Baker&Co

Actives such as Curcumin – derived from the Turmeric root and more commonly associated with the colouring of food, has today shown itself to be beneficial as a biological antioxidant, to act as an anti-inflammatory, and with continued research offers the potential to be effective in the fight against cancer and a number of cognitive dysfunctions.

The research of both our partners and ourselves focuses on delivering active ingredients in areas such as bone and joint health, eye health, digestive function, cognitive health, sports nutrition, pain relief and general wellbeing. In addition, we continue down the path of improving both bioavailability and bioefficiency of the actives we offer, with the sole goal of providing our customers with the ingredients to create superior products with a point of difference in their markets.

Continued research, collaboration and clinical study will not only open our eyes to the benefits of a wide variety of actives derived from botanical sources but also to the revelation that Nature does hold the key to the health and longevity of us all.

Our partner growers around the world deliver us a botanical collection of essential oils, absolutes and resinoids. Rose from Bulgaria, Lavender from France, Ylang from Madagascar Jasmine from India and our home grown Eucalypts and Tea Tree are just a few of our specialities. These high-quality extracts deliver a point of difference in cosmetics and skin care and provide the ingredients on which the science of aromatherapy is based.

The drive from consumers to natural products sees the future of our aroma portfolio steered towards the development of natural molecules from botanical sources. The isolation of cis-3-hexenol from mint or the production of vanillin from clove or rice bran, but also not overlooking the age-old process of fermentation to produce molecules such as phenyl ethyl alcohol which not only play a major role in aroma characteristics of rose fragrance, but also the added benefit of functioning as a natural preservative in cosmetics.

Replacing synthetic is never a straightforward task. Armed with our knowledge and ingredient base, we simplify the transition. By sourcing pigments from a broad range of fruits, vegetables and plants, combined with extensive experience in colour formulation, we are able to deliver a natural colour solution to suit any application.

Recent innovations include a unique stable, natural blue colour that significantly expands the palette of vivid natural colours available to the food and beverage industry. An anthocyanin-derived pigment, useful on its own to deliver intense blue colour across the entire pH range, it has also allowed us to develop bright greens and intense purple shades. With excellent heat and light stability, our Natural Blue is suitable for beverage, confectionery, fruit preparations and bakery fillings, and will fill a significant gap that currently exists in the Natural Colour Spectrum.

Whether the aim is to improve the salty perception of reduced sodium foods, deliver umami impact to meaty flavours or enhance the rich mouth feel and authentic flavour associated with full-fat dairy products we have a solution at hand.

Here we apply the latest ingredients being produced by developments in fermentation and yeast extraction technology that deliver, natural clean label, enhancement tools – providing full and robust flavours in processed foods.

A sound knowledge of the synergistic effects of these technologies ensures we remain at the forefront of flavour enhancement techniques. When used in combination with our palette of natural flavour ingredients we are able to offer the ultimate in total taste solutions.

Our search for natural, organic food acids continues daily. Carnosic and Rosmarinic acid extracted from Rosemary, Ascorbic acid from the seed of the sour cherry, Ellagic acid from Pomegranates are just a few that are applied daily as antioxidants in a myriad of food, beverage, cosmetic and health & wellness applications.

The ancient process of fermentation will also deliver us the opportunity to produce natural sources of key organic acids such as Propionic, Lactic and Acetic, all of which are well documented as proven preservatives.

Celery extract allows us to naturally cure and preserve a wide range of meats and smallgoods without the need for chemically derived nitrates. Extracts of tea and onion provide us with valuable sources of polyphenols.

Beyond the practical benefits of these ingredients to manufacturers, is the opportunity for improved consumer perception based on the claim of using no artificial preservatives.

Today, more than ever people are looking deeper in the taste of foods with a mainstream focus on cooking and ingredients. Consumers expect clean-label and natural ingredients, but also seek out the true taste of food and beverages they consume.

Our search for ingredients takes us across the globe sourcing vanilla from Madagascar, lemons from Sicily, herbs from Eastern Europe, spices from India and Sri Lanka and garlic and onion from Mexico to name but a few. We visit The Netherlands where our partners not only utilise culinary ingredients and the traditional process of oven drying to deliver the real flavour of beef and chicken, but also utilise the waste stream from mushroom production to deliver a flavour ingredient that not only tastes like a mushroom but is actually derived from it.

We only ever have one goal in mind, to deliver extracts and flavouring ingredients that not only deliver authentic flavour and provide consumers with memorable food and beverage experiences but also encourages brand loyalty for our customers.

Our thirst for innovation sees us continually looking for new technologies and novel ingredients. One such example is the utilisation of waste streams from fruit and vegetable production. Orange peel provides unique soluble and insoluble fibres which when activated, create gel-forming capabilities which can be used in place of a wide range of gums, emulsifiers, carrageenan, phosphates, pectin and even egg. This specialised ingredient eclipses all other citrus fibres in terms of functionality and offers numerous benefits in applications such as bakery, gluten free products, meat and smallgoods, poultry injections, fruit preparations and fillings.

A further area of development involves the isolation of enzymes from botanical sources. One example is the extremely useful enzyme, Actinidin, obtained from Kiwifruit and which functions to tenderise meat and seafood at low temperature, it has also shown promise in bakery applications to improve textural qualities and prevent staling.

At the heart of our search remains the goal of providing our customers with textural ingredients that allow them to produce high-quality foods that consumers enjoy and with ingredient labels that are transparent and clean.