A major challenge when formulating frozen entrees and ready-made meals with creamy sauces is maintaining their indulgent textures. Freeze-thaw cycles often result in syneresis or a gritty mouthfeel.
I sat down with Kate Petrie, a Senior Food Scientist at Grande to delve into the challenges food manufacturers face when creating frozen meals with cream sauces.
Watch the video to hear Kate share her expertise on how Grande Bravo® improves texture and acts as a fat replacer without compromising on the indulgent qualities that fat imparts into a formula.
Transcript
STEPHANIE: Hello, I'm Stephanie Miller, the marketing wizard of the Custom Ingredients Group at Grande.
Today, I am talking to Kate Petrie, who is a food scientist at Grande. She's had many different roles within the team, but I always like to talk to her because she has years of knowledge of our ingredients and has been involved in many customer conversations and problem-solving projects.
Today we're going to talk about manufacturers of frozen meals, and they're coming to us because they want a cream sauce that is going to work better for texture as well as during freeze-thaw cycles. So, Kate, why is it hard for frozen meal or ready-meal cream sauces to maintain a nice creamy texture?
KATE: Cream sauces are extremely high in fat typically. And when it goes through a lot of temperature fluctuations, some of that fat will destabilize due to ice crystal formation through the freezing process. That destabilization causes sauces to separate and leads to gritty, oily textures.
STEPHANIE: So you're talking about the fat in the creamy sauces, which is obviously an important part about texture and flavor. How does our product Grande Bravo, as a functional whey ingredient, replace part of the cream, which is obviously the fat, to improve the texture in the sauce? How does it work?
KATE: Bravo has a very unique functionality in the sense that when you hydrate it, it takes on a lot of viscosity. That viscosity is very similar to the experience you get when eating a high-fat dairy ingredient, such as cream. It acts as a fat mimetic, allowing for that indulgent mouthfeel and flavor you would typically see in a cream sauce.
STEPHANIE: All right. So, marketing person here—what is mimetic? Can you explain the thinking behind what is a fat mimetic and what does Bravo do to mimic that?
KATE: A mimetic is something that mimics fat. When you think of fat, you think of creaminess, indulgence, and rich flavor. What Bravo does is it adds viscosity, providing the same mouthfeel you'd expect from a full-fat cream sauce.
STEPHANIE: And that mouthfeel is important because that's what tells a consumer they're having an indulgent experience, right?
KATE: Correct. Very important.
STEPHANIE: How does Bravo do that? It's a powder, so how is it added into a manufacturer's recipe?
KATE: One of the unique benefits of Grande Bravo is its versatility in the manufacturing process. Customers can add it at any stage, whether upfront, in dry blends, or at the end of the process. It fits into their existing processes seamlessly.
STEPHANIE: And what about storage?
KATE: Bravo can be stored at ambient temperature and has an 18-month shelf life. There's no special storage requirement.
STEPHANIE: Let's say we're replacing cream in a cream sauce. Does Grande Bravo taste like the real thing?
KATE: Yes, and that's one of my favorite questions. It tastes like the real thing because it is the real thing. The whey comes from the cheesemaking process using high-quality milk, with no additives, bleaching, or peroxide. It's all dairy-derived, so it tastes like cream because it is cream.
STEPHANIE: Awesome. We label this as whey protein concentrate, but we don't think of it as just that. How is Grande Bravo different from a typical whey protein concentrate?
KATE: The main difference is in its functionality. On paper, it looks the same as other whey protein concentrates, but the difference lies in our proprietary process. This process enhances its functionality, especially when replacing cream in frozen meals.
STEPHANIE: You’ve mentioned viscosity. Is it the same as a thickening agent?
KATE: I like to think of Grande Bravo more as a texturizer than a thickening agent. Thickening agents like gums and starches drive thickness, while Bravo boosts texture, viscosity, and overall mouthfeel, especially when used with other stabilizers.
STEPHANIE: How long has Grande been using Grande Bravo in cream sauces?
KATE: Since the mid-1990s. It’s been around for a long time.
STEPHANIE: Are we always learning new things, or do we use it the same way?
KATE: We’re constantly evaluating new trends and applications, but cream replacement has been a core use since the beginning.
STEPHANIE: One of the concerns for frozen meal manufacturers is the freeze-thaw cycle. How does Bravo help with that?
KATE: Bravo can help by reducing the fat in the sauce, which is the main cause of destabilization during freeze-thaw cycles. By replacing part of the cream with Bravo, you reduce fat and help maintain stability. Bravo also holds water in its matrix, preventing syneresis during freezing.
STEPHANIE: Can Bravo be added on top of an existing cream sauce without replacing anything?
KATE: Yes, you can add Bravo on top to help stabilize the sauce through freeze-thaw cycles without replacing ingredients.
STEPHANIE: Have we tested Bravo through multiple freeze-thaw cycles?
KATE: Yes. We recently did a study where we subjected cream sauces with Bravo to multiple freeze-thaw cycles. In all cases, we found that Bravo maintained stability throughout, and the customer went with Bravo.
STEPHANIE: That’s great! Do you have a favorite test or procedure that demonstrates what Bravo can do?
KATE: I like the Bostwick test to evaluate viscosity. It's quick, simple, and a great way to see how Bravo is adding value in terms of viscosity and texture.
STEPHANIE: Great. Well, thank you for your time today, Kate. It’s always fun to talk to you about our products, and I look forward to future discussions.
KATE: Thanks, Stephanie.
Learn more about how Grande’s innovative ingredient solutions offer versatility and functional benefits for frozen meal manufacturers. Contact our team today.
