FDBusiness.com

Based on its recent research on the soy ingredients market, Frost & Sullivan has presented Fitorex with the 2012 European Frost & Sullivan Award for Product Differentiation Excellence for its minimally processed soy functional ingredient that offers multiple advantages including increased production, reduced costs, improved functionality, and enhanced organoleptic properties.

“While consumer awareness of the benefits of soy protein inclusion in the diet is high in Europe, this advantage is challenged by the inherent properties of soy including organoleptic properties – it adds beany aftertones in the food product – as well as the consumer demand for non-genetically (non-GM) modified raw material and the preservation of all the nutritional components of soy while processing,” says Frost & Sullivan senior industry manager Chris Shanahan. “Fitorex has overcome all these issues with its innovative ingredient Yaso®, which contains all the synergistic beneficial phytonutrients of soy in a single product due to sprouting.”

The pre treatment of the soy beans by sprouting offers additional benefits like easy digestibility, lower allergenicity and no flatulence that some consumers experience when ingesting soy and soy based products. Additionally, this 100 percent natural product is created from non-GM soy.

Germinated, processed, pasteurised and packaged using patent-protected processes, Yaso® has a neutral aroma and flavour. It is also a source of highly digestible and complete protein, fibre, and has very low content of carbohydrate and no cholesterol. As such, Yaso® is amenable to use in many food products that cater to trends in the European food industry such as gluten-free, lactose-free, cholesterol-free and natural products. With its gluten free pasta, Fitorex has also demonstrated that inclusion of Yaso® can reduce the amount of carbohydrates required to create a consumer friendly product; typical gluten-free products have a high content of carbohydrates.

“A wide variety of food matrices and the presence of cultural preferences for certain sources of protein increase the need for customizing every protein to the target market,” notes Chris Shanahan. “In view of this need, Yaso® has the advantage of being amenable for inclusion in multiple food matrices.”

Fitorex offers the product in a paste and whole bean format that are stable for up to a three month under refrigeration. It can be included in matrices with high and low water activity. These include meat analogues, meats, pasta and crackers. In addition, Yaso® can be used as a whole sprouted soy beans without processing into a paste, for ready-to-eat meals and catering applications.

“Yaso® fits into multiple market and consumer trends since its superior phytonutrient profile – compared to cooked soya – can manage conditions such as allergenicity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and weight management,” adds Chris Shanahan. “The lack of a beany tone in Yaso® combined with better mouth-feel as well as the ability to include in a wide variety of popular food matrices ensures success for this product.”

Fitorex has been able to get an Identity Preserved (IP)-certified soy source, which is also a single source, giving complete control over the quality of the raw material. The nutritional value of Yaso® is certified by the National Institute of Food and Nutrition Science, Hungary (OETI) as well as third-party multinational analytical laboratories. The new production facility for Yaso® is designed for quality certifications like HACCP, ISO, BRC and IFS. Finally, the raw material is locally sourced, therefore reducing the carbon footprint and increasing local employment as well as sustainability.

Importantly, Fitorex uses extensive marketing and application support to demonstrate inclusion of Yaso® in multiple food matrices. It works closely with food manufacturers to ensure that the final product suits the requirements of its direct customers and the final consumer. Toward this end, a network of distributors has been established inEurope. To convey the superior benefits of including Yaso® in food formulations, the company is exploring options of co-branding in the future.

In recognition of all these factors, Frost & Sullivan has presented the 2012 Product Differentiation Excellence award in soy ingredients to Fitorex for Yaso®. Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has developed a product with unique features/functionality as well as high quality for customers with complex needs. The award lauds the degree of the product’s customization and the fit for evolving market trends, which ultimately results in a strong brand perception of the product as being unique.