Problem-solving in puff pastry products An unrelenting development effort has turned a Palsgaard emulsifier system into a powerful four-way product adjustment tool for R&D departments working with puff pastries – without requiring additional expertise or new machinery. By Anders Mølbak Jensen and Arne L. Nielsen WHAT TO DO? Every R&D department in the baking or bakery margarine industry knows the drill: Marketing has noticed a change in consumer preferences or food regulations that the current product range isn’t going to satisfy. Saturated fats might need to be cut back, for example, or lecithin replaced. Or perhaps the company’s advertising agency has developed a concept for a low-fat pastry product – one that not only requires new recipes but has Production asking “Can this even be done on our existing production line?” Everyone’s looking to the R&D team to solve the problem with a few quick taps of their magic wands. Without, mind you, requiring machinery investments or new R&D headcounts. And it appears that “We’re sorry, it just can’t be done” is not an option. If some of this sounds familiar, then you may be interested to hear that, after more than 15 years of continued development, Palsgaard has managed to create an emulsifier system that serves as a multifunctional tool, able to turn tough requests like these into realistic results. LECITHIN REPLACER The story begins with the arrival of what was, at the time, a new market demand: the replacement of soy-based lecithin in puff pastry margarines. After decades of delivering high functionality in relation to expansion, mouth-feel and crispness in baked goods, lecithin had served its purpose well. Consumer attention, however, was increasingly focusing on issues such as GMO and allergens. It was a sweeping change that presented margarine manufacturers with a difficult challenge, as simply removing lecithin from recipes would leave those same consumers dis-
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