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foodstuff
no 2/02 no 1/00 Lyckeby foodstuff It´s all about flavour p. 2 Russia – full of opportunities 6 Dare select wheat 8 Vitargo builds muscles 10 www.food.lyckeby.com A trend-setter you want m o r e o f The tone is set already in the lobby. The smell of spices is compact, complex and very enjoyable. Once you are inside the office building, you are surprised by an atrium with a herbal garden. We have arrived at one of Europe’s leading flavouring companies, Culinar. TEXT LARS WIRTÉN PHOTO BO INGVAR JÖNSSON F lavours and trends are the basis for Culinar’s operations. Today, Culinar is a leading trendsetter for the prepared foods, meatpacking and snacks industries in Sweden and in the rest of Europe. The company is the market leader in Sweden when it comes to spices, seasonings and so called system mixes to the food industry. “To manage that, you have to stay three years ahead of consumer demand. For example, we pay close attention to tourist flows. Right now, we can see Thai cuisine gaining in popularity, which relates to the fact that every other Swede has been to Thailand the last few years,” says Sven Bentinger, Culinar’s president. Indian restaurants are also gaining in popularity, as do elements of Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine. “Another, but not as noticeable, trend is a combination of Greek, Turkish and Lebanese foods. These feature many vegetarian dishes, breads and many aromas. “We are very well acquainted with that area. We have both customers and suppliers there.” Sven Bentinger and his associates travel the world to catch new trends and to expand the company’s knowledge of spices and aromas. “You have to be curious, to eat ‘actively’ and professionally. Above all, I try to avoid the gourmet restaurants and instead find the heart of local cuisine. “The objective is to get an in-depth understanding of 2➞3 Norway Stockholm Gothenburg SWEDEN Denmark Fjälkinge Malmö various raw materials and how they are used. And what I like, others might like too. If we find something exciting, we dispatch our product developers and cooks and let them engross themselves in the local cuisine. “You don’t get that kind of in-depth knowledge and sense of new trends by sitting at home in the office.” ›› relations If you are a foods industry trend-setter, you have to stay several steps ahead. Culinar gets inspiration from kitchens all over the world. Over the years, it has developed in-depth understanding of flavouring as well as various raw materials and their use. It also has its own gastronomical centre: Culinarium. The Culinar group The Culinar Group consists of the parent company Culinar AB and four subsidiaries: • Culinar Industry AB. Tailored seasoning blends, system mixes and liquid products such as sauces, spice emulsions and marinades for the foodstuff industry. • Culinar Food Pack AB. Total packaging solutions for the customer, including consumer products and products for large-scale kitchens. • Culinar Försäljnings AB. • Culinar India Ltd. Our procurement office in New Dehli. Once back home, Mr. Bentinger and his associates have an important communications challenge: Demonstrating the new flavours they are convinced soon will be demanded by consumers. Gastronomic centre For this purpose, Culinar has built its own gastronomic centre, called Culinarium. The core of the centre is a demonstration kitchen surrounded by a conference room, a cafe and an inspiring herbal garden with some 60 herbs. “We have lots of activities, our own as well as for others. External companies and organisations frequently rent Culinarium.” Managing the entire chain But the company does not stop at developing new flavours and functions in the form of seasonings, system mixes and ›› www.food.lyckeby.com plant maintains complete separation of raw material and finished goods, which is very important since many of the raw materials can cause allergic reactions in people with allergies. “Culinar is the only company that can keep its mixtures, and thus allergens, separate at an approved level.” Culinar also holds a unique position in this industry with regard to analyses. Two years ago, the company inaugurated its own bacteriological laboratory. One year ago it was accredited, i.e. approved by the Swedish government. Flexibility, functionality and knowledge have become key terms during Sven Bentinger’s 18 years as head of Culinar. His favourite spice is ginger. ›› complete product recipes. Culinar can also offer complete packaging solutions for products intended for consumers as well as large-scale kitchens. Culinar is the one that packages all sauces, soups, aromatic compounds and other products under the Knorr brand in Sweden on behalf of Unilever Best Food. Unilever Best Food has also outsourced all handling and packaging of spices under the Kockens brand to Culinar. And the ability to manage the entire chain, from raw material to finished product, is crucial. “Given today’s requirements for product quality and food safety, it is very important to be able to do it all without breaking the quality chain. This is a unique capability of ours. Simply put, we can subcontract and perform complete production. “Unilever Best Food sets very high standards for us as a supplier, considering every aspect of quality. We have received confirmation that we meet these standards. Our collaboration with Unilever Best Food required capital expenditures for a large number of production lines. “This gives us great flexibility, which has served us well. We have received orders from a few new, large customers, whom we offer total solutions with good economics for both parties,” Mr. Bentinger says. Safe for people with allergies The spice mixes and system mixes are produced in a unique plant with fourteen separate mixing areas. The Ginger a favourite At the close of 2002, Mr. Bentinger is leaving the position of Culinar president after 18 years. When he joined the company, sales were about SEK 40 million. Culinar will soon reach the same amount – in earnings. “This is a very enjoyable job. I am fond of saying that in my next life, I will apply for the same job.” The question of a favourite spice is quick and definite: “Fresh, grated ginger. I use it for most things as flavour enhancer. It brings out and emphasises flavours in a delicate way.” Flavour and function working together A key concept at Culinar is system mixes. This concept includes the idea that Culinar does not focus on flavours alone. Function is just as important in a foodstuff marketplace where finished and semi-finished items are gaining in popularity. “We pioneered this way of working. This is our hallmark,” Mr. Bentinger observes. Starch is often an important functional ingredient in a system mix. “We use a lot of starch to provide product texture and as a carrier for aromas. But we also sell native starch to the meat industry.” Culinar was also early to discover applications for Potex, a fibre product. Ever since Lyckeby Stärkelsen launched this product, Culinar has been very active with the meat industry and has developed various recipes using Potex as a functional ingredient in the company’s system mixes. Lyckeby Stärkelsen and Culinar merging Lyckeby Stärkelsen Food & Fibre and Culinar are both owned by Sveriges Stärkelseproducenter. As of Jan 1, 2003, the two companies merge into one organisation. Thus Lyckeby Stärkelsen and Culinar will operate in concert in the marketplace. “We will achieve synergies in product development. Both companies are now working with flavours and texture. This collaboration will make us stronger in the international market, Mr. Bentinger says. Lyckeby Stärkelsen will provide more information when the new organisation is finished. 4➞5 health & safety Affe© Gluten-free a question of d e f i n i t i o n s What is gluten-free – and what is not? The EU directive is the basis for all national laws, but the directive does not specify limit values regarding what may be called gluten-free. This gives each member state great freedom to determine which limit values should apply in the respective country. TEXT INGELA ASPLUND AND JÖRGEN OLSSON A n international organisation, Codex Alimentarius, deals with limit values for gluten, among other things. Codex Alimentarius, based in Geneva, Switzerland, is a collaboration between the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), whose goal is to establish standards for foods. A committee within Codex Alimentarius deals with foods for special nutritional purposes, and this committee has developed a standard for gluten-free foods. The current Codex standard dates from 1981. According to this standard, foods may be called gluten-free if the nitrogen content is less than 0.05 percent, based on dry substance. This corresponds to a protein content of 0.3 percent, but since all protein is not gluten protein, an analysis of the protein content alone is misleading. At a protein content of 0.2-0.3 percent, computations are based on an estimate that about one third consists of gluten protein. A new Codex standard is now under development. The new proposed limit is a maximum of 200 mg gluten per kilograms of product, based on dry substance. The detec- tion limit is 20 mg gluten per kilograms of product. The proposed method has been applied in Sweden and several other EU countries for a few years. Starting a few years ago, Lyckeby Stärkelsen’s modified wheat starch, OPASET, is regularly being analysed according to the proposed new standard. This means that the company can guarantee that the gluten content never exceeds 200 ppm. The gluten content is even so low that it is below the limit for being naturally gluten-free. Definitions according to the new, proposed standard. Naturally free from gluten: Products that do not contain gluten or proteins related to gluten. Examples are rice, corn, millet and potatoes. Gluten must not be detected in these, i.e. it must be less than 20 ppm. Gluten-free: Products based on grains (wheat, durum wheat, rye, barley, or oats) where the gluten content has been reduced. For these, the gluten content must not exceed 200 ppm in a product ready for consumption. www.food.lyckeby.com Russia: trademarks g a l o r e The Russian consumer can chose from 35,000 different brands of vodka. Regarding brand names, vodka is in a league by itself, but it is a telling example of the great number of small, local brand names flooding the food products market in this huge country. And the increasingly market-oriented Russia is maturing. This opens new opportunities for foreign companies – but you have to know what you are doing. Lyckeby Foodstuff is portraying the Russian foodstuff industry. TEXT JÖRGEN OLSSON “ G reat changes are underway in the Russian market. National brands are being established, and they will eventually overwhelm most of the smaller ones. This is true for all groups of merchandise,” Samuel Avetisyan says. Mr. Avetisyan was recently appointed director of marketing and a member of the board of directors at the Tinkoff brewery. He has many years of experience from different sectors of the Russian food products market. Until last spring he was focusing on semi-finished goods and convenience foods – product groups that are rapidly gaining market share in Russia. “Just like in the western countries, our consumers want products offering convenience. But at the same time we want to keep the traditional Russian flavourings and recipes,” Mr. Avetisyan says. “It was different during the time of glasnost, when regulations were loosened and borders were opened for imports from the West. “We had been shielded and shut in for 70 years. Products from the West – any products at all, but especially foods – were made into icons. They symbolised the good, free life. Russians select Russian brands The bubble burst in connection with the serious monetary crisis in Russia during the latter part of the 1990’s. When consumption later started to rise again, people wanted Russian brands. “National and regional patriotism is very noticeable in Russian consumption patterns. We are proud of having 6➞7 locally produced food products that are marketed locally. But this also means that there are an unbelievable number of different brands. Vodka is the worst example. But products like mayonnaise, ketchup, and even margarine also have an abundance of brand names. Off the top of my head, I can name at least 20 national ketchup brands,” Mr. Avetisyan says, “and it is the same for all product groups. But this will not continue forever.” In Mr. Avetisyan’s opinion, the Russian food products market is now maturing rapidly. As soon as in two to three years, many of the smaller brands will be gone. They will be replaced by larger brands that will establish themselves and spread to all corners of this huge federation. Higher quality In parallel with the fast change, Russian producers have gradually increased the quality of their products. They have been forced to do that in order to be able to compete when products from the West entered the market. Russia’s flirt with hyper capitalism has, if nothing else, taught consumers to set higher standards. “In addition, the view that Russian foods are more natural is widespread. This relates to the fact that large parts of our food products industry is not yet as sophisticated as that in the West – we have simply not quite learned how to handle artificial substances,” Mr. Avetisyan says. A land of opportunities More than 80 percent of all food sold in Russia is produced portrait Affe© domestically. But Mr. Avetisyan still thinks that there are great opportunities for foreign or multinational companies that want to establish themselves. “But they need to get to know the Russian mentality. They need to learn a lot about Russian habits and Russian taste preferences. They need to know the country’s geography, and they must have good personal contacts. In addition, it is almost a requirement that they establish themselves on location and start producing their products in Russia.” Time is scarce in the East as in the West What will happen to Russian eating habits? Well, traditions regarding recipes and flavours will remain. But, like people in the West, Russians are becoming more and more interested in food that can be prepared quickly. This opens the door for more and better semi-finished products and convenience foods. “Convenience and the time factor plays an increasingly important role. Here we notice a clear change in people’s living and consumption habits. The time factor was not at all important earlier. Now, there is a growing middle class that wants to save time. So for them convenience and availability may be deciding factors when choosing food,” Mr. Avetisyan says. Big investment The group he is working for is about to make a huge marketing effort, launching the Tinkoff beer brand. A new facility outside St. Petersburg will have a capacity of 25 The Russian Federation was proclaimed in 1991, million US gallons (100 million after the fall of the Soviet Union. litres) per year. The beer is to Population: About 145 million. be sold all over the country. Ethnic groups: Over 80 percent Russians, plus Tatars, The brewery is also launching Ukrainians, Chuvashes and Baskirs. its own restaurant chain. Head of State: President Vladimir Putin. Natural resources: Oil, gas, coal, minerals and forests. “We will be the first brewery The working population is about 65 million people. in the country able to grade its About 15 percent are farmers, 30 percent work in beer as Ultra premium,” Mr. industry and 55 percent in the service industry. Avetisyan says. Russia www.food.lyckeby.com The many uses of wheat starch is reflected in the picture gallery. Opaset can handle more rigorous process requirements. It provides a rich, creamy consistency that is good for everything from sauces to fillings for baked goods. 8➞9 functionality Opaset – starch with possibilities As you know, home-made always tastes the best. In Scandinavia and large parts of Europe, traditionally, wheat flour has been used to thicken sauces. But modified wheat starch is more suitable for industrial food preparation – it provides the same advantages but has been adapted so it can handle more rigorous process requirements. TEXT HELÉN OSKARSSON T he right starch provides ready-to-serve foods a more home-made character. Processes used in the ready-to-eat industry require that ingredients have special properties. Raw materials used in households don’t always fit the bill. The objective with ready-to-eat foods is that the quality and feel as much as possible should be like foods prepared at home in the kitchen. Wheat flour can not always meet the stringent process and shelf-life requirements. On the other hand, modified wheat starch does. Another advantage, compared to wheat flour, is that wheat starch is gluten-free. This makes it easier for those who are hypersensitive to gluten. Mouth feel is also important to many foods. Wheat starch provides products with a rich, creamy mouth feel. This is favourable for sauces, for Properties Wheat starch derives its good taste from its relatively high lipids content, 0.8%. This makes the surface somewhat hydrophobic, i.e. water repellent. This leads to a higher gelatinisation temperature than for potatoes, for example. Because of the fat, the boiled starch turns more milky or opaque. This, too, is explained by the relatively high lipids content. The size distribution of the starch granules are specific for each plant species. Wheat has two granule sizes: larger and smaller. Only the bigger ones are used commercially. They are a little bigger than granules from corn, but much smaller than those from potatoes. example, where it is desirable to keep fat content low but still achieve a creamy consistence and a richer taste experience. The selection of starch influences the texture and taste of the food product. Lyckeby Stärkelsen has several different modified wheat starches – OPASET – all of which have been adapted for different food stuff processes, both for refrigerated and frozen products. Applications Opaset 2020 offers advantages both for the taste of refrigerated ready-to-serve foods, and in the baking industry, where it adds a full, rich consistency to products. In this case, it is also important to provide the products with a high dry substance content. This is important to prevent that the filling runs into surrounding layers. This is especially desirable for cake fillings, for example. Opaset 2052 is good for frozen ready-to-serve foods where preparation temperatures do not exceed 100°C (212°F). Opaset 2058 is suitable for soups and sauces (UHTproducts), as well as for puddings. More possibilities The creaminess that wheat starch provides makes it suitable for baked goods, such as vanilla custard. It provides products that are smooth to work with, as well as a shiny, smooth surface. In the baking industry, wheat starch is also used for gluten-free cake and bread mixes. Mouth feel is important in desserts, too, such as puddings. By using Opaset you get a shiny, fine dessert with a full taste. The Opaset products can also be used for dry mixes. They help prevent lumpiness – and the good taste is appreciated here, too! www.food.lyckeby.com M I C R O LY S • POTEX • OPASET • MEETEX • TRECO M . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vitargo a success among b o d y b u i l d e r s Vitargo is now co-operating with the German company BMS-Sport, which makes numerous body building preparations. Together, they have developed a new product called Creavitargo. BMS-Sport is also selling a regular Vitargo carboloader. This effort is a success. TEXT JESPER SAHLIN “We have not been active in the body building area with Vitargo before. We have focused on endurance sports such as long-distance running, bicycling and ball sports,” says Hans Rydin, Vitargo manager at Lyckeby Stärkelsen. “But the market for body building preparations is bigger, and we already knew that muscle builders can benefit from consuming carbohydrates together with proteins. “Creavitargo is a combination of creatine and Vitargo. Creatine is a substance that occurs naturally in the body and in some foods. It is very effective for muscle growth in body builders. The addition of Vitargo makes the body absorb creatine faster and more efficiently,” Mr. Rydin added. It is important to Lyckeby Stärkelsen that Vitargo stands for high quality. That’s why Lyckeby Stärkelsen insists on controlling the recipes when working with other companies. “When mixing it with other products, the proportion of Vitargo must always be great enough to get the proper result,” Hans Rydin emphasised. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . This year’s potato season is characterised by good conditions during the harvest and high starch contents – much higher than normal. However, the dry weather during July, August and September reduced the total harvest somewhat. All in all, this means that this autumn’s season is forecast to be equivalent to a normal year. “We expect to fill the starch production quota we have been assigned by EU,” says Hans Berggren, Managing Director for Lyckeby Stärkelsen Food & Fibre. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . High starch contents i n t h i s y e a r ’s h a r v e s t P e r T. P e r s s o n new Group CEO As of January 1, 2003, Per T. Persson will be the new CEO at Lyckeby Stärkelsen. Mr. Persson has worked at the company for 23 years. Most recently he was president of Lyckeby Stärkelsen Industrial Starches. “Lyckeby Stärkelsen has grown very well during the last three years. It is my job to make sure that trend continues,” Mr. Persson says. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 ➞ 11 MEX • M A R I B I N D • E M O LY S • LY G E L • S W E LY Do you think better when hungry? What are the effects of satiation on our mental capabilities? What is the importance of different foods and different food components in this context? An interdisciplinary research project dealing with questions such as these is currently underway. Lyckeby Stärkelsen is participating together with the universities in Uppsala, Sweden and Leeds, the UK, among others, and the food companies Orkla Foods, Norway, Karlshamns Mejeri AB, Sweden and Cerealia, Sweden. The study is investigating physiological parameters as well as behavioural effects. Consumer’s attitudes towards and understanding of the connection between foods and our ability to perform mentally are also being investigated. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lower corn harvest in the U . S . a ff e c t i n g s t a r c h p r i c e s Corn growers in the U.S. are expecting lower harvests than what has been forecast perviously. Forecasts have now been lowered. As a result, the prices for grain futures have risen at the grain exchange in Chicago, and American corn starch producers are expecting that they will have to pay higher prices for raw materials as of November. This will also affect growers in Europe – EU’s subsidies will be reduced as the world market price increases. Starch prices in Europe are expected to rise somewhat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . See you at the Moscow fair! Ingredients Russia — the big ingredients, additives and flavourings trade show in Moscow is back on the calendar: November 26 to 29. To Lyckeby Stärkelsen Food & Fibre, Ingredients Russia is one of the most important trade shows. We are exhibiting for the fifth time. You will find us in booth F 121. More than 250 companies from 25 different countries are represented at the show, which usually draws about 10,000 visitors. GEL news stuff A strong partnership We are facing exciting times. The forthcoming closer co-operation with our sister company Culinar, will provide opportunities for broad joint action on current and new markets. Both existing and new customers will discover that the combined expertise at Lyckeby Stärkelsen Food & Fibre and Culinar means many substantial advantages. The combination of advanced starches, which have so many applications within different parts of the foodstuff industry, and Culinar’s solid know-how and highly specialised solutions in the field of seasoning and flavouring, give us a unique position. The foods sector is changing. New, consumer friendly products are being launched almost daily, and new markets are being opened. The former East European countries in general and Russia in particular have long been of interest to Lyckeby Stärkelsen. We have already been working for several years to establish ourselves in Russia. So far, the results have exceeded expectations. As you know, major changes have occurred in Russia during the past ten years. But the largest changes may still lie ahead. As told by Russian marketing expert Samuel Avetisyan in this issue of Lyckeby Foodstuff, the sprawling maze of local products is gradually being replaced with strong, national brands. Lyckeby Stärkelsen Food & Fibre and Culinar have an important role to play in this process. Our combined muscle make us a very interesting partner for new as well as established actors. Hans Berggren Managing Director, Lyckeby Stärkelsen Food & Fibre AB Lyckeby foodstuff Editorial board Hans Berggren, Bengt Jakobsson, Ingela Asplund, Magdalena Bergh, Jörgen Olsson (editor) [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Project management Wirtén Media AB, Lund Address Lyckeby Foodstuff, Lyckeby Stärkelsen Food & Fibre AB, SE-291 91 Kristianstad, Sweden. Print and prepress Trydells, Laholm. Translation Transförlag f o o d . l y c k e b y. c o m A pure natural product with unique properties POTEX is pure natural product that binds twelve times its own weight in liquid. It can be mixed with other ingredients without sedimenting or forming lumps. The more POTEX is processed, the greater its liquid-retaining ability becomes. Low in calories but high in dietary fibre, POTEX gives your product a smooth texture, at both low and high temperatures. POTEX is now also available in a finely ground version for an even smoother texture – POTEX CROWN. POTEX has many more beneficial properties that can be exploited in numerous food products. Visit our website at food.lyckeby.com, if you would like to know more. POTEX POTEX Lyckeby Stärkelsen Food & Fibre AB Tel +46(0)44-23 42 00 Fax +46(0)44-23 42 09 Website food.lyckeby.com E-mail [email protected]
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