The market for cereal drinks is nowhere near saturation
Plant-based milk alternatives made of grain are among the big winners on supermarket shelves. Oat drinks are in the lead, for which a global annual growth of 9.8 per cent is predicted until 2027. SternEnzym supports the industry with enzymatic product solutions and applications technology consulting. Product manager Uliana Moisch discusses how enzymes prevent recrystallisation of starch, how pentosanases improve viscosity, and where the market opportunities are for hybrid milk
Ms. Moisch, consumers are looking for a plant-based alternative to cow’s milk. What are the drivers for this decision?More people are reconsidering their consump- tion of animal-origin food products. This is due to increasing health awareness, as well as sustain- ability, ecology and regionality concerns. Replacing cow’s milk is a central point in these considera- tions. However, products from soy, almonds or sources like lupin have relatively high allergen potential. So consumers are tending to choose “plant milk” of oats or spelt.
What are the technical challenges in the production of grain beverages?
Grain contains much more starch than do protein-rich legumes, and that starch needs to be hydrolysed. To do so, the grain is soaked in water, heated and treated with enzymes. This means extra effort, but brings many advantages. Through the choice of enzymes and process parameters, key product attributes like sweet- ness, viscosity and mouthfeel can be controlled.
What do manufacturers need to pay attention to in raw materials?
The quality of the raw materials plays an impor- tant role. Some customers source unprocessed grain, which needs to be milled into flour. Others use flour from the start. In both cases, it’s impor- tant to expose the material to heat, as otherwise the grain’s own enzymes would interfere with the production process. The focus with cereal drinks lies on starch, but other ingredients like proteins, fats and bran also affect the final product. So we provide every customer with specifications serving as an orientation for raw material purchasing.
In addition, at our Stern-Technology Center, we have the possibility to perform individual test series with our customers’ flours. Thus, we can adjust the enzyme treatment, temperature pro- file and resting times exactly for each raw mate- rial. This service is naturally highly appreciated.
Uliana Moisch in the enzyme laboratory
Sweetness adjustment is a central issue, because the choice of enzymes can influence the sweet- ness intensity and profile. If the starch is broken down to maltose and maltotriose, the beverage will have a discreet, lasting sweetness. The more glucose is contained, the more intensive the sweetness will be. With our Optizym toolbox, we can find the right balance between complex and simple sugars for any requirement.
A sweet beverage without any added sugar is of course interesting in view of clean labelling.Definitely. The sweetness comes from the natu- rally occurring sugars in the grain, and thus there is no need for declaration in the ingredients list.
Enzymes likewise need not be declared if they are no longer active in the final product. Thus, the ingredients lists of cereal drinks can be very short, eg water, spelt, edible oil, salt. The rest is done with enzymes and processing techniques.
Can you explain the functions of the different enzymes in more detail?
For example, Optizym BA is a bacterial a-amyl- ase that reliably prepare the swollen starch for saccharification and prevent recrystallised starch from forming an unsightly sediment in the product bottle. Optizym HC is a combina- tion of ß-glucanase and pentosanase enzymes that gives the beverage the desired viscosity. A good choice for high-protein grains is Optizym BP, since it breaks down proteins at 55 - 60 °C before they can denature and form sedimenta- tion in the beverage.
What about the different kinds of grain?
Depending on whether the drink contains maize, rice, oats, rye, barley or wheat, the enzyme appli- cation surely differ, starch is always broken down with a-amylase. However, there are differences in the gelatinisation temperature. Wheat flour starts to gelatinise at around 55 °C, but maize not until substantially over 60 °C. Our enzymatic products take this into account. When using rye, there is also the danger that the flour’s own mucilage components can negatively affect the consistency. This can be prevented with hemicellulases.
Efficiency is also an important aspect in manufacture. In this case, for instance, protein glutaminases can boost the yield of the protein content, and thus also the profitability of the process.
Plant beverages long since left the niche category and can now be found in every discount supermarket. How does the prognosis look for the future?
The market for cereal drinks is nowhere near satu- ration, and there is plenty of room for newcomers. For example, we provide advisory services for start-ups that have good marketing ideas but lack their own manufacturing capabilities. Some dairies are also starting to build new lines of business with “plant milk.” They have the equipment, but typi- cally not the specialist knowledge it takes to turn a gelatinised wheat or oat suspension into a homog- enous, full-bodied grain beverage.
What product trends do you see for the coming years?
Grain substitutes for cow’s milk will continue to boom, and variety will increase. Instead of mono- grain products, we could see combinations of oat with hemp, spelt with sunflower, rice with maize.
Hybrid milk is another inter- esting approach. This is a mix of cow and grain milk that can give consumers a gradual entry into a more plant-based diet. I see lots of room to grow for buckwheat. This high-starch pseudocereal is used in Russia, and is finding more and more adherents in Western Europe.
Some consumers would gladly switch to cereal drinks for reasons of sus- tainability, but dislike their watery taste and low nutritional content. How can producers increase the interest of consumers in these drinks?
Every plant beverage can be improved. For example, flavourings can improve the taste, the enrich- ment with vitamins and minerals can give a better nutritional balance, and emulsifiers and fats can optimise the mouthfeel. Fermentation with microorganisms is also possible, as with kombucha and kefir.
These kinds of innovations generally require an in-house development department. But not every producer has those kinds of resources.
SternEnzym acts as an extended R&D depart- ment for its customers. As part of the Stern- Wywiol Gruppe, we can access a worldwide net- work of ingredient specialists. For example, our sister company Hydrosol is an expert in stabilis- ing systems, as are OlbrichtArom for flavourings and SternVitamin for micronutrients. Recently, with Planteneers our group formed a dedicated company for plant-based product developments. In this strong company group, we have the ideal resources to help drive the market for grain- based milk substitutes.
"Sweetness adjustment is a central issue, because the choice of enzymes can influence the sweetness intensity and profile. If the starch is broken down to maltose and maltotriose, the bererage will have a discreet, lasting sweetness"
foodanddrinktechnology.com JUNE 2021 37
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