According to the companies, pectin and alginate work in synergy to provide better functionality and high stability in various bakery applications, such as fillings, toppings, and pies or cookies that use fruit preparations.
The products can be marketed as either single or blended ingredients and allow bakers to capitalize on today’s mounting clean label trend.
According to Mintel, clean-related terms have now emerged as part of consumers’ vocabulary as a new way to say ‘healthy’ and ‘natural’.
“The origin of the seaweed, plus the type of extraction technique – and in the combination with the right pectin – all are critical,” said Fabrice Bohin, CEO of Algaia.
“However, we also acknowledge that today’s customers rightly demand a high level of transparency and traceability in the solution they choose, while consumers want to know the source of each ingredient with simple, easy-to-understand labels.”
Functionality, quality and full traceability
The duo is now working to identify further clean label offerings that combine Algaia’s fresh, wild seaweed alginates with pectin and citrus and apple fibers manufactured by H&F.
According to H&F CEO Sven Fox, the collaboration is a “win-win” for the two companies and their customers.
“Both are fully focused in their area of expertise and in their responsible supply chain and manufacturing processes,” he said.
“By offering expertise in the single ingredients, and adding the blending as service on top, this collaboration gives customers the commitment to excellence they are seeking, and providing the best functionality, highest quality and full traceability.”
Algaia is a privately-owned seaweed extract specialist that works with local fishers to gather brown algae near its plant in Brittany, France. Last year, the company moved its head office from Paris to harvest fresh seaweed more easily and sustainably.
The company will be exhitibing at Fi Europe to be held in Paris, France, from December 3-5, 2019.
Family-run H&F – which specializes in pectin variants and multi-functional fruit and veggie fibers for the food and non-food industries – sells its FSSC 22000-, FDA-, kosher- and halal-certified products in more than 40 countries across the globe.