Dear customer We hope you are well and staying safe. Baobab Fruit Powder is the African superfood ingredient that tastes great and has an outstanding nutritional profile. As leading suppliers of Baobab, we are constantly being approached by food and beverage companies looking to capitalise on Baobab's increasing popularity amongst consumers. Their marketing teams are excited by Baobab’s unbeatable backstory of sustainability and social impact, and their formulators cannot wait to start exploring how they can use it to fortify their existing product lines. However, not all formulators are aware of the full range of potential functional applications that Baobab offers in food and beverage formulations. These applications allow Baobab to be used not just to add goodness to a product, but also to serve a functional role. Two for the price of one! In this newsletter we take a step back from Baobab’s nutritional attributes and inspiring social impact stories (which have been covered in our previous newsletters and numerous news articles over the years) and tackle the hugely exciting subject of: Functional Uses and Applications of Baobab in Food and Beverage |
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Thickeners Baobab powder can be used as a thickener in the preparation of beverages (including smoothies and juices), jams, and ice-cream. The fruit can also be used as a curdling agent in whey and yoghurt production. Although it contains zero starch or gums, Baobab has a very high pectin content (41-42%), predominantly xylogalacturonan – a pectic oligosaccharide which acts as a prebiotic. [Baobab Polysaccharides from Fruits and Leaves] |
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Gelling Agents Baobab can be used as a gelator in food production, including gummies. It has a low minimum gelation concentration (MGC), forming a stable gel at just 11% concentration in water. Unpublished research by PhytoTrade Africa showed that 10% solutions of Baobab produced very thick gel-like structures with strong water retention properties leading to a significant decrease in % solubility. They found that there was no separation into sediments and supernatants, even after centrifugation. [The Nutritional and Functional Properties of Baobab Pulp] |
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Stabilizers Stabilizers are substances that increase stability and thickness by helping foods remain in an emulsion and retain physical characteristics. Ingredients that normally do not mix, such as oil and water, need stabilizers. Baobab is used as a natural stabilizer in ice creams and gelatos, creating a beautiful creamy texture without the need for any synthetic ingredients. It also has the added benefit of bringing Vitamin C and essential minerals to the products. |
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Emulsifiers Emulsifiers are widely used in the food industry to add flavour, texture and stability to foods, including mayonnaise, chocolate, ice cream, bakery and creamy sauces. Researchers exploring the emulsifying ability of Baobab Powder found that it has strong emulsifying properties and an efficiency of above 95% in retaining oil. [Emulsifying properties of Baobab pulp for novel food application] |
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Pectin Replacement The high pectin content in Baobab means that it can be used as a part-substitute for commercial pectin in the production of jams, jellies and preserves. Researchers comparing jams made with Baobab Powder to jams made with commercial pectin found little difference in their moisture content, total soluble solids (TSS) and total titratable acidity (TTA). [Use of Baobab Powder as a Source of Pectin in the Synthesis of High Quality Jams] |
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Fermentation Tempe (a common product locally) is a West African version of the Asian dish Tempeh (a nutritious fermented food obtained by the fermentation of soybeans using the fungus Rhizopus oligosporus). Researchers have clearly demonstrated a beneficial effect on the micro flora involved in Tempe fermentation. Adding Baobab Powder increases the population of lactic acid bacteria by 50% while it reduces the population of inoculated Rhizopus by 95%. [The Effects of Baobab Pulp Powder on the Micro Flora Involved in Tempe Fermentation] |
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Cream of Tartar Replacement Cream of Tartar helps stabilize whipped egg whites, prevents sugar from crystallizing and acts as a leavening agent for baked goods. Baobab Powder has found use as a substitute to cream of tartar in baked goods due to the presence of citric and tartaric acids in the pulp. [Baobab: The Tree of Life — An Ethnopharmacological Review] |
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Flavour Enhancer Citric acid is used both as a natural flavour enhancer in a variety of foods, such as jams, jellies, canned fruits-and-vegetables. It is also used in ice cream, fruit drinks, candy and carbonated beverages. Baobab’s tangy citrussy taste acts as a replacement for citric acid in enhancing the flavours of food and beverages. It also helps fortify foods and beverages with a wide range of nutrients that citric acid does not. |
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Fortfication The high nutrient composition of Baobab makes it a valuable natural fortificant in food products. In many African countries, Baobab is added to pre-cooked porridges to be used specifically for supplementary feeding programs in areas with high levels of malnutrition. Researchers have also found that functional cookies fortified with Baobab Powder at partial substitution rates of 20% have improved sensory and nutritional qualities of the cookies. [Effect of Fortification with Baobab Pulp Flour on Sensorial Acceptability and Nutrient Composition of Rice Cookies] |
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About Baobab Exports Baobab Exports Ltd is the sales and marketing arm of EcoProducts B’Ayoba, the world's leading Baobab operation. A partnership between two leading Baobab Fruit producers, EcoProducts B’Ayoba is Africa's only FairWild, Organic and FSSC 22000 Version 4.1 certified Baobab operation. We have impeccable social-impact credentials, providing a much-needed supplemental income to over 5,000 registered rural African harvesters and their families. Our supply chains are fully traceable and sustainable, with environmental and training programs in place to protect the Baobab tree populations. As a result, we are a member of the Union for Ethical Biotrade. We are also founders of the African Baobab Alliance, a non-profit organisation dedicated to growing the positive social and environmental impact of the Baobab industry. Our processing facility in South Africa has been audited under the FDA’s Foreign Suppler Verification Program (FSVP), a key requirement for all importers to the US. Global Reach - For US, Canadian & Latin American customers, we deliver from our Long Beach (California) warehouse.
- For European and Middle Eastern customers, we deliver from our Bodegraven (Netherlands) warehouse.
- For Asian and Australasian customers, we ship directly from South Africa.
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We hope you found this information useful. Promoting and formulating with Baobab Fruit Powder is all about knowledge, and our team has decades of combined experience to support you and your business in your efforts. Contact us to discuss any aspects of Baobab nutrition, functionality, new product development, research, PR, marketing or social impacts. Our team is ready to answer all of your questions, as well as provide you with samples, specifications and pricing. We look forward to working with you. |
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Henry Johnson Sales Manager Tel: +44 7921 137595 Baobab Exports Ltd Web: baobabexports.com |
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17-19 February 2021 As part of our continuing mission to the raise awareness of Baobab in the food and beverage industry, we are showcasing our Organic and FairWild Baobab Fruit Powder at Europe's biggest organic trade show, BIOFACH eSPECIAL, this week. https://www.biofach.de/en/exhibitor-list |
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