From Neval Ceyhun, Senior Scientist Technique of Diet North America, Unilever
REV (Radiant Vitality Underneath Vacuum) expertise is a course of wherein microwave power and vacuum stress are mixed to supply high-speed, low-temperature dehydration of meals. REV is efficient for drying fruits, greens, herbs, meats and seafood beneath or above freezing. Maybe its biggest potential as we speak is in creating wholesome snacks. At a time when client knowledge factors to elevated public consciousness and curiosity in wholesome snacking, REV can change into a definite benefit within the market. An instance of its success comes from vegetarian snacks of chickpeas and zucchini, which yielded increased constructive numbers for fiber, protein and potassium sources for every day consumption. REV dehydration of pineapples generated related outcomes. These traits point out that REV is on the forefront of making a gorgeous, bigger and more healthy marketplace for snack meals that retain their dietary worth.
The rise of wholesome snacking
Within the bigger meals panorama, snacks and snacks are greatest considered buffers between bigger principal meals resembling lunch or dinner, with snacks bridging the time between meals. Snacks are quite common. Second NielsenIQ In a 2022 research, shoppers reported that snacks or small meals made up 73% of consumption events.
Past this basic understanding, individuals will use snacking to supply completely different advantages relying on their wants. The Hartman Teams Trendy Snacking Framework, developed as a part of 2021 Snacking: rising, evolving and disrupted report, exhibits that snacking usually fulfills at the very least one in all 4 principal targets: nourishment, optimization, pleasure and distraction. Of those 4, nevertheless, nourishment and pleasure are the commonest: 54% of snacking goals to supply diet and 51% present pleasure.
Wholesome snacks purpose to meet most of the similar roles, however with an emphasis on diet and well-being, transferring away from extra conventional snack meals that may be extremely processed or include vital quantities of salt or sugar. Business analysis means that with regards to meals, client curiosity in well being is on the rise, particularly because the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. NielsenIQ analysis stories that 42% of shoppers mentioned they’ve adopted more healthy consuming habits previously two years, with an additional 42% reporting that they eat much less salt, saturated fats and sugar.
In October 2022, McKinsey launched a report which surveyed shoppers within the US, UK, France and Germany and located related outcomes. Wholesome consuming, recognized by the report as a decreased consumption of salt, sugar and processed meals, was a prime precedence for 50% of shoppers surveyed. In the USA, 38% of respondents mentioned they’ve modified their consuming habits to prioritize more healthy consuming following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Whereas the demand for more healthy, extra nutritious snacks has elevated, it is necessary to do not forget that pleasure can also be strongly related to snacking, and taste is a key element of enjoyment. To fulfill client demand for more healthy meals in the long run, it is crucial that the meals business provide snack meals that ship diet with out compromising on taste. Vegatables and fruits are vital sources of important vitamins and fiber and, if they are often saved with out compromising taste or diet, supply the chance to supply shoppers with minimally processed snacks with out added sugar, salt or fats.
Vacuum Radiant Vitality (REV)
In terms of storing and drying recent fruit and veggies, air drying and freeze-drying have been the commonest conventional strategies for many years. As a expertise, REV is a comparatively new strategy: microwave power is utilized to meals underneath vacuum and ends in speedy dehydration of the meals at a low temperature. Each air drying and freeze drying take for much longer than the REV course of and the warmth utilized by air drying may end up in decreased high quality of the ultimate product. Freeze-drying additionally usually makes use of a vacuum, however it may have an effect on the flavour of some merchandise.
A 2020 research carried out by researchers on the College of British Columbia (UBC) and revealed within the journal Meals, in contrast the dietary and sensory impacts (flavour, look, aroma and texture) of those three drying applied sciences on several types of fruit and greens and located that REV was a extremely aggressive expertise. For dietary worth, the research appeared on the retention of beta-carotene and ascorbic acid (vitamin C). The REV dried merchandise misplaced lower than 20% of their complete ascorbic content material, whereas the air dried merchandise misplaced 30 to 60%. Air drying resulted in an 83% discount in beta-carotene content material, whereas REV dried merchandise misplaced 58%. Whereas freeze-dried samples retained extra beta-carotene and ascorbic acid than some other technique, it must be famous that each vitamins are susceptible to warmth and oxidation. Air drying depends solely on each warmth and air motion, and whereas the REV technique used within the research reduces oxidation utilizing a vacuum, it’s nonetheless carried out at the next temperature than freeze-drying.
Analysis manufactured by EnWave Corpa producer of REV drying tools, demonstrated that drying temperature impacts ascorbic acid retention by evaluating air drying and freeze drying with two completely different REV strategies: to freezeREV, which operates at a most temperature of 30C, e what number ofREV, which operates at a most temperature of 68C. The outcomes confirmed that air drying, working at a most of 70°C, retained solely 188 milligrams (mg) of ascorbic acid per gram. To freezeREV maintained 325 mg, what number ofREV retained 339 mg and freeze drying, which is the coldest of the 4 strategies and operates at a most temperature of 25°C, retained 367 mg. Regardless of working at increased temperatures than freeze-drying, REV-dried fruit and veggies preserve aggressive ranges of ascorbic acid.
Concerning sensory high quality, UBC researchers requested audio system to charge merchandise on 4 principal attributes: look, aroma, texture and taste, with a further rating for general sensory expertise. The outcomes confirmed that the REV-dried merchandise scored increased in all sensory attributes than each the freeze-dried and air-dried merchandise.
EnWaves analysis has demonstrated one other advantage of REV expertise: a considerable discount in drying time. Air-drying the pineapple slices took 13 hours, however each what number ofREV e to freezeThe REVs have been a lot quicker, at 1.4 and seven.6 hours, respectively. It took 72 hours to acquire the marginal improve in ascorbic acid content material supplied by freeze drying. Relying on the precise software and desires of an organization using REV, these time financial savings may very well be a major profit.
The present standing of REV
As a comparatively new innovation in meals drying expertise, REV has not but gained widespread use, and firms wishing to make use of this drying technique could encounter frequent challenges that accompany early adoption. At present, only a few firms manufacture the tools used for REV drying, which might make accessing the expertise tough. That is very true if the businesses providing the expertise are in numerous areas than these wanting to make use of the method. Additionally, till the method has extra widespread adoption, REV drying will doubtless stay comparatively costly.
The purposes of REV have been comparatively restricted. It was primarily used to dry fruit and veggies, though there are additionally REV dried cheese and fish merchandise available on the market. As adoption expands, extra meals merchandise are more likely to change into accessible to shoppers.
REV sooner or later
Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has actually elevated client consciousness and a focus to wholesome snacking, the emphasis on diet and well being in meals has been rising for years. An excellent metric by which to take a look at this transformation is authorities assist for higher diet labelling. In 2016, for instance, the US Meals & Drug Administration (FDA) up to date the necessities for the Diet details label on packaged meals. The brand new label higher highlights info resembling serving dimension and Every day Values that buyers must make knowledgeable selections concerning the dietary worth of merchandise. Maybe most necessary, nevertheless, is the brand new labeling requirement for added sugars, which displays a rising client want to eat meals with much less sugar. In September 2022, the FDA has proposed an replace to the dietary necessities for a wholesome meals declare, suggesting that meals with a declare on the bundle ought to meet sure limits for salt, added sugar and saturated fats. Whereas this rule remains to be underneath overview, the FDA has demonstrated a dedication to supporting shoppers’ want for extra transparency and more healthy meals choices.
Whereas nonetheless new, REV has the potential to open up alternatives for firms to make the most of the ubiquity of snack meals and supply shoppers with minimally processed, low sugar and low salt meals. Regardless of the challenges related to early adoption, firms which are prepared to make a strategic determination to innovate with applied sciences like REV have the chance to construct model energy and take a look at new merchandise.
Client demand for wholesome, additive-free meals continues to develop, supported by new laws and meals labelling. The meals business should proceed to speculate time, analysis and cash to innovate, as manufacturers that may ship nutritious and scrumptious snacks to shoppers may also help dismantle the notion that wholesome packaged meals require abandoning taste and look. New applied sciences like REV, which might present each diet and taste, may also help firms lay the strategic basis for constructing model energy sooner or later.
*Function picture courtesy of the writer
