Soleum and the food industry

Be it because of the price of meat, health-related issues or concerns over the environment, the fact is that the demand for substitutes for ingredients of animal origin is clearly rising around the world. And in Brazil it is no different. The study entitled “The Brazilian Consumer and the Plant-Based Market 2022” performed by the Good Food Institute Brasil (‘GFI Brasil’), interviewed 2,500 people and showed that 65% of them consume plant-based alternatives as substitutes for products of animal origin at least once a week.

Aware of this shift in habits, Soleum – a company dedicated to the large scale production of sustainable feedstocks with negative carbon – has for years now been working on studies to develop a range of ingredients that can be used by the food industry in general, including the plant-based area.

The macaúba tree produces a fruit of the same name with a pulp and kernel that are both very tasty and highly nutritious. The kernel is rich in fiber and proteins and, by means of a pioneering industrial process, can form the essential ingredient for plant-based drinks substituting milk of animal origin. It can also contribute to formulas for the production of vegan ice creams, yogurts and cheese. “The macaúba kernel is a unique product for the substitution of milk as it has a high protein content and tastes very good,” says Luis Eduardo Ravaglia, Head of Downstream Products at Soleum. “We are developing plant-based drinks that are extremely tasty and highly nutritious without the need for additional sugars (including maltodextrin) or proteins. Our is a truly ‘clean label’ product.”

Soleum is also working on a line of ingredients involving protein isolates and concentrates, as well as special sugars, since the pulp of the fruit is rich in both. “These are feedstocks that the food industry is using more and more to improve the nutritional aspect of various products, such as vegan hamburgers,” explains Luis Eduardo.

A third line of products is food fats, which form the base for numerous products, such as bread, ice cream and chocolate. “We are working on a line of innovative fats which take advantage of the functional characteristics of the macaúba oils to provide a sustainable and high-performance product that is easy to apply,” he reveals.

Another line of research involves the bran from the macaúba pulp. “The bran is interesting in that, in addition to proteins and fibers, it contains pectin and has a high natural-sugar content. Based upon this composition, we have developed various types of food ingredients which can be broadly applied across the industry and which initial tests have shown to be positive, with outstanding taste evaluations,” explains the Head of Downstream Products.

?Some of these ingredients are currently being analyzed by large global companies. Behind all of this is Soleum’s central maxim, which is zero waste, or in other words, to make the best use of the oils, biomass, fibers and proteins that the macaúba provides. “One of our aims is to develop products that add value to all the different elements that the macaúba allows, thereby meeting the demands of the food market, including the Plant-Based sector,” explains Larissa Grimaldi, Bioindustry Products Supervisor.

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