Gavan Technologies’ butter replacer slashes saturated fat by 80%
FoodTech start-up Gavan Technologies has introduced a butter replacer for the bakery industry, which replicates the functionality of animal fat and slashes saturated fat by up to 80%.
Gavan’s FaTRIX is a patented, plant-based fat-protein matrix that is a fully sustainable, clean label and also trans fat-free.
According to the Israeli business, FaTRIX offers a series of high-performance, protein-based fat substitutes that serve as alternatives to butter and other commonly used fats in a variety of bakery products.
Gavan highlighted the ability of FaTRIX to satisfy sensory cravings as producers of plant-based foods increasingly seek alternatives to animal-derived ingredients to meet nutritional and sensory demands. The aroma, flavour, tenderness, and overall mouthfeel of foods are largely a function of lipids, which typically make up from 10-40% of a product.
“Traditionally, pastries have relied on fats derived from animals,” explains Itai Cohen, Gavan co-founder and CEO. “Despite the widespread use of vegetable fats as an alternative, they still cannot match the characteristic taste, texture, and smoothness that real butter confers. Replacing animal fat with plant-based oils can create difficulties due to the fluid nature of these ingredients, yet hydrogenated oils are a less-than-ideal solution.”
FaTRIX is composed of three natural ingredients: the extracted protein acts as a base upon which plant oil and water are bound, creating a protein-enriched texturised fat. Traditional plant oils, such as olive or sunflower oil, possess low retention capacity and are prone to release during baking, leading to a loss of tenderness. Firmer tropical oils such as palm and coconut oils, have high saturated fat content, can impact flavour.
The FaTRIX solution was developed from Gavan’s proprietary waste-free protein-extraction technology designed to extricate the full value of the plant, leaving none of its components redundant while fully maintaining the integrity of the protein’s peptide structure.
“The composition of oil, water, and protein in FaTRIX delivers superior binding and cooking abilities, making it an ideal and convenient solution for food formulators,” asserts Uri Jeremias, culinary expert, and restaurant owner. Jeremias co-founded Gavan as a company focused on discovering novel ingredients for the culinary industry. “FaTRIX boasts a high melting point and fat-holding capacity, preventing it from leaching during processing or heating. These properties are crucial to maintaining the succulence and tenderness of the final product. Moreover, it acts as a carrier for flavours, vitamins, and beneficial omega-3.”
The composition of oil and protein ingredients used in a formulation as well as their ratios can be specifically tailored to the food application needs. “Our platform works with all types of plant oils, from olive and sunflower to canola”, Cohen explains. “Some products require 50/50 fat-to-water ratio. Others demand firmer fat integration. We can customise FaTRIX to meet any range.”
Following successful pilot trials of its fat matrix in multiple bakery products, Gavan is introducing FaTRIX to the bakery industry. In one trial, FaTRIX successfully replaced butter in a soft and airy brioche, yielding a five-fold reduction in saturated fat.
“This marks a pivotal achievement for us, as butter has long been considered the irreplaceable key element in brioches,” notes Jeremias. “FaTRIX is a solution that boasts the same workability as dairy butter, without needing a long list of added ingredients.”
“Our Fat matrix opens the door to a world of new possibilities for bakery and food formulators,” concludes Cohen.
