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Sweet sensation: EFKO on the use of sweet protein

28.06.2024
Sweet sensation: EFKO on the use of sweet protein
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Sweet sensation: EFKO on the use of sweet protein
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The 2nd International Conference "Neva Ingredients. Food and Technology" took place in St. Petersburg. This is one of the largest events for the food industry, bringing together leading market players, analysts and experts. EFKO specialists gave a presentation on the company's unique development that will replace sugar without causing any harm to health — sweet protein brazzein, which has already received a certificate of state registration.

Finding safe alternatives to sugar has long been a key challenge for ingredient manufacturers. Today, people in Russia eat an average of 43 kg of sugar per person. This is 25 kg more than recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The health risks are enormous. Dental disease and obesity are just the tip of the iceberg, with nearly a quarter of our population already being obese. Worldwide, more than 760 million people are obese.

When consumed in excess, sugar provokes the development of type 2 diabetes. In Russia, the number of people with diabetes has increased 2.5 times since 2000 to 5.2 million.

What is more, eating too much sugar leads to cardiovascular diseases and premature aging.

"There are a number of sweeteners and sugar substitutes — both natural and chemical — but all of them are compromises because they either have a negative impact on health or are too expensive to produce," said Evgenia Potekina, a technologist at the EFKO Group, during her presentation at a conference. — Sweet proteins were originally isolated from wild tropical fruits. It was discovered that they are several thousand times sweeter than ordinary sugar and do not raise blood sugar levels. However, the sweet protein content of the plants themselves is so low that it is not cost effective to extract them. A number of companies around the world are studying the possibility of producing sweet proteins, but it is the EFKO Group that has managed to develop a technology for their production together with scientific teams led by academicians of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The production is based on microbiological synthesis of sweet proteins, i.e. their creation in laboratory conditions with the use of water and modified yeast".

The sweet protein developed by our company has already been certified throughout the Eurasian Economic Union. This means that the product is proven safe and meets all requirements for all food ingredients.

Before that, back in 2023, sweet protein produced by using EFKO technology had been certified in the United Arab Emirates.

“Sweet protein has the potential to be used in the production of all desserts and other products where sugar is currently used," said Alyona Surkova, Director of the Confectionery Department in the Oils and Fats Division of the EFKO Group. - We are already using the experience and expertise of the R&D center to apply it correctly in product formulations. For example, a traditional candy can contain up to 40% sugar. With the scaling up of the sweet protein biosynthesis technology, it can be partially, or better, completely replaced by a combination of sweet protein and vegetable fiber. And then your candy can become a superfunctional food. As always, we are ready to provide full technological support to all manufacturers who, together with us, consider it important to contribute to the victory over diabetes and are ready to incorporate sweet proteins into their formulations”.

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Dear partners!

In order to improve EFKO products and quality of service, as well as to better meet your needs, we ask you to answer a few questions.

In the Alekseevskaya Sloboda of the Belgorod province, where in the late 1820s, sunflower oil was produced for the first time in the Russian Empire, and the first oil mill in Russia was built.

During the years of the First World War, and then the Civil War, production was completely stopped. The restoration of the plant began only in 1923. The main focus of its work remained the processing of coriander and anise. In 1936, the second oil extraction plant in all of Russia was built in Alekseevka. Later, both enterprises were merged into one of the largest essential oil extraction complexes in the Soviet Union.

During the Great Patriotic War, the complex was almost destroyed. Restoration work, which began in 1943, continued until the end of 1948. In the post-war period, comprehensive reconstruction was carried out on many sections using the latest technological advancements. By the 1970s, the Alekseevsky essential oil extraction complex produced up to 80% of the world's coriander oil. For its achievements in production development, the development and implementation of advanced technology, by decree of August 14, 1972, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR awarded the plant the Order of the Badge of Honor.

Unfortunately, in the 1990s, the enterprise that brought fame and wealth to the people of Alekseevka fell into decline and practically collapsed. The revival of the enterprise began in 1994 with the arrival of a new team and the creation of the EFCO Group.

The enterprise underwent large-scale modernization of production and established a new management system. The company decided to return to its roots and resume the production of sunflower oil. Later, EFCO expanded the range and volume of products.

In 2002, a new business direction was opened, and the most modern plant for the production of specialized fats and margarines for the food industry, EFCO Food Ingredients, was launched in the city of Alekseevka, Belgorod region. A scientific and production laboratory was established at the plant, equipped to control product quality at all stages of production and conduct in-depth scientific research.

In 2002–2003, EFCO technologists mastered the most environmentally friendly process of vegetable oil processing – the 'dry' fractionation method, applied the technology of physical refining of oils and fats, and managed to create Russia's first cocoa butter substitute 'Ecolad,' milk fat substitute 'Ecolact,' solid confectionery fat 'Ekond,' soft confectionery fat 'Ekonfe,' universal margarines 'Ecouniversal,' frying shortenings 'Ecofri,' and the first domestic fats with minimal trans-isomers content – confectionery fats 'Econat.'

In 2005, the R&D center of the fats and oils division was created based on EFCO Food Ingredients, consisting of the Applied Research Center and the Pilot Plant Department. The center’s specialists are engaged in developing and testing fat products for healthy eating lines and innovative recipes, taking into account the needs of manufacturers.

In 2006, the company was the first in Russia to successfully pass an audit for compliance with the quality and safety requirements of the BRC (Global Standard for Food Safety) and the International Food Standard (IFS). Is this information relevant?

In 2008, the second plant for the production of specialized fats and margarines was launched in the port of Taman in the Krasnodar Territory, and the only deep-water sea terminal for food cargo in Russia was built.

The following year, the plant successfully passed certification for compliance with the quality and safety requirements of the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and the International Food Standard (IFS). International auditors awarded the company the highest compliance level – Grade AA. Is this information relevant?

In 2014, the company’s technologists created the first domestic equivalent of cocoa butter.

In 2015, the EFCO Group launched a project to create a unique fats and oils cluster in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Thanks to production modernization and the transfer of global technologies, the production of specialized fats and margarines meeting the highest international standards was established in a short time.

In 2016, EFCO opened its fourth site for the production of specialized fats and margarines at the Evdakovsky fats and oils plant in the Voronezh region.

In 2021, production capacity at the Taman port facility was increased – launching the world's first 'million-ton plant' for the production of specialized fats and margarines. Do we need this?

In 2023, the company launched the only shea nut processing plant in Russia.

Thanks to R&D and significant investments by domestic producers in developing their own infrastructure, primarily by EFCO, the share of imported producers in the Russian food ingredients market has decreased from 49% to 9% over the past 15 years and continues to decline.

Almost 200 years later, Alekseevka remains the largest center for vegetable oil processing in the country.

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