Grain specialist GoodMills Innovation is tapping into the increasing demands for healthy nutrition within the snacking sector with its new product RutinX – Tartary Buckwheat. This ingredient is ideal for snack concepts with additional metabolic power, notes the company, and comes as more consumers see snacks as meal replacements. “Snackification” is top-of-mind for many, according to Michael Gusko, Managing Director at the Hamburg-based company, who also explains how growing numbers of vegetarians, vegans and flexitarians play an increasingly important role in the company’s NPD. 

As part of the new ingredients launch, GoodMills Innovation will also showcase novel whole grain flours, Snow Wheat and Snow Spelt, which offer an appealing light color and mild taste for gluten- and soy-free snacks solutions, next month at Snackex in Barcelona. That quick bite in between meals is essential for many consumers and is increasingly replacing proper home-cooked meals, according to the company. This, coupled with the fact that healthy nutrition is becoming increasingly important more important for many, means that a snack is no longer just an occasional “sin.” According to Gusko, the reality is now consumers see snacks as meal replacements, with corresponding consumer demands for wholesomeness, naturalness and sustainability.

“People want to do something positive for their health, and perhaps also for their conscience, and therefore regularly do without meat or animal products. They instead may enjoy a vegan burger with a patty made of wheat texturates,” Gusko tells FoodIngredientsFirst. 

Protein-enriched snacks are also extremely exciting, according to Gusko, especially in the low carb or sports nutrition category. “However, there is still a lot of innovation needed to get convincing sensory results,” he adds. 

RutinX is made from the prehistoric Tartary buckwheat and is available in the form of flour or crisps. With a dosage of only 5 percent, this ancient grain transforms bread and bread rolls, savory snacks, as well as dips and spreads, into superfoods, according to the company. 

RutinX’s functionality comes from its high content of the secondary plant substance rutin and the trace element zinc. Zinc has been proven to promote carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism, wheras rutin has an antioxidant effect and is thought to reduce blood pressure and blood sugar levels, especially in Asian medicine.

GoodMills Innovation has succeeded in reducing the bitter compounds of rutin in a patented process while preserving its valuable nutrients. 

Whole grain that does not taste like whole grain
Snow Wheat and Snow Spelt are ideal bases for “wholemeal nibbles,” as they make an important contribution to intestinal health thanks to their high level of dietary fiber, and also promise desirable sensory properties. 

For these flours, the Hamburg-based company uses particularly light grain varieties whose whole kernel is ground and refined in a multi-stage process. This not only leads to improved bioavailability of polyphenols and minerals but also reduces the bitter taste and rough texture typical of whole grains. Products based on Snow Wheat and Snow Spelt are characterized by a light color, pleasant mouthfeel and mild taste.

YePea – the European and GMO-free alternative to soybean grist
GoodMills Innovation has previously carried out intensive research into tolerable ancient grain varieties such as 2ab Wheat, but also into pulses.“The rediscovered yellow pea, which we offer ground and refined as YePea, for example, is a sensory and technologically convincing alternative to nuts and soybeans in the bakery and confectionery snack sectors,” explains Gusko. 

This ingredients  can also be used as a texturizer and substitute for soy grist in small pastries, for example. The toasted groats from the Yellow Pea have a pleasant nutty taste and are guaranteed GMO-free and of European origin, notes Gusko.

With a comparatively high amount of complex carbohydrates and proteins and low-fat content, YePea is an  ideal ingredient for product concepts that can be positioned in the health and wellbeing segment.