Arla's Twintell Application Programme coincides with the opening of its new innovation centre in Aarhus, Denmark, where customers are invited to come and work on product development in conjunction with Arla food technologists. The company said Twintell runs in three phases: Defining, developing and deploying.
Senior vice president of Arla Foods Ingredients Henrik Andersen told FoodNavigator.com that it is this clearly defined “A to Z” approach that differentiates the programme from other methods of developing customised ingredient solutions.
He said: “It becomes very clear the steps that we go through. So it becomes easier to agree on a solution…This is when it becomes valuable for us but also for our customers.”
The three steps involve firstly defining what it is that a food maker wishes to achieve by using its milk and whey protein ingredients, whether that is improved texture, a simplified recipe or lower cost, for example. Then the manufacturer would spend a week at Arla’s new food application centre in Aarhus working with technologists on possible solutions. Finally, Arla would set up a large-scale test at the customer’s own production facility to ensure a technologically and commercially sound formulation.
“It’s often very difficult to go to large-scale factory trials,” Andersen said. “…You have this step in between where you become much more certain.”
Andersen said that the main applications for Arla’s milk and whey proteins include bakery, dairy and meat.
“In bakery the main solution at the moment is to substitute eggs in bakery products,” he said. “In dairy, it is stabilizing yoghurt and producing better quality low fat ice cream…With meats, the idea is that you want to have a much simpler recipe. What we offer is a way to use proteins to do that.”
Customers are able to work with Arla for free and without obligation to develop customised ingredients. The company said the process “will help us gain understanding and commitment among customers.”