Products of Dutch research

Fries with fat content comparable to cottage cheese. Butter that lowers cholesterol. Protein from potatoes. And a tasty meat substitute. These are just a handful of the products that sprout from Dutch research labs, and some of them are already for sale in American supermarkets.

• Fries with fat comparable to cottage cheese

  

  Imagine fries as healthy as cottage cheese. Source: iStock

  People love French fries, but many are not healthy because they are fried in fat. But Aviko BV has developed a new kind of fry, Fridéale, that contains less saturated fat and 15 percent fewer calories than other fries. For the sake of comparison, consider that a serving of full-cream cottage cheese contains about as much fat as a serving of Fridéale fries. The reduction is achieved thanks to the pre-frying process.

  Vegetable-based layer

  As soon as the potato is fried, the water in it reaches boiling point and tries to escape. When the water evaporates from the potato, it leaves behind small holes. The fat seeps into those  holes and lodges in the fries. By applying a vegetable-based layer, Aviko makes the potatoes less porous and therefore hinders their ability to absorb as much fat. Fridéale fries contain fat, but only 7.5 percent because of this vegetable-based layer, and they still taste and look the same as other fries. Source: Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation.

• Multi-purpose proteins from potatoes

  

  Solanic extracts high-quality proteins from potatoes. Source: NL-Agency.

  Proteins are added to many products, from whipped cream to gelatin-based products. Solanic, which is a subsidiary of starch company AVEBE, extracts high-quality proteins from potatoes. These proteins have the same range of uses and advantages as animal and vegetable proteins, but are much more versatile. “We remove the protein from the potato cell contents. The protein concentration is 90% to 95%. Given that AVEBE has access to a great deal of potatoes, we are in a position to supply enormous quantities of high-quality proteins. These proteins can be used in various applications. They are a good alternative to animal proteins and are more versatile than other vegetable proteins such as soy and gluten”, says Frank Goovaerts of Solanic.

  Substitute for gluten

  The proteins can be used for example as a substitute for synthetic emulsifiers (E numbers), in the pharmaceutical industry for preventing skin infections (or treating bedsores), and as an appetite suppressant, but of course they can also be used in the dairy, baking, meat and other food processing industries. Goovaerts adds, “We have made yoghurt and also meringues with potato protein in our laboratory. ‘Our’ meringue turned out whiter than the meringue made of egg white, but it was still just as delicious.”

  Source: Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation.

• Flora/Becel pro.activ

  

  Packages of pro.activ roll of an assembly belt. The buttery spread is one of the most successful products made by Dutch-based Unilever. The international company says that plant sterols in the spread cause a 15 percent drop in blood cholesterol levels. Source: Unilever.

  In September 2000, Unilever introduced the functional food Flora/Becel pro.activ, which is now available in 26 countries. The international company claims that plant sterols in the product cause a 15 percent drop in blood cholesterol levels. Pro.activ is by far the most successful functional food that Unilever has launched. Besides spreads, the portfolio also includes milk, yogurt, and a “mini-drink.” The basis for this health claim is  so solid that Unilever and the Dutch health insurance provider VGZ have agreed that policyholders will be reimbursed part of the purchase price of Becel pro.activ products they buy. The insurer expects to recover the reimbursement because it will not have to pay as much to treat heart and vascular disease.

  Source: Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation.

• A tasty meat substitute

  

  A butcher tends to the display of meat on sale.

  Dutch company FrieslandCampina has succeeded in making Valess, a tasty meat substitute. The milk-based product tastes juicy, and has a meaty texture created by adding an algae extract and herbs to milk protein. ‘The first step in the process is similar to making cheese,” said Wim van den Heuvel of FrieslandCampina. “The milk is condensed and a coagulant is used to separate the right milk proteins from the rest. By using milk proteins with a neutral flavor as the base, you avoid the soy or wheat taste that other meat substitutes often have.” “Valess was developed in collaboration with experts in the field. Chefs monitored the flavor, developers researched the best process, and extensive market research was done into the consumers’ wishes. We don’t only target vegetarians, but precisely those consumers that want to eat meat a little less often.”

  Less CO2 production

  Valess is also doing its part to help the environment. Van den Heuvel said less CO2 is released when producing a kilo of Valess than from the same amount of meat.

  “If all Dutch households ate Valess once a week instead of meat, it would mean an annual reduction of 1 metric ton of CO2 equivalents,” he said. “To achieve the same reduction by operating extra windmills, the government would have to spend 100 million euros more in grant money.”

  Source: Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation.

• Slow digestion to lose weight

  

  A woman searches the refrigerator for a snack. Fabuless can help suppress hunger, making it easier to maintain a healthy weight. Photo: iStock

  You don’t have to lose weight you don’t have. That is the golden rule for anyone watching their weight. The trick, of course, is keeping your weight under control and not becoming heavy. In addition to eating a healthy and varied diet, portion control is key. Fabuless can help. This DSM Food Specialities product is a combination of natural palm and oat oil made into an emulsion that is digested slower than milk fat, preventing hunger for a longer period of time.

  Digestive tract

  The Fabuless emulsion consists of water with a suspension of small droplets of palm oil covered in a thin layer of oat galactolipids. This prevents the palm oil from being digested, which allows it to continue deeper into the digestive tract. The body sees it as undigested fat and suppresses the hunger signals. But there’s also another advantage, said David Jobse at DSM Food Specialities. “When you’re watching your weight, you actually still want to be able to enjoy eating,” he said. “‘Light’ products contain fewer calories, but do not taste as good. Fabuless slows down the hunger signals, so that you eat less, but are still able to enjoy what you are eating.”

  Hunger signals

  Several products containing Fabuless are on the market, including ActifControl in Italy, Adagio Versus in Portugal, Optimel Control in the Netherlands, and Slimthru in the United Kingdom. The product has proven a great success in the Netherlands. Within the first three months on the market, more than 5 million bottles of Optimel Control were sold. Source: Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation.

• Healthy fat in your chocolate cake

  

  Eating chocolate cake can become a lot more wholesome. Dutch company IOI-Loders Croklaan produces a palmoil that contains no trans fats and can be used safely in baking. Used this way, saturated fat can be reduced by 33 percent without compromising flavor or quality. Photo: iStock.

  Chances are good that the delicious chocolate cake you ate recently contained palm oil from Dutch company IOI-Loders Croklaan. The palm oil is mainly used in sweets, chocolate, and baked and fried goods, where the demand for healthy oils and fats is particularly high. By 2010, trans fatty acids may only make up 1 energy percent of food products and saturated fats only 10 energy percent.

  No trans fats

  IOI-Loders Croklaan is responding to health trends by developing new products in collaboration with manufacturers. The company’s palm oil, for instance, is twice as hard as regular palm oil, but contains no trans fats and can be mixed with healthy oils, such as sunflower. This combination, which is rich in healthy unsaturated fatty acids, meets the criteria for safe fatty acid composition for baked and confectionery goods. In this way, saturated fat can be reduced by 33 percent without compromising flavor or quality.

  Source: Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation.

• Algae-based 'new food' meets nutrient and taste challenges

  

  Increasing fibers and antioxidants, while at the same time reducing sodium in food products, has always been a bit of a conundrum. Today, however, meeting this challenge is no longer out of reach—thanks to an algae-based “new food” developed by Phycom, an innovative company based in the Netherlands’ Food Valley.

  According to Reinier Smit, CCO at Phycom, “Reasons for developing this product were obvious: an increasing world population, an increasing demand for essential nutrients, a decreasing supply of minerals and a human health situation under pressure. How do we solve all these social issues? Algae.”

  Algae are characterized by two things: nutrient values and taste. The nutrients found in algae are all a human being needs on a daily basis—from proteins, antioxidants and fibers to minerals, vitamins and fatty acids. The taste of algae is identified as the fifth world taste: umami (i.e., delicious). Umami activates the saliva glands, which reinforces the hearty sweet-and-salty taste.

  Phycom can now produce algae that are compliant with both the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) rules and ISO 22000. The company has developed a high-end, clean-tech innovation in the last couple of years, enabling the large-scale production of algae suitable for human consumption. This unique proprietary cultivation and production process allows Phycom to produce algae under optimum hygienic conditions with consistent quality. “We can guarantee algae rich in protein, antioxidants, omega 3 fatty acids or other substances,” says Smit.

  Recently, Phycom’s first brand—Essentials—was launched commercially. The company is developing new algae strains with different nutrient compositions and plans to launch them in the future.

  About Essentials

  Essentials food products supply daily essential nutrients. Essentials algae are biologically produced in the Netherlands, and consist of 100% pure and natural algae, harvested at the peak of their nutrient values.

  Essentials are available in water-resistant, reclosable, UV-resistant and air-resistant pouch packaging. The product appears in either powder form or vegetarian capsules. Learn more at www.essentialsalgae.com.

  “Consumers can incorporate our powdered product in salads, soups and sauces,” Smit explains, “as an easy way to enhance the nutritional value of their meal. For example, the portion of beta carotene in algae is higher than that in carrots, and the amount of fibers outweighs the amount in leeks 11 times.” Smit adds that algae use 90 times less water than soy.

  About Phycom

  Phycom manufactures and markets essential nutrients for food, feed and pharma. The company cultivates, develops and commercializes algae, algae production systems and a combination thereof. Phycom was founded in 2009 and has grown into one of the world’s most innovative clean-tech companies. By continuing to work toward sustainable, innovative solutions, Phycom will contribute to the closing of mineral chains. The company believes that the most effective way to achieve this is by entering into partnerships at every level.

  To learn more, email Reiner C. M. Smit, CCO and CFO of Phycom.