Home / Insights / Tackle 4 Big Baking Challenges with NUTRAVA^® Citrus Fiber

Tackle 4 Big Baking Challenges with NUTRAVA^® Citrus Fiber

The baking industry is at a crossroads. It is facing multiple challenges today related to inflation, supply and changing consumer demands. Consumers and manufacturers are looking for ways to cut costs – without compromising on quality.

Thankfully, there is a solution that can make reformulating a piece of cake. Sustainably sourced and upcycled from citrus peels, a byproduct of the juice industry, NUTRAVA® Citrus Fiber is a unique ingredient that was developed to help across a range of applications. In baked goods, NUTRAVA® Citrus Fiber supports stabilization, water holding, texture/mouthfeel, structure and moisture control.

As an example, we created a brioche recipe made with NUTRAVA® Citrus Fiber and used 50% less butter and eggs than standard recipes. Here are some of our observations from the process:

The brioche made with NUTRAVA® Citrus Fiber…

was less sticky for better machinability.
was consistent in texture and retained better shape.
allowed for lower cost and de-risked the supply chain by using less butter and egg.
had more volume.
had a moister crumb structure.

Inspired by our results, here are 4 ways we can help you tackle your toughest challenges with NUTRAVA® Citrus Fiber:

1. Save some dough: Combat rising prices as well as supply volatility.

From starch and xanthan gum to butter and eggs, supply chain instability is putting pressure on manufacturers. Then, as one issue eases, inflation steps in. The volatility is likely here to stay for a while. However, quality is one area that should not be sacrificed.

Look at ingredient cost savings to ensure your finished products still meet consumer expectations. For example, NUTRAVA® Citrus Fiber can help product developers extend or eliminate fats, eggs, starch, gums and emulsifiers in bakery recipes. In addition, there is a reliable, stable ingredient supply available to meet sourcing needs.

2. Reduce food waste.

Manufacturers know well the balancing act between the convenience and availability of fresh baked goods with stale products, looming expiration dates and the waste bin, both at the retail level and for consumers at home. NUTRAVA® Citrus Fiber can help extend shelf life by retaining moisture and structure longer, to meet your market needs and help reduce food waste. (P.S. Click here to see how CP Kelco upcycles food waste – citrus peels from the juice industry – into a NUTRAVA^® Citrus Fiber.)

3. Reformulate to meet clean label claims.

Innova Market Insights* recently asked consumers which claims most influence their bakery purchase. “Real ingredients/natural” was a top response, whether consumers were considering bread, cakes and pastries, or biscuits and cookies. Consumers are drawn to products that taste “homemade,” which is one of the reasons why “nostalgia” has been named a key trend by Baking & Snack and British Baker.

In addition, some countries, including England, have introduced restrictions on products high in fat, sugar and salt leading to more launches with reduced-fat and reduced-calorie claims. Upcycled NUTRAVA® Citrus Fiber can help product developers reduce or remove xanthan gum and mono diglycerides without impacting preservation or softness for a simpler ingredient list. It also supports reduced-fat and reduced-sugar formulations without sacrificing texture and quality.

4. Keep up with plant-based preferences.

Vegan bakery is going mainstream. According to Innova Market Insights, plant-based claims are up 61% (global, CAGR 2020-2022) in new bakery launches of cakes, pastries and sweet baked goods. Across all subcategories, consumers are asking for more vegan and allergen-free options without dairy and eggs.

This rapidly growing interest provides a new opportunity for brands to enlarge their consumer base and even reduce energy with no need for cold storage. NUTRAVA® Citrus Fiber can help make reformulation easier with minimal changes to the manufacturing process and great cost in use.

Fastest growing subcategories in bakery launches with a plant-based claim (Global, 3 years CAGR*)

Cakes - Pastries & Sweet Goods

+61%

Baking Ingredients & Mixes

+60%

Savory Biscuits/Crackers

+43%

Sweet Biscuits/Cookies

+43%

Bread & Bread Products

+18%

*Innova Category Survey 2023 (average of 35 countries), Innova Database.

If you’re ready to learn more, contact us today. We can help tailor our solutions to your needs.

Home / Insights / NUTRAVA^® Citrus Fiber: Your Source of Stability in Supply-Challenged Times

NUTRAVA^® Citrus Fiber: Your Source of Stability in Supply-Challenged Times

Don’t let an ingredient supply crisis derail your company’s product development and supply plans. Yes, the challenges hitting food and beverage manufacturers currently are many and the impact is great. Ingredients from wheat, starch, egg and oil to locust bean gum, xanthan gum, fruit puree, tomato solids and more are either difficult to obtain or too expensive. But let’s talk about solutions!

NUTRAVA® Citrus Fiber is upcycled from sustainably sourced citrus peels, a plentiful byproduct of the large citrus juice industry near our plant in Brazil. This next-generation ingredient supports dietary fiber intake and offers unique water-holding, texturizing and stabilization capabilities. With an abundant, nature-based raw material supply available, NUTRAVA® Citrus Fiber is well-positioned to help solve formulation challenges.

Extend What You Have

With hyper-inflation, it makes good financial sense to get the most out of ingredients in short supply. However, formulators should be careful not to adjust product recipes by adding too much water. Consumer watchdog groups have begun tracking product changes online and are warning the public about “skimpflation” when water becomes a top ingredient listed on the package label.

Instead, consider an ingredient that can help meet good-for-you expectations. Deliver similar taste, texture and mouthfeel with an easily recognizable ingredient that also has the benefit of supporting dietary fiber intake. It can help you simplify your ingredient deck and optimize formulation costs. For example, NUTRAVA^® Citrus Fiber’s water-holding capacity and oil-binding features can support the reduction of oil and reduction or complete replacement of egg in a variety of baked goods. Citrus fiber also does not require special handling and refrigerated storage like eggs do.

Citrus fiber complements fruit flavors and a great pulp or juice extender in beverages, including acidified protein and fruit-based drinks. As a fiber ingredient, it can also support sugar reduction by providing body and mouthfeel. In dairy and dairy alternative beverages, NUTRAVA^® Citrus Fiber supports stability, suspension, body and texture. In tomato sauce, our internal lab studies show that NUTRAVA^® Citrus Fiber can help reduce use of tomato solids up to 25% .

Helps extend tomato solids in tomato sauce and salsa.

Has high pectin retention which allows it to replace starch in yogurts and fruit prep.

Complements fruit
flavor while extending pulp and juice in beverages.

Use As a Starch Alternative

With its unique blend of soluble and insoluble fiber, NUTRAVA^® Citrus Fiber also supports water-holding capacity and can act as a full or partial starch alternative in a variety of dairy, sauces, condiments, baked goods and plant-based alternative applications. Because it retains a high pectin content, NUTRAVA^® Citrus Fiber provides gelling and thickening in fruit preparations. In spoonable and drinking yogurt alternatives, it can support stability, suspension, body and texture. In plant-based burger alternatives, it can boost water-holding capacity for more juiciness, stabilize emulsions and support a meat-like texture as it enables starch replacement.

Is an alternative for starch, modified starch, eggs and hydrocolloids in condiments, salad dressings and sauces.

Can replace or partially replace starch, modified starch, eggs and Xanthan Gum in bakery products.

Substitute When Needed

NUTRAVA^® Citrus Fiber can be utilized in combination with KELCOGEL^® Gellan Gum to reduce or act as an alternative to supply-challenged locust bean gum or xanthan gum in formulating dairy alternative beverages by providing both suspension and mouthfeel. In addition, NUTRAVA^® Citrus Fiber can be used as a replacement for locust bean gum in cream cheese and neutral protein beverages. When looking for a replacement for xanthan gum in salad dressing, sauces and baked goods, NUTRAVA^® Citrus Fiber is also a strong replacement solution.

As an easily recognizable ingredient, NUTRAVA^® Citrus Fiber has no E number in Europe and can be listed as citrus fiber on the product label so it can also help you meet ingredient reduction goals. In addition, NUTRAVA^® Citrus Fiber is compatible with standard manufacturing processes – so that is one less thing to worry about when reformulating.

We Are Ready to Help You Now

Ask us to show you how to reduce or replace supply-challenged ingredients in your application. Our team of global technical experts is happy to work with you quickly to meet your product development needs. Let’s talk! For a sample or more ideas on how to meet your unique goals, contact us here.

Home / Insights / Tackle 4 Big Baking Challenges with NUTRAVA^® Citrus Fiber

Tackle 4 Big Baking Challenges with NUTRAVA^® Citrus Fiber

As an example, we created a brioche recipe made with NUTRAVA® Citrus Fiber and used 50% less butter and eggs than standard recipes. Here are some of our observations from the process:

The brioche made with NUTRAVA® Citrus Fiber…

was less sticky for better machinability.
was consistent in texture and retained better shape.
allowed for lower cost and de-risked the supply chain by using less butter and egg.
had more volume.
had a moister crumb structure.

Inspired by our results, here are 4 ways we can help you tackle your toughest challenges with NUTRAVA® Citrus Fiber: