Givaudan mimics animal fat cells with encapsulated coconut oil to ‘reduce high fat content while improving juiciness’ in plant-based

Plant-based is flavour of the month and has been for some time. Forecasters don’t expect this trend to abate, with Research & Markets suggesting the plant-based food market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.9% from 2020 to 2027 to reach $74.2bn by 2027. However, not all consumers are willing to trade in a beef burger for a soy- or pea-based alternative. For many, the decision comes down to appearance, flavour, texture, and mouthfeel. “Consumers have come to love the comforting and warm sensation of biting into a burger; the savour and anticipate that first juicy, beefy bite,” according to Givaudan. The Swiss flavours and fragrances company believes it can help consumers achieve that same sensation with a new patent-pending technology it has coined PrimeLock+. The vegan-friendly solution is designed to mimic animal fat cells, and in so doing, enable food companies to take plant-based product development and consumer satisfaction ‘to a new level’. “PrimeLock+ is a flavoured matrix which contains 25% coconut oil. There is no added sugar and PrimeLock+ contains less than 2% salt,” Flavio Garofalo, Global Category Director, Taste & Wellbeing, at Givaudan explained. It works by retaining fat and flavour within a matrix throughout the cooking process. “Typically, when relatively high fat (10-15%+) meat substitute products are cooked, a significant amount of oil is expressed out of the meat substitute, ultimately leading to a dryer mouthfeel,” we were told. “PrimeLock+ solves this problem by encapsulating fat (coconut oil) and flavour in a matrix that partially melts during cooking, retaining most of the fat during cooking and delivering a fat and flavour impression during consumption.” Visually, it brings the same appeal of beef fat to plant-based products. It is white in colour and has a similar appearance to marbled fat when size-reduced and added to meat substitutes, Garofalo told this publication. The technology – which is three years in the making – works ‘particularly well’ in plant-based burgers, sausages, and meatballs, especially when the customer is looking to reduce a high fat content while improving ‘juiciness’. Specifically, the technology allows a reduction of up to 75% of the fat and 30% of the calories, all the while ensuring stability during shelf-life: PrimeLock+ separates flavours from proteins. From a labelling standpoint, the ingredients that make up PrimeLock+, such as natural flavour and coconut oil, would need to be declared on pack.

Givaudan mimics animal fat cells with encapsulated coconut oil to ‘reduce high fat content while improving juiciness’ in plant-based

The Swiss flavours and fragrances company has coined the technology ‘PrimeLock+’, as it says it brings the visual appeal of beef fat to plant-based products, while allowing for controlled fat and flavour release during the cooking process.

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