PLANT BASED DAIRY ALTERNATIVES 2021
lin and oligofructose can help to build structure in low
sugar and ‘no added sugar’ food products.
From a nutritional perspective chicory inulin and
chicory oligofructose are interesting as they are soluble
dietary fibers, with scientifically proven prebiotic and related
health benefits. It has a low caloric value and can
be used for sugar, fat and calorie reduction. Since inulin
and oligofructose are soluble fibers, they can enrich a
product with fibers, without changing the appearance
of the product or giving the end product an offtaste,
which is sometimes encountered with high fiber products.
They can also be used to formulate products with
a reduced glycemic response.
Effects in dairy products and plant-based
dairy alternatives
Frutafit inulin has the ability to improve the texture
and increase creamy mouthfeel of low fat (nondairy)
yogurt without affecting the fermentation time and
taste. Because of the low caloric value of Frutafit inulin
the creaminess of low fat yogurt will be improved
without increasing the calorie content of the yogurt.
Using Frutafit inulin and Frutalose oligofructose in
dairy products and plant-based dairy alternatives is
an easy way to add fiber. It does not negatively affect
the taste or appearance of the product. Frutafit
inulin and Frutalose oligofructose are prebiotic fibers,
which fits very well in dairy and alternative products.
The combination with probiotic ingredients opens up
the opportunity to develop symbiotic products.
Due to their sweetness Frutafit and Frutalose can
also be used in sugar reduced or no added sugar
products to increase sweetness and mask off tastes.
Application and sensory research have shown that
combining Frutafit chicory inulin and Frutalose chicory
oligofructose with high intensity sweeteners has several
benefits. Frutafit inulin and Frutalose oligofructose
show synergy in sweetness and they can mask
off- and after tastes of these sweeteners.
Due to the low calories of Frutafit inulin and Frutalose
oligofructose it is possible to reduce calories or
develop ‘light’ dairy drinks.
Dosage, application, heat stability
Using inulin or oligofructose usually means very little
to no change in processing, which makes it very easy
to incorporate.
Depending on the application, type of inulin or oligofructose
and the desired effect, the addition levels vary
anywhere between 2 to 20%. For example, to improve
mouthfeel, creaminess and prevent syneresis in yoghurt
or yoghurt type products, addition levels vary between
1.5 and 8%. There is a difference between the type of inulin
as well; where we found positive effects on mouthfeel
already at 1.5% when using a long chain inulin, the
optimum effect for native inulin was around 3%.
Frutafit inulin and Frutalose oligofructose are plantbased,
prebiotic, soluble dietary fibers with texturizing
properties and a great taste that provide added
health benefits.
In ice cream positive effects on creaminess, mouthfeel
and reduced ice crystal size were found in in the
range of 2% up to 15% added inulin. These levels really
depend on the formulation and the desired outcome.
Inulin is stable at temperatures up to 140°C (when
dissolved at near neutral pH) and can therefore be
processed easily in most, if not all, food applications.
Shelf-life
Frutafit chicory inulin and Frutalose chicory oligofructose
do not negatively affect the shelf life of products.
They have actually been found to prevent syneresis in
spreads, mousses and yoghurts.
Sensus inulin compared to other origin
Chicory inulin and oligofructose are available in different
types on the market, which all have their own unique
properties. Long chain inulin for example has very little
sweetness, but very good texturizing properties. Oligofructose
is not a strong texturizer since it has short
chains, but can offer sweetness of up to 60% compared
to sucrose. These differences might appear small, but
can have a great effect on the end application.
However, inulin derived from agave is different. What
is known as agave inulin is actually agavine and due to
its branched nature offers less possibilities in applications
in terms of taste and texture.
January/February 2021 ¦ international-dairy.com · 27
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