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According to Ryan Branch, AAK’s senior marketing manager, flavor is still king in the confectionery industry, and the ingredient manufacturer is looking for ways to deliver that quality to its customers while being cost-effective.
“No matter what we develop, we always look at flavor and mouthfeel,” Branch told IFT’s Food Dive this week.
Branch explained that with cocoa prices skyrocketing, the company is turning to shea butter to provide a cocoa butter substitute.
“Shea butter is a less expensive and cheaper alternative to cocoa butter, and this ingredient is becoming increasingly interesting to players in this space,” he said.
Shea butter, a vegetable fat, can be used for everything from fillings for baked goods and pastries to spreads for nuts and seeds.
AAK also worked to get a generally recognized as safe approval from the Food and Drug Administration, the first expanded use of shea butter in 20 years. Last week, the company announced it had received a no-questions-asked letter from the FDA. The company describes it as a “shea stearin product that can be used in spreads, margarines and other plant-based foods.”
“Beyond confectionery, in addition to its traditional use in personal care products, this ingredient can also be used in plant-based foods and bakery products—if you’re looking for a structured fat that has less saturated fat than coconut but still has a good foundation and provides functionality,” Branch said.
AAK is currently working to provide its customers with products blended with different types of shea oil.
This material begins as a seed that has fallen from a tree in West Africa.
In 2021, the company entered into a partnership to improve the livelihoods of 13,000 women farmers in Northern Ghana and secure a sustainable future supply of Shea. Known as the Women in Shea Initiative, the joint venture is based on: AAK’s Kolo Nafaso Shea Sourcing Program According to the company, the project has three goals: first, to increase women’s incomes by improving the efficiency and quality of shea harvests; second, to help women produce other crops that can provide additional income; and third, to raise awareness about natural resource management to ensure long-term conservation of shea trees in areas with fragile ecosystems.
“It’s not a charity donation. It’s a true partnership where we bring Rocket Stone to the local communities and help them learn how to better process their sears,” the brand said.
AAK has been working with shea for years and already has products in the market using the ingredient, the brand said.
At IFT, the company showcased raspberry truffles infused with non-lauric fats, which it said outperform traditional lauric fats.
This ingredient, Conpao 12, is non-hydrogenated and non-regulated, low in saturated fat, and can be replaced 1:1 with cocoa butter.
The company describes it as “a cost-effective solution that doesn’t sacrifice performance or sustainability.”
