“Free From” products are booming – they are in demand not only from consumers with intolerances, but also from those without. While ingredients like gluten and lactose have traditionally been the ones that consumers have wanted to avoid, more and more people are now keen to find alternatives to soy products, almonds and nuts, too. For confectionery and pastry that can be enjoyed by everyone, GoodMills Innovation offers allergen-free ingredients that are a very good substitute for soy and almonds.

Nut slices, muesli bars and ­marzipan biscuits are taboo for some consumers because they contain ingredients that are among the 14 allergens that are subject to labelling under the Food Information Regulation (FIR). For bakery and confectionery manufacturers who want to offer their customers indulgent allergen-free products, GoodMills Innovation offers alternatives. The Hamburg-based company is a joint venture between the milling company GoodMills Group and the ingredient manufacturer Palsgaard A/S, based in Juelsminde/Denmark. Its innovative ingredients YePea and “Phönix imitation marzipan free from almonds” are both technologically convincing and tasty.

Without a doubt, gluten-free and lactose-free foods account for the largest share of the growing “free from” segment. However, demand is also rising for previously niche products without nuts or soy. This popularity is not necessarily because more people are suffering from true food allergies. Consumers often react to certain foods with problematic symptoms they believe indicate an allergy, but they draw this conclusion without a proper medical diagnosis.

The European Centre for Allergy Research Foundation (ECARF) estimates, for example, that only about 1.4 %
of the European population suffers from a nut allergy. When asked to self-assess, however, studies have found that 11.7 % of consumers believe they are allergic to nuts. Similarly, true soy allergy affects just 0.3 % of people in Europe. Nevertheless, alternatives to soy are in high demand. As estimated, 70 % of European consumers are opposed to genetically modified food, and soy in particular keeps making headlines because of cross-contamination or GMO cultivation.

As allergen-free alternatives, certain raw materials that had long disappeared from the scene are now reappearing. During a research project, for instance, the grain and ingredients ­experts at GoodMills Innovation ­rediscovered an almost forgotten legume – the yellow-podded snow pea. This is now known to be a nutritionally valuable and GMO-free alternative to soy beans, and it is grown in the heart of Europe.

The company roasts and processes the legume into a pea grist called YePea (short for yellow pea) in a procedure that makes it particularly tender to the bite and gives it a nutty taste. As it binds water like soybean grit, YePea gives pastries a delicate texture. It can also be used as a substitute for chopped nuts in muesli bars and nut slices.

Nutritionally, the yellow pea ingredient contains 90 % less fat than soybean grits, something that not only benefits the nutritional profile of a recipe, but also gives it a longer shelf life. In addition, YePea contains a higher proportion of complex carbohydrates and dietary fibres and, depending on the dosage used, can be labelled with health claims such as “protein source”.

For allergy sufferers, besides “real” nuts like walnuts and hazelnuts, nut-like seeds such as almonds are problematic and are also classed as allergens that are subject to declaration. With "Phönix", an imitation marzipan that is free from almonds, GoodMills Innovation offers a grain-based ingredient with which an almond-free marzipan-like mass can be produced.

The marzipan substitute is ideal for products in the pastry sector – for example, as a filling for yeast dough, Danish and puff pastries or as a pipeable mass for long-life bakery products such as Viennese whirls. The baking ingredient scores sensory points with its authentic mouthfeel and excellent taste profile – and as it contains only natural flavours, it is therefore suitable for clean label concepts.

Depending on the area of application, a spreadable or pipeable mass can be produced from the marzipan alternative. Consistency can be altered by adding more or less liquid and by the addition of egg, if required. The finished mass is machine-compatible, it holds its shape and is stable during baking, freezing or thawing.

In order to improve the consumer-friendliness of food labelling, it has been a legal requirement since ­December 2014 that all allergens must be highlighted on packaging. Manufacturers and suppliers alike have a duty to secure a transparent and traceable value chain, from field to table. “Allergy sufferers must be able to rely 100 % on the ingredients lists they see on packaging when they are buying food,” stresses Michael Gusko, Managing Director of GoodMills Innovation. “This is why transparency is our top priority. In addition, we want our allergen-free ingredients to be natural and to meet clean label requirements so that food manu­facturers can meet the market’s high demands.”