Preferences for healthy on-the-go foods, gluten-free products, and energy-boosting snacks are credited with an increase in the worldwide food coating ingredients market. The global market is expected to reach $4.4 billion by 2022, according to Grand View Research Inc. In 2014, the global market was worth $2.75 billion.
Contributing to the growth of food coatings are bakery products, confectioneries, and the preservation of foods such as meat and poultry.
According to a report from Transparency Market Research, the need for flavorful foods with a long shelf life has further contributed to the demand for food coatings. What’s more, an increase in living standards in various countries around the world is fueling the demand for processed foods, including healthy fast food items, which feature nutritious food coating ingredients.
Plot a course
How can manufacturers capitalize on the growth of the food coating ingredients market? Take into account where the market is going. According to P&S Market Research, North America made up the second-largest market for bakery products, after Europe, in 2014. Additionally, Grand View Research found the consistent demand for RTE food, particularly in the United States, will drive growth in North America during the next seven years.
Asia-Pacific is growing rapidly due to increasing disposable incomes and the urbanization of the region, according to P&S Market Research. In Europe, cocoa and chocolate comprise the largest use of food coating ingredients. Fats and oils are more prevalent in North America.
"New products should address and speak to consumer trends and ultimately consumer wants," Ying Bian, senior associate batter and breading at Ingredion told Food Dive in an email.
Resolving complications
Food coatings are found in applications such as bakery, confectionery, RTE cereals and bars, dairy, savory foods, frozen foods, and meat and poultry. An challenge for manufacturers centers on creating high quality coatings with clean labels, while "achieving great performance for microwave foods that will also reduce oil pick up," Bian said.
"Consumers are now gravitating towards battered and breaded products that contain ingredients that are not only clean label but are easily recognizable kitchen cabinet ingredients," Callen Sistrunk, business scientist, batter and breading and meat applications also at Ingredion, told Food Dive in an email.
Sistrunk said gluten-free products create challenges for processors "seeking to replicate the traditional battered and breaded products containing chemically modified ingredients and allergens including gluten, egg and dairy."
One solution is the use of pulse (lentils, peas, chickpeas) flours and proteins to replace wheat flour. Among the advantages of pulses are that they're gluten-free and provide a major source of protein and fiber. Traditionally, soy protein has been used to increase protein content of breaded patties and nuggets, particularly in products for children, Sistrunk noted.
Ingredion enhances the protein in the batter and breading portion rather than the protein in the meat, Sistrunk said. The formulations contain 30% protein in the batter/breading portion compared to 12% in a wheat flour formulation. The gluten-free batter is combination of pulse flours and pulse proteins such as yellow pea semolina flour and faba bean protein; the overall level of protein is increased by 40%.
"Pulses can be combined with other ingredients such as starches and non-gluten flours to replicate the functionality and characteristic texture of wheat flour based batters and breadings," Sistrunk said.
Using native starches as opposed to chemically modified starches and phosphates is yet another way to achieve a clean label. Modified starches and phosphates are commonly used in the marination of protein prior to the batter and breading process, Sistrunk said. Functional native starches act as binders; they are processed by heat and moisture treatments to create similar properties and process stability. "Studies have shown improvement in yield by replacing phosphate alone," Sistrunk added.