Fermentates: with high flavour complexity, a pleasant fullness and lots of umami

We are pleased to announce our partnership with The Mediterranean Food Lab (MFL). The 100% natural clean label fermentates are made from pulses, grains and by-products from food production. From use in meat alternatives for a meatier flavour to bolognese sauces with a distinct ‘slow cook’ note, the applications are limitless.

Consumer demand for natural and sustainable food

The demand for natural, healthy and environmentally friendly produced food is constantly increasing. Consumers increasingly value products with short ingredient lists that are both flavourful and produced sustainably and transparently. 

Fermentation as the answer 

Our new cooperation makes it possible to offer a wider range of flavour solutions that are specifically tailored to the preferences and needs of modern consumers:

• Complex, full flavour profile 
• Fermentation-based, low processing
• 100% natural, plant-based and partly from side streams 
• Clean & clear label, without additives
• Short list of ingredients
• Potential for salt reduction thanks to umami boost
• Competitive cost-in-use
• Easy to use

MFL products are based on patented solid-state fermentation technology that produces rich flavour solutions from pulses, grains and side streams. These processes enable the production of complex, umami-rich, intensely flavoured concentrates without the use of additives and flavourings. The products are labelled depending on the source materials; e.g. as fermented chickpeas, fermented sunflower seeds or fermented buckwheat. The fermentates can be put together like building blocks, which enables customised solutions.

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Versatile flavour profiles for various applications

1. Convenience and ready-to-eat products

In the frenetic modern world, convenience products are more in demand than ever. Practical and quick to prepare - with MFL solutions, a ‘long cook’ or ‘slow cook’ flavour profile can be created in a short processing time. The ‘home-made’ flavour profile combined with the ease of use of MFL products is convincing in lasagne, chilli and gratins, for example.

2. Meat and meat alternatives

MFL flavour solutions are ideal for meat and meat alternative products such as burgers, meatballs and nuggets. They offer a natural way to increase flavour complexity and, in particular, to compensate for the often lacking fullness of flavour when using vegetable proteins and fats. The umami boost makes it possible to reduce the salt content in this normally very salty product category without sacrificing flavour.

3. Soups and sauces

In addition to normally strongly flavoured dishes such as chillies, the lighter fermentates are also ideal for milder soups and sauces. These dishes also benefit from the new flavour dimension, as blind tastings have shown. In this way, expensive meat extracts or glutamate can be reduced. Examples of possible applications include gravies, béchamel sauces and onion soups.  

The fermentates from MFL lead to an increase in flavour complexity, an additional umami boost and a pleasant full-bodied taste. Thanks to their high naturalness, the clean label, the short list of ingredients, the ‘homemade’ flavour and the option to reduce salt, the products address many trends at the same time. The numerous product variations allow them to be used in all food categories.