Fruitlift, the real-fruit based solution to replace refined sugars in RTE cereals, is advancing into the next phase of its go-to-market plan following its launch in March this year. Gat Foods will install a lab-scale extrusion plant to integrate Fruitlifit into various breakfast cereal applications and fully assess its integration into large-scale cereal production processes.
The pilot plant replicates a large industrial production belt on a smaller lab scale. The company designed high-quality custom extrusion plant machinery after researching several models to assess the necessary specifications required to fully fit Frutlift’s solution into the unique production flows of cereals manufacturers. The base already has successfully completed its initial round of trials in a pilot lab in the UK.
Fruitlift is an all-natural, liquid based ingredient - composed of 90% fruit components and designed to be injected into the flour mix of puffed cereals to replace white refined sugar, which until now has been a significant component in RTE cereals. The real challenge was to integrate a wet fruit solution into a dry product to bring breakfast cereals to consumers in a more natural and better-for-you format. Fruitlift delivers a mild sweetness, with or without a fruity flavor in a range of fruits to choose from.
The pilot plant incorporates a full lab-scale extrusion line, including extruder machinery, a coating drum, oven, and mixers. It also includes all the lab equipment necessary for the assessment of final products to ensure their adherence to specific product criteria encompassing essential organoleptic parameters of taste, texture, crispiness and sweetness. The facility also allows for continuous on-site optimization of manufacturing procedures for RTE cereals, as well as a full assessment of the unique requirements of individual cereal manufacturers.
Gat Foods’ patent-pending technology provides a tailor-made solution to food companies. The fruit base is offered in a choice of fruits and can be customized to fit any manufacturing process, or formulated to fit any type of flour mixture. It can be injected either as a base or a coating and the dose can be adjusted to desired sweetness levels and taste preferences, whether the company is seeking a pronounced fruit flavor or to have the solution blend in with the brand’s signature flavor.
Gat foods will showcase the innovative Fruitlift ingredient on June 3-5 at the IFT Expo in New Orleans, and demonstrate how Fruitlift can replace refined sugars in various samples of puffed cereals, including whole grain cereals laced with the fruit base solution in its various formats.
