World-leading collaboration set to revolutionise the baking industry
Macphie and Heriot Watt University recently identified that ultrasound technology, originally developed by the University for tailoring the functionality of polymers used for medical implants, could be applied within the food industry.
'Baking with Sound' will deliver a step-change improvement in the quality of
breads and cakes and exemplifies the benefits of industry/academic
collaboration.
- With ambitious plans to double its sales and profit
over the next ten years, Macphie launched its first
retail brand DeviliShh in 2010.
- DeviliShh is a wickedly indulgent range of “posh
puddings” and are now stocked in over 300 fine
food retailers.
- Macphie's investment has paid for itself, securing
national retail listings for DeviliShh which outsells
its nearest competitor by 10:1.
This unique partnership began when Macphie and Heriot Watt University
identified
that research ninto the use of ultrasound for medical implants could be applied
to the food industry. Working with Dr Carmen Torres-Sanchez from the
University's Mechanical Engineering Department, they have developed a
technology
innovation
in the application of ultrasound to control the physical properties of food
products. This is a world-first and a patent application has been filed.
It was discovered that the ultrasound technology could beapplied to food 'foams'
– doughs, batters and creams – tocontrol cell structure and impact on product
attributes such as crumb structure, volume and texture.
The ultrasound technology has shown to deliver a step-change improvement in
quality of breads and cakes. It is envisaged that the technology will allow
gluten-free and reduced salt products, which typically compromised on product
quality
for health, to be dramatically improved. Doughs that have reduced salt in them
are
harder to process, with increased waste – ultrasound technology may allow a
reduction in waste and
reduction in chemical leavening agents, delivering sustainability
and cost benefits as well as product quality advantages.
While the focus is on gluten-free and salt-reduced
baked products, the technology has the potential to be applied to all food
products where cell struture is critical.
Potential exploitation routes of the technology include the
development and sale of new industrial bakery processing
equipment, incorporating ultrasound technology; using the
technology in existing plants and; licensing the techology
to other enterprises in the supply chain such as equipment
manufacturers.
The technology has potential application across the bakery
sector via improvement of product quality, process time,
energy consumption and waste reduction. It also allows less
additives to be used whilst achieving the same volume/texture.
Economic benefits may include increased sales via improved
product quality, the introduction of new products in the “freefrom”
and reduced salt categories and creation of a new
equipment platform to be developed and manufactured in
Scotland.
Next steps?
Macphie and Heriot Watt University are now scaling up the technology, in
collaboration with an Aberdeen based acoustic transducer manufacturer.
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