Emulsifiers, stabilizers, lecithins, egg products — these ingredients are used in almost all sectors of the food industry. Since 2020, this market has been constantly facing challenges such as sanctions, the leaving of foreign suppliers, logistical failures and high dependence on imports. What future awaits the market and how to achieve sovereignty? EFKO’s Oil and Fat Division held an inter-industry seminar “Food Ingredients”, where it spoke about the solutions that the company can offer today.
The Russian food ingredients market is estimated at 3.5 billion US dollars and grows by 6-7% annually. It includes flavors, stabilizers, preservatives, coloring agents, complex food additives, sweeteners and other ingredients.
Despite the crisis of recent years, today there are all opportunities for an increase in demand for food ingredients. In the bakery industry, the snack segment is growing, as well as the “nearby home” bakery segment. Confectionery production is gaining momentum due to the development of export supplies. As for the dairy industry there is a production increase in the ice cream segment. And if we look at the sweet carbonated sugar-free drinks area in the period from 2019 its increase was almost 40%, which also promote the demand for sugar alternatives.
How to achieve independence from imported ingredients? There is only one solution which is to focus on own developments.
“Today we already offer our partners a wide range of food ingredients: emulsifiers, stabilizers, crystallizers, egg products, lecithins, soybean products, enzymes, sweet protein and whipping pastes,” said Alexey Dikarev, Director of Food Ingredients for the Oil and Fat Division of EFKO Group.
In 2024, EFKO launched a plant for functional proteins and dietary fiber.
Another group of ingredients that the domestic market is in desperate need is products of deeply processed chicken eggs of full cycle. Egg products are used primarily in the meat and confectionery industries, as well as for the production of mayonnaise and sauces.
“EFKO’s range includes egg white powder, egg yolk powder, and liquid melange,” shared technologist Elena Strukova. “Such products have a lot of advantages. First of all, they are easy to use which means that such ingredients need less time to be prepared. It let us use our production capacity in the most efficient way. Then they can increase shelf life, it is very important for public catering.”
It is important not only to replace positions that were initially dependent on imports, but also to improve those that are already on the domestic market. During the seminar, the company’s technologist Svetlana Babicheva spoke about an ingredient for the bakery market, whipping paste.
“Whipping paste is a complex additive for biscuits, which allows the manufacturer to achieve the maximum volume of products, a uniform porosity, and at the same to time reduce the cost prise.”
During the tasting, the participants tried tender biscuits made with whipping paste, as well as sweet protein candies with hazelnut paste, ripe raspberries and cherries and rum. Sweet protein is one of the key innovations in the food industry. It is a new and safe alternative to sugar. The ingredient has already been certified in the territory of the Eurasian Economic Union, it has been proved that the product is safe and meets all the requirements for food ingredients.