Chr. Hansen - Additives for a more cultured sausage

Date of publication : 7/18/2007

Source : Chr. Hansen

Ingredients and additives specialist Chr. Hansen has launched two novel starter cultures for sausages. The two products, BFL-F02 and BFL-F05, are primarily aimed at customers in Europe and offer an improved ability to deliver flavour in dry and semi-dry fermented sausages.

Healthy eating trends and a change in consumer attitudes are forcing food processors and manufacturers to reconsider the inclusion rates of certain ingredients such as sugars and saturated fats.

However, reducing or eliminating these elements from certain foods can detract flavour. As a result, Chr Hansen, and others, are facing challenges in delivering alternatives, says Eva Stenby, Marketing Manager, Meat Cultures, Chr. Hansen.

”Consumers want food products to be healthy, safe and produced in a sustainable way, but more than anything they want them to taste good,” she adds.

Chr. Hansen's long history and experience in the flavourings sector has enabled it to produce bacterial cultures that act in different applications to produce alternative effects in line with regional tastes and variations.

“We also know how to use this knowledge to identify new strains which can, even under the harshest conditions, provide the optimum flavour development and at the same time deliver a fast and reliable fermentation.” said Ms Stenby.

The development of BFL-F02 and BFL-F05 involved the evaluation of 12,000 strains of bacteria. The first selections, made from 12,000 strains to nine, used a chemical analysis; the second was by Chr. Hansen’s own sensory experts and 11 of its customers throughout Europe.

"The two selected strains are relatively unknown, and offer a new and improved ability to deliver flavor,” says Ms Stenby. The flavors stand at separate ends of the flavor range: one has a mild and creamy taste, the other is strong and intensive.

The cultures are now under further development using customer taste panels in South and North America. These tests will aid the selection of the best BactoFlavor strains for these regions.

Chr. Hansen develops natural ingredient solutions such as cultures, enzymes, colors and flavors for the food, pharmaceutical, nutritional and agricultural industries industry. Founded in 1874 in Copenhagen by pharmacist Christian D.A. Hansen, it works in close cooperation with its customers and has development centers in Denmark, the USA, France and Germany.