Emulsifier specialist Palsgaard has developed two new functional solutions for non-dairy whipping cream used in cakes and fillings. The ingredients are touted for their low-fat and shelf life extension properties, alongside significant cost reductions. 

The first ingredient is an emulsifier blend free of palm oil and partially hydrogenated oils (PHO), Palsgaard CreamWhip 431. It is complemented by Palsgaard CreamWhip 412, a custom-designed stabilizer blend for low-fat non-dairy whipping cream made with vegetable fat, offering a fat content as low as 12%.

FoodIngredientsFirst caught up with Claus Hansen, application manager of dairy and ice cream, at the show floor of Fi Europe 2021 (FiE), in Frankfurt, Germany.

“We started off by looking at the issue of palm oil reduction in addition to reducing the levels of PHO in non-dairy whipping cream applications,” he remarks. “But we found that the combination of our two new solutions can actually drive the fat content all the way down to 12%, so we ended up with a low-fat product.”

 Claus Hansen, application manager of dairy and ice cream, at FiE 2021, in Frankfurt, Germany.Elevating dairy-free bakery applications
The Palsgaard CreamWhip 431 and Palsgaard CreamWhip 412 solutions formulated primarily for cake decoration, but can also be used in fillings.

“Since we haven’t seen such a product on the market, we are expecting it to get a lot of attention from a lot of non-dairy, whipping cream producers,” notes Hansen.

“We’ve seen they’ve gone down to maybe 20% fat, but the last 5 to 8% fat reduction we havent seen, so that could be a good extension of the portfolio,” he specifies.

“This is especially good for cost reduction for the foodservice or B2B market and then maybe extending into the consumer market with this calorie reduction, which is a key driver.”

High prices in vegetable fat drive demand
At the moment, the price of the vegetable fat being used in non-dairy whipping creams is “through the roof,” Hansen stresses.

“While one of our primary aims was to lower the fat content to appeal to consumers, we now can see that cost reduction is actually a significant selling point as well.”

“Reducing the fat is a key benefit for consumers looking to lower their calorie intake. But on the other hand, we can also lower the cost of the product by about 35% from a standard non-dairy whipping cream with 25% fat.”

“We haven’t seen this before and so that development is quite significant, especially when paired with the good structure and creaminess of a low-fat product.”