Puratos India has introduced fillings for bakery and patisserie under the brand, Cremfil Ultim. The fillings are available in two variants, compound chocolate and hazelnut. According to the company, these fillings contain less than 10 percent fat and helps preserve freshness.
According to the Innova Snack Revolution 2013 report, there are three key aspects that have been driving the growth in snacking launches in the last five years, indulgence, health and convenience. In line with these trends, Puratos has created the Cremfil Ultim fillings. Soft chocolate centres are an emerging trend for chocolate fillings in cakes, muffins, croissants and cookies. Fillings, and in particular chocolate-flavoured fillings, reinforce the indulgent perception of snacks. In some markets, up to 98 percent of consumers preferred sweet goods with filling. Cremfil Ultim fillings offer an answer to consumer snacking demands with the indulgent experience of soft chocolate centres.
The market trend suggests that in chocolates, industrial bakers are trying to move more towards chocolate fillings with better nutritional profiles, often as a result of pressure from governments that impose specific nutritional standards for products, aimed at children. Countries such as Mexico, France, Spain, Australia, and United States are focusing heavily on providing healthier snacking alternatives for school children.
Adding a Cremfil Ultim filling is not only a way to add indulgence to a product but it can also be a way of rebalancing its nutritional profile. Cremfil Ultim fillings contain less than 10% fat, whilst a traditional fat-based filling contains at least 30% fat. In the case of Cremfil Ultim Hazelnut, it contains 70% less fat, 24% less sugar and 49% less calories than a traditional hazelnut fat-based filling. The results of including Cremfil Ultim fillings in baked goods can therefore have a significant impact on the nutritional profile of the goods. For example, replacing a traditional hazelnut filling by Cremfil Ultim hazelnut in a soft bun results in a fat reduction of 37%. In addition, the Cremfil Ultim bun has 27% less saturated fat, sugar and calories are reduced by 14% and 15% respectively.
Cremfil Ultim fillings are claimed to improve the overall freshness of soft bakery and patisserie items, thanks to the controlled water activity. Studies in buns and muffins show that Cremfil Ultim is able to extend the freshness of soft baked goods over time.
According to the company, freshness after one month with Cremfil Ultim is equal to the freshness after one week with a fat-based filling. Also, the texture of Cremfil Ultim stays soft and creamy throughout the shelf life. This was further confirmed during a consumer test, where taste and freshness of Cremfil Ultim Hazelnut were appreciated significantly more than that of a standard chocolate hazelnut filling after three months of shelf life.
