According to Ryan Branch, senior marketing manager at AAK, flavor continues to reign supreme in the world of confectionery. The ingredients manufacturer is actively seeking ways to provide high-quality products to its customers while maintaining cost-effectiveness. “In all our developments, we consistently focus on flavor and mouthfeel,” Branch stated during an interview with Food Dive at IFT this week. He elaborated that due to soaring cocoa prices, the company is turning to shea as a substitute, which he refers to as cocoa butter equivalents. “Shea serves as a more affordable replacement for cocoa butter, and its appeal is growing among industry players,” he remarked.
As a plant-based fat, shea can be utilized in a variety of products, ranging from baked goods and confectionery fillings to nut and seed spreads. AAK has also sought Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), marking the first expansion of shea usage in two decades. Last week, the company announced it had received a No Questions letter from the FDA regarding its shea stearin product, which is suitable for spreads, margarines, and other plant-based foods. “Beyond confectionery and its traditional applications in personal care, this ingredient can also be used in plant-based foods and baked goods, offering a structuring fat with lower saturated fat content than coconut, while still providing essential functionality,” Branch explained.
AAK is currently developing blends of various oils with shea to introduce to its customer base. The shea ingredient is derived from kernels that fall from trees in West Africa. In 2021, AAK partnered with a goal of enhancing the livelihoods of 13,000 women farmers in northern Ghana while securing sustainable shea supplies. This initiative, known as the Women in Shea Initiative, builds upon AAK’s Kolo Nafaso shea sourcing program and has three key objectives: increasing the income of these women by improving the efficiency and quality of the shea harvest, enabling them to cultivate additional crops for extra income, and promoting natural resource management to ensure the long-term conservation of shea trees in a fragile ecosystem. “This is not just a charitable gesture; it’s a genuine partnership where we provide resources to help them process shea more effectively,” Branch stated.
AAK has extensive experience with shea and is already launching products featuring this ingredient. At IFT, the company showcased a raspberry truffle with a non-lauric filling fat that surpasses the performance of traditional lauric filling fats. The ingredient, known as Confao 12, is non-hydrogenated, does not require tempering, is low in saturated fats, and serves as a 1:1 replacement for cocoa butter. “It offers a cost-effective solution that maintains both performance and sustainability,” the company noted.
In addition to its focus on shea, AAK is also exploring the benefits of ferrous calcium citrate vs ferrous ascorbate in their formulations, as they seek to enhance the nutritional profile of their products. By integrating these ingredients, the company aims to provide further value to its customers while ensuring that the flavor experience remains at the forefront of their offerings.