AAK, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high value-adding specialty vegetable fats and oils, embraced a theme of “Development in AAKtion” with live demos throughout the 2017 Institute of Food Technologists Expo (IFT17).

Each day’s live demo prototypes showcased some of the latest solutions AAK has developed for the industry’s current formulation challenges. In every instance, AAK presenters highlighted the company’s brands of multi-functional fats that are non-hydrogenated, zero trans and low in saturated fat.

“Our live demos were a great way for IFT attendees to see—first hand—our co-development approach, which allows us to work hand-in-hand with customers,” says Terry Thomas, President, AAK USA Inc. “Our team of industry experts have been hard at work in the AAKtion Lab, our new innovation center in Edison, N.J., working on what we are calling ‘PHO 2.0.’ We have been helping many companies who quickly removed partially hydrogenated oils, but are now seeking improved solutions. We are proud to offer the industry value-adding solutions and forward-thinking innovation so that together we can create finished products that consumers will love.”

2017 IFT prototypes featured AAK’s brand of multi-functional fats that are non-hydrogenated, zero trans and low in saturated fat, including:

•Butter Flake Biscuits and Cinnamon Flake Biscuits – Both biscuits feature a crumbly soft texture, enhanced lift, and delicate air pockets. They include Cisao® 8253-12-05, a shortening flake with cinnamon, and Cisao® 8253-31-02, a shortening flake with natural butter flavor. These flakes provide an even distribution of fat, a flaky texture, and the visual appeal of cinnamon and butter, without a traditional roll-in process. Cisao® 81-20, a pliable shortening with a texture that allows for better machinability and better process tolerance, is incorporated into the dough.

•Classic Brioche – This traditional buttery egg bread features Cisao® 82-85 margarine containing no color or flavor, which enables formulators to customize it to fit their needs. It will replace traditional butter, lowering saturated fats, and provide increased tolerance to temperature variations in the production process.

•Spiced Mango Cupcake with Vanilla Bean Frosting – This great-tasting cupcake features Cisao® 8116-93-01, a value-adding, all-in-one emulsified cake and icing shortening. The shortening system gives the cake superior aeration and moisture-binding properties, as well as better cell structure and height, and gives the frosting improved whippability and shelf-life in comparison to standard shortening and butter-based formulations.

•Pain au Chocolat – This chocolate croissant showcases baking and confectionery solutions working together. Cisao® 81-20, a votated shortening, is incorporated into the dough to offer ease of handling and dough machinability. Cisao® 82-85 margarine is incorporated as the lamination fat in place of traditional butter. It contains no color or flavor, allowing the end user to customize it as preferred. It provides the traditional flakiness associated with high-end butter croissants, reduces saturated fat by 30%, and improves handling tolerances over crucial temperature ranges.

•Szechuan-Cucumber and Blackberry-Sage Ganache Filled Pralines – Made with Illexao® 58, AAK’s brand of Cocoa Butter Equivalents (CBEs). These exceptional performance confectionery coating fats are non-hydro, no trans, and provide smooth meltdown. They are highly compatible with cocoa butter, since they have similar physical/chemical properties. These pralines also feature AAK’s Confao® 55, high performance milk fat replacer, to provide a soft, creamy filling sensation while inhibiting bloom and fat migration. This specific Confao product is a milk fat replacer that provides more consistency by reducing the seasonal variations found in standard dairy fat.

AAK’s expertise in fats and oils within food applications, wide range of raw materials, and broad process capabilities enable it to develop innovative and value-adding solutions across many industries – bakery, chocolate and confectionery, dairy, special nutrition, foodservice, and more. 

AAK’s proven record of successfully meeting real world application challenges is based on more than 140 years of experience with fats and oils. Plus, AAK’s unique customer co-development approach brings customers’ skills and know-how together with AAK’s multi-oil capabilities, processing resources and technical support, for long lasting results. 

AAK offers a wide range of raw materials including coconut, palm, palm kernel, soybean, cottonseed, canola, shea, high erucic acid rapeseed (H.E.A.R.), corn, non-GMO Project Verified soy, high oleic sunflower, and high oleic safflower oils. With their broad process capabilities and expertise in fats and oils, AAK develops innovative and value-adding solutions to address formulation challenges of all kinds. 

AAK also continues to lead sustainability efforts and traceability of its raw materials, while making a clear difference to the environment and the local communities where the raw materials are grown and harvested. AAK is a founding member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and offers RSPO-certified material. AAK’s products are derived from renewable crops, with ingredients grown and sourced responsibly as part of a continued commitment to sustainability.

Visit www.betterwithAAK.com and www.aak.com for more information.

About AAK

AAK is a leading provider of value-adding vegetable oils & fats. Our wide range of raw materials, broad process capabilities, and expertise in oils & fats within food applications enable us to develop innovative and value-adding solutions across many industries – Chocolate & Confectionery, Bakery, Dairy, Infant Nutrition, Food Service, Personal Care, and more. AAK’s proven expertise is based on more than 140 years of experience within oils & fats. Our unique co-development approach brings our customers’ skills and know-how together with our own capabilities and mindset for lasting results. Listed on the NASDAQ OMX Stockholm and with our headquarters in Malmö, Sweden, AAK has 20 production facilities and customization plants, sales offices in more than 25 countries and more than 3,000 employees.