Wheat ingredients specialist Loryma has developed functional binders that can individually adjust the consistency and texture of meat alternatives. The Lory Bind range includes binders with different properties that match the application and production process. The move comes amid heightened demand for meat-free products with an authentic taste, smell and appealing mouthfeel.

“Plant-based food is a consumer trend that is currently experiencing steep upward growth. High demand comes not only from vegans and vegetarians but also from consumers who want to reduce or replac their meat consumption for health, ethical or environmental reasons,” Henrik Hetzer, Managing Director of Loryma, tells FoodIngredientsFirst. 

Wheat-based raw materials ensure an appealing appearance. This, in turn, results in a high degree of customer acceptance for the end-products, Hetzer notes. “Functional blends allow adjusting the consistency and texture of plant-based applications individually while wheat texturates can reproduce meat alternatives in numerous shapes and colors. These ingredients are suited for a multitude of desired finished products. Whether a manufacturer produces vegan burger patties, meatballs, chicken nuggets, fish fingers or kebab, sausages and bratwursts − everything is possible,” he asserts. 

“A challenge for industrially produced vegan alternatives is their sensory optimization,” adds Hetzer. Wheat-based ingredients can support properties such as flavor and mouthfeel. They have a positive impact on enhanced characteristics and can provide a crunchy, creamy or crispy texture. Also, they improve the shape, volume and color.”

Continuous R&D development allows for in-depth technical knowledge that is a prerequisite when developing and realizing new applications and solutions for the food-producing industry, notes Hetzer.

Lory Bind can be combined with other formulation components, such as coatings, breading or texturates, and is easy to process. The functional starches help create ready-to-eat products with the desired and expected texture. For products designed to be eaten both hot and cold have a consistent composition, the binder provides an irreversible internal structure. 

The wheat derivatives also help reproduce the texture of raw meat for foods that need to be grilled or pan-cooked: These products only develop the expected final firmness and texture when prepared by the consumer.

How does it work?
The Lory Bind system is designed to meet various manufacturing and processing requirements. For pre-cooked products in the snack and convenience sector, the functional blends can be directly combined with the other ingredients in an “all-in” process. Gradual processing can also achieve the cooking effect for vegetable burger patties or vegetarian minced meat at the final preparation stage. First, the dry Lory Bind mixture is activated with water to create a binding matrix, after which the other ingredients are added. The advantage of this method is batch-wise production using one mixing aperture.

The binders are adapted to the requirements of various meatless applications. Vegetable cooked sausages in their own tender skin receive a robust inner bond through Lory Bind. A film of water is actively formed, allowing synthetic casing and sausage meat to be easily separated. The typical mouthfeel of a bratwurst, on the other hand, is achieved by optimally combining the vegan, edible casing and the plant-based sausage meat. 

In the production of coated and breaded products such as vegan cutlets or nuggets in tempura batter, Loryma’s binders create a stable inner structure and prevent the formation of a film of water between the surface of the product and the breading, which makes it stick better. To flexibly realize product ideas, the company offers synergistic modular systems made of wheat-based binders and coatings with particular adhesive strengths.

“Our binders offer the optimal symbiosis of functionality and the naturalness of wheat,” adds Hetzer. “Made from high-quality, regional raw materials, they are easy to use and promise effective results when it comes to creating successful products.”

Changing consumer behavior and a more significant awareness when it comes to sustainable and healthy nutrition and the development of new food concepts for a continually growing global population challenge which industry must respond in the mid-term. “In this context, wheat-based raw materials provide natural, sustainable and economical solutions. The question of how to sustainably feed around ten billion people in 2050 is complex and multifaceted,” Hetzer stresses. 

“Yet what is certain is the fact that the availability of high-quality proteins will play a key role. Here wheat-based ingredients have great potential. Since they increase the protein content of a finished product, with a subsequent decrease in carbohydrate content, they perfectly serve the trend towards health-conscious, low-carb/high-protein products. The reduction of animal protein does not diminish the nutritional value. Rather, the mix of different plant proteins provides the human body with an equivalent supply of essential amino acids,” concludes Hetzer.