Paris this week, and by all accounts the show has been a huge success with both exhibitor and visitor numbers up substantially from the 2009 event. A high-profile aspect of the expo are the Fi Excellence Awards that recognise major innovations in food ingredients in six categories, as well as ‘The Most Innovative Food Ingredient’, the overall winner of the Fi Excellence Awards.

The Fi Excellence Awards 2011 honoured professionals and companies for their ability to demonstrate and stimulate innovation, and for their contribution to the industry.

Henry Dixon Barrett, chairman of the jury said: “We were really impressed with the quality of research and innovations of the awards submissions this year. Above all, it was important for us to reward products whose application provides a real benefit to the consumer. We hope the industry will join us in welcoming the award-winning products.”

The Fi Excellence Awards winners are:

The Most Innovative Food Ingredient Award: Barry Callebaut – Terra Cacao

Terra Cacao was originally launched in February 2011 and relies on new cocoa cultivation and fermentation methods developed by Barry Callebaut in collaboration with local cocoa growers. This process produces zero defect beans and avoids off flavours, resulting in a 100% purest cocoa beans as the ingredient for superior chocolate, with an “unprecedented harmony of pure tastes and rich aromas”.

For Terra Cacao, Barry Callebaut searches for plantations on flavour-enhancing terroirs in equatorial regions. The cocoa beans are then handpicked when they contain a maximum of flavour and aroma. The cocoa is then fermented with the company’s 100% natural method that respects and enhances even the most delicate flavours and aromas. Afterwards, the beans are roasted in their shells and finally, the chocolate is conched, fully preserving the right texture, aroma, taste and flavour.

“Winning this award showcases how innovation is at the core of our company. The recognition certainly strengthens us to keep on searching for ways to improve the cocoa cultivation, fermentation methods and cocoa quality, thus improving our chocolate,” says Sofie De Lathouwer, a marketing director with Barry Callebaut.

“This award is the reward for years of painstaking research. Terra Cacao started with a university study but quickly became an interesting and passionate challenge until Barry Callebaut reached its goal: a cocoa of an unseen top quality, cultivated in a sustainable way and thus resulting in a superior-tasting chocolate,” says Nicholas Camu, Fermentation Innovation Manager at Barry Callebaut. “Winning this award shows that not only our customers appreciate the outcome of the project, but also a jury of industry experts and specialists.”

The Terra Cacao range covers several milk and dark chocolate references varying from 33.5% to 70.5% cocoa mass. The line is packed in 10kg bags and will be available to industrial customers worldwide.

For more information: http://www.terracacao.com/

Bakery Innovation of the Year

• Muntons – Maltichoc – to be used as a partial cocoa powder and chocolate replacer in baked goods. Maltichoc is blend of a carefully chosen selection of malted ingredients formulated to emulate the colour, aroma and flavour characteristics of cocoa when used in conjunction with this ingredient.

Other finalists:

AIT Ingredients for VITALMALT SEIGLE

A “Clean Label” ingredient that advantageously replaces emulsifiers (E471, E481). VitalMalt Seigle (malted rye flour) significantly improves the texture of soft bakery products and slows the process of going stale. This 100% natural innovation is produced via a controlled malting process that develops specific enzyme activities.

National Starch Food Innovation for Homecraft Create GF20

Homecraft Create GF 20 gluten-free flour is designed to meet the demands of bakery manufacturers and consumers. The product is a proprietary functional flour based on tapioca and rice that performs similarly to flour with gluten, while maintaining a simple and wholesome ingredient declaration. Prototypes baked with Homecraft Create GF 20 ranked much closer to benchmark gluten-containing products (in terms of texture, mouthfeel and moisture) than the commercial gluten-free products evaluated by the trained panel.

Dairy Innovation of the Year

• Chr. Hansen A/S – Red Strawberry Fragaria 100 WS – The new patent-pending carmine has superior process stability enabling a decrease of pigment concentration by 10 – 20% compared to standard carmine. It has a higher stability performance than standard carmines and also offers longer shelf-life, more rational handling, less storage space and lower cost-in-use.

Other finalists:

IDI for Cheasing’up
IDI identified considerable constraints related to traditional cheese production and made it a priority to develop a new technology and new proteins able to turn into successful end-products, offering cheese producers new alternatives to fullfil their needs.

DSM for Delvo Fresh Sour Cream
DELVOFRESH Sour Cream is a portfolio of solutions catering for regional trends in the global sour cream market. It allows manufacturers to create any flavour profile, from the fresh lactic taste enjoyed in Germany to buttery, aromatic French varieties. To help producers capitalize on demand for reduced-fat sour creams, a trend particularly prominent in the USA, the solutions enable texture improvement in products containing less than 15% fat. In regions with fluctuating milk quality, such as Russia, DSM offers concepts to enhance texture and appearance, for better end product consistency.

Beverage Innovation of the Year

• National Starch Food Innovation – Purity Gum- a unique emulsion stabilising starch derived from waxy maize and a cost-effective beverage emulsifier that stabilises over 30% oil in cloudy beverages. Its unique oil stabilising properties optimise oil droplet size distribution, which contributes to drinks’ turbidity. Purity Gum Ultra also reduces costs and energy use by enabling high oil load emulsions and eliminating the need for weighting agents.

Other finalists:

DD Williamson for Acid-Proof, Class One Caramel Colour (DDW 520)
Conventional Class One caramel colour is stable down to pH 3.5. DDW 520, stable below pH 2.5, is a breakthrough in soft drink concentrates. Manufacturers in Europe can (clean) label it “Colour Plain Caramel”. As a darker Class One, it requires less dosage. The innovation may transform store-brand cola formulations.

Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) for CLARISOY
CLARISOY 100 is the world’s only transparent soy protein that provides beverage manufacturers the ability to achieve an FDA ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ source of protein rating (up to 10 grams serving) in qualifying transparent low pH beverages. Clarisoy has a neutral flavour profile perfect for use in low pH beverage applications.

Savoury/Meat Innovation of the Year

• Purac – PuraQ Arome NA4 – a breakthrough in clean label, natural solutions for sodium reduction in food. PuraQ Arome NA4 is a natural flavouring that offers many of the functionalities of salt, providing food producers with multiple benefits in the production of reduced-sodium products. PuraQ Arome NA4 promotes savoury attributes imparting meaty, spicy and salty notes.

Other finalists:

Sotexpro for Texta Pois 65/70
A new textured vegetable protein (100% from pea) that gives the meat industry interesting room for innovation, and fits many current trends: GMO free, no allergens, clean label, traceability and local sourcing (peas harvested and processed in France), cost saving, good functionality and taste.

Walter Rau Neusser Öl und Fett AG for Brata breaded coating MP 5808 and MP 5809
Helps consumers to fight obesity, simplify processing, improve work safety, reduce energy and vegetable oil consumption.

Confectionery Innovation of the Year

• Barry Callebaut – Terra Cacao – This  all-natural, controlled fermentation technique method consistently produces top-quality cocoa with zero defects or off-flavours.

Other finalists:

AAK for CEBES LS 75
CEBES LS 75  is an unhydrogenated coating fat with a reduced content of saturated fatty acids. This meets the widespread demand of leading confectionery manufacturers for a healthier alternative to standard unhydrogenated cocoa butter substitutes that does not compromise processing and product functionality.

Purac for PURAC Powder MA
PURAC Powder MA is a new coated acid developed for the confectionery industry. PURAC Powder was designed to allow manufacturers to coat candy with a more stable acid, yet one that delivers a fresh, fast sour release.

Snacks/On-The-Go Innovation of the Year

• Lyckeby Culinar AB – Culinar Include – an innovation especially designed to bring 100% natural colours and flavours to breakfast cereals and muesli. Culinar Include are crispy, extruded pearls internally loaded with flavours and colours. Culinar Include adds unique values and cost savings to the wide segment of natural breakfast cereals.

Other finalist:

Vis vitalis for Vis-vitalis-Potato Mineral Flour
vis-vitalis-Potato Mineral Flour is a completely new and natural food ingredient, which consists of a high quality food ingredient with natural minerals and trace elements obtained from potatoes, dolomite and quinoa sprouts. Its manufacture is based on an internationally patented procedure.