More people are cutting back on meat or even giving up meat and sausage entirely. Vegetarian and vegan products are getting more shelf space in regular supermarkets.

Hydrosol is meeting the rising demand for meatless alternatives with new all-in compounds for the manufacture of vegetarian and vegan cold cuts, as well as alternatives to hot boiled sausages. These all-in compounds contain all the components necessary for the formulation, including mild seasoning that can be enhanced as desired. The composition of these products addresses the demands of nutrition-focused consumers in detail. 

“Our new HydroTOP series all-in compounds consist of various hydrocolloids and vegetable proteins. For vegan cold cuts we use soy and pea protein, while the vegetarian versions contain pea and egg protein,” says product developer Carsten Carstens of Hydrosol’s meat product R&D. “The stabilizing systems contain no gluten, milk protein or phosphates. The seasoning is completely free of glutamate. For the coloring agent we use an alternative to natural cochineal, since that is harvested from scale insects and so is an animal product, strictly speaking.”

Carstens say final products have the appetizing pink color typical of sausage cold cuts. But according to Carstens, the main thing is the texture, which is absolutely comparable to bologna or mortadella.

“We have succeeded in developing the basis for a meatless cold cut that has a pleasing bite and can be sliced quite effectively by conventional slicing machines, which is very important for industrial production,” he notes. “The products have a familiar mouth feel that consumers are accustomed to from conventional cold cuts. As a result they win over even enthusiastic meat and sausage eaters.”

The vegetarian alternatives to wieners and currywurst also compare favorably with their traditional meat counterparts.

“With products that are consumed hot, getting a pleasingly firm texture is a special challenge,” says Carstens. “Our special new functional system for this purpose gives the ideal, firm bite.”

With Hydrosol’s all-in compounds manufacturers can make products that address consumer demand for meatless alternatives, while offering a high level of enjoyment. Production also is very straightforward—requiring only a conventional cutter and a stuffer to fill the finished mass into casings. The functional systems are stirred together with water, salt and vegetable oil. By adding ingredients like herbs, nuts, blanched vegetables, mushrooms or cheese, manufacturers can give their cold cuts an individual note.

A Stephan cutter also can be used for production. These new all-in compounds from Hydrosol are thus of interest not just for the meat industry, but also for manufacturers of cheese preparations and alternatives, as well as manufacturers of vegetarian and delicatessen products. For example, the latter can use vegan cold cuts and Hydrosol’s vegan mayonnaise compound to make completely vegan alternatives to sausage salad with high sensory appeal.

Hydrosol GmbH & Co. KG headquartered in Ahrensburg near Hamburg, Germany, is a fast-growing supplier of food stabilizers, with representatives around the world. Its specialists develop and produce tailor-made stabilizer systems for dairy products, ice cream and desserts, delicatessen and ready meals, as well as meat, sausage and fish products. With its international network of 16 subsidiaries and numerous qualified foreign representatives, the company is represented in the world's key markets.

As a member of the independent, owner-operated Stern-Wywiol Gruppe with a total of eleven sister companies, Hydrosol can make use of many synergies. The company has access to the knowledge of approximately 70 R&D specialists and to the extensive applications technology of the group's large Technology Centre in Ahrensburg. It also benefits from shared production facilities and the Group's own logistics resources, so it can offer customers a high degree of flexibility and innovation capabilities. The Stern-Wywiol Gruppe is one of the world's most successful international suppliers of food & feed ingredients.

– Hydrosol GmbH & Co. KG, www. hydrosol.de