Most ingredient suppliers at the IFT show told MM&T that helping processors to lower fat, cholesterol and sodium in meat products were among their major goals. When MM&T asked several IFT supplier/exhibitors to reflect on the show's theme, here's what they had to say:
Robert Weis, director of technical marketing, Nonpareil Corp.:
"Reducing fat remains the focus of most processors, but with the most critical variables uppermost in mind-flavor and texture.
I see more non-traditional ingredients helping processors lower fat and salt content of their meat products. Potato-based ingredients could play a dominant role.
We've done a lot of research in the area of vegetable-based ingredients that could help replace fat. We brought in binders and extenders-from non-fat dry milk to beet fiber. We've researched about 50 ingredients, including soybean products. We analyzed them and used some in combinations.
We couldn't deal with many of these ingredients because of flavor or texture."
David Stone, segment manager, food ingredients division, FMC Corp.:
"One challenge for the meat industry is learning how to use newer, non-traditional ingredients.
The challenge for ingredient suppliers is to help the meat industry use this 'new generation' of ingredients in individual processes employed by the industry.
For example, carrageenan has been used in the poultry industry for some time. However, carrageenan is relatively new to the red meat industry. In many cases, red meat processors really don't know how to select and use carrageenan; they're just beginning to find out.
We must help [processors] to use this ingredient properly so they can get the best functionality from the ingredient."
Skip Kelly, director of marketing, Milwaukee Seasonings Inc.:
"Consumers are shopping for better values and 'good-for-you' foods. Healthier lifestyles, more active lifestyles and fat avoidance are keys for the meat industry. This will most likely challenge [and benefit] the sauce segment.
Meat processors can't just put a product out there for consumption; they need to design a product around their target audience. Niching and segmentation are the name of the game."
William Brown, president, ABC Research Corp.:
"In today's marketplace, healthier alternative meat products may be somewhat of a niche market, particularly products with greatly reduced fat content. Meat producing associations [have been successful in] working with their members to reduce the fat in pork and beef animals. We have leaner raw material today than we had just 20 years ago. Genetic improvements are also producing leaner, more muscular livestock and poultry."
Horst Wendt, executive vice president, BK Ladenburg Corp.:
"We're going to see consumer demand for higher quality at lower prices. But I question whether a truly healthy meat product is a trend of the future.
Meat packers will find the consumer making more demands for a healthier product that may be costly in processing, and the consumer may not be willing to pay for it. We have already seen this in several low-salt products."
Wilhelm Schaeflein, president, Bavaria Corp.:
"Most red meat companies would like to make good-tasting, low-fat, low-salt items. But no one has been very successful.
Fat replacement in meat products has been done mostly with non-meat ingredients.
However, the flavor profile and the fat-like mouthfeel comes from fat and not from non-meat ingredients.
There is no way to replace the etheric oils in fat with artificial ingredients. The proof is the very limited success of low-fat and low-salt items.
Fat should be replaced with a natural product made out of meat, such as 'meat protein.' It is the only way to get both low-fat and fat-like mouthfeel. In addition, the salt level can be reduced by 20 percent without changing the original flavor profile.
You simply can't replace fat and salt totally with non-meat ingredients; there's no way."