Fruit Fillings are extensively used in confectionery products, bakery products, & desserts, as well as beverage applications, owing to their functional properties, thereby playing a significant role in determining the desired attributes such as appearance, taste, texture and flavor in the food & beverage products.
The various factors such as the change in eating habits of consumers and increase in demand for confectionery and bakery products have increased the demand for fruit fillings in emerging economies. The increasing health and diet concerns among the food consumers have driven the growth in the market, especially since snacking has become the fourth most important meal amongst the consumers.
Factors to Consider
The design and formulation of fruit fillings must take a number of factors, which are inherent to their applications, into account, including stability during heat treatments such as baking and freezing, during which their quality must remain intact.
Puratos‘ Taste Tomorrow survey revealed a distinct consumer preference for fruit, because it is both natural and tasty. Jo Libens, global category manager and responsible for all Puratos fruit fillings, commented: “Both the consumer and our customers are increasingly looking for more naturalness in their fillings. They want more fruit and bigger pieces, but combined with a high baking stability to enable them to use the fruit as a filling for croissants and Danish pastries.”
Puratos offers two fruit fillings: Topfil and Vivafil. Topfil contains up to 90% fruit, in larger pieces. This is primarily intended for pastries where the fruit is on top, like on cheesecakes or Danish pastries. Vivafil, on the other hand, is the best alternative when a high level of baking stability is required: as a fruit filling for croissants, for example. “Our fruit fillings are unique because we put naturalness first throughout the entire process.” It is a long journey before an apple is ready to be processed as a fruit filling in a pastry. From tree to bakery, or in other words: from field to fork. This process and Puratos’ focus on naturalness starts with the selection of the apples. Puratos uses Jonagold apples in its apple fillings, a variety to which fewer sweeteners need to be added thanks to its natural sweetness. All apples are carefully inspected upon delivery to ensure the taste and color are compliant as well as the sugar and acidic composition. “These measurements are of crucial importance. In some cases, the recipe will need to be adjusted for each harvest,” Libens explains.
Paradise Fruits is also a global supplier of dried and frozen fruit and vegetable inclusions and snacks. Many manufacturers look for three staple qualities in fruit fillings – a high fruit content, low moisture and a bake-stable formulation, explained Kurt Jahncke, CEO of Paradise Fruits by Jahncke, for European Baker & Biscuit. The company is trying to develop all of its recipes to include these as standard where required, but they can also tailor the fillings to each customer’s requirements, whether they are looking for products that offer taste, texture, functionality or all three. The company’s Solutions division uses a special manufacturing process to create bespoke fruit granulates, high brix pastes, shapes and drops. They can be used in applications such as muffins, cookies, breads, cakes, cereal bars and pastries, and have high levels of natural flavor and the nutritional benefits of fruit, the expert added. Moreover, their properties can be improved by adding nutrients. “We can also tailor our recipes to include added carriers and fortifications of fiber, probiotics, prebiotics and no added sugar; all of which support manufacturers looking to develop ‘better for you’ options for health-conscious consumers,” Jahncke said.
You can read the rest of this article in the March/April Issue of European Baker & Biscuit magazine, which you can access by clicking here.