Zeelandia introduces new, enzyme-based technology for extended cake freshness

Keeping cake fresh longer

Retaining the initial freshness of cakes is a challenge for every baker, large or small.

Using innovative enzyme technology and expert tasting panels, Zeelandia has

developed a highly effective solution. XFresh technology helps to extend cake sensory

shelf life and at the same time offers consumers higher quality.

Extending a cake’s sensory freshness fits seamlessly into Zeelandia’s innovation strategy,

says Global R&D Director Michiel Bruschke. “One of the four key themes in our R&D programme is

to help customers improve their end-product performance. As the periods between production and

consumption become longer, many bakers are looking for ways to keep cakes perfectly fresh during

that time. While for others the focus is on increasing the quality of their cakes during the existing

shelf life. In both cases, the challenge is to retain the cake’s initial freshness for as long as

possible.” Bruschke defines this initial freshness as “the quality the cake has the day after it’s been

baked, which is when most cakes are at their best.”

Enzymes fit for cake

Freshness can be extended by using enzymes, a technique that has been common practice

in bread-making for years. For cake it’s a different story, says Bruschke. “Until recently, none of the

existing enzymes were suitable for the particular combination of sugar, fat and moisture found in

cake products. The most common enzymes used in bread, amylases, help preserve freshness by

changing the structure of starch in a way that allows it to retain moisture better. This process is

kick-started by the enzymes’ natural tendency to break down starch and convert it into sugar.

However, cake products already contain relatively high amounts of sugars, which render the

traditional amylase enzymes more or less inactive.”

But in recent years new enzymes have been developed. Although these were not primarily

designed for cake applications, Zeelandia’s R&D specialists were quick to spot their potential. “They

looked promising, although we weren’t immediately sure that they would deliver the desired effect

in cakes", says Bruschke. "So over the past few years we’ve closely monitored the technological

progress made by enzyme manufacturers and their product improvements, and we’ve spent a lot of

time testing the enzymes in a wide range of cake applications. You need to know exactly how each

enzyme reacts in specific conditions and applications."

Defining freshness

But the first hurdle in converting a promising technology into a proven solution wasn’t so

much of a technical nature. "The first question we had to ask was: how do you define freshness?

And how can you objectively determine whether a particular enzyme really extends sensory

freshness?”

This question could partly be addressed in Zeelandia's laboratory, where parameters like

elasticity and resistance to pressure can be measured precisely using sophisticated equipment.

“But to cover the whole range of freshness criteria - including moistness, crumbliness and

mouthfeel - you have to rely on people to do the tasting”, says Bruschke. “Of course, we routinely

use consumer panels. Tasting sessions like these produce useful results, but ultimately they are

subjective. That's why we set up a Sensory Panel, a group of external experts who have been

trained to describe their sensory perceptions using a shared, highly specific language. You could

say their sensory perceptions have been calibrated, so their assessments become an objective

measure of freshness.”

XFresh test results

Armed with this method, Zeelandia could start experiments with different combinations of

enzymes, when necessary in combination with other ingredients such as emulsifiers and dextrines.

This resulted in a concentrated mix, called XFresh, which yielded impressive results in tasting

panels. Four-week-old pound cakes were rated virtually as fresh as one-week-old equivalents. When

comparing three-week-old muffins, the muffins made with XFresh technology were perceived as

50% fresher. “We started out by developing a mix for pound cakes, but decided to add two

varieties aimed at smaller cakes”, says Bruschke. “There's a clear trend among consumers towards

smaller, portioned cakes, and obviously these are more susceptible to drying out.”

Made-to measure mixes

However, Bruschke emphasises, the XFresh technology only really comes into its own in

combination with specific cake mixes. “There’s such a wide range of cake applications, not to

mention the wide range of tastes among consumers in different countries, that you can’t really

expect one solution to meet all needs. For example, most Dutch consumers prefer cake to be quite

moist, compared with their German or Spanish counterparts. That obviously affects the local

definitions of freshness - which in turn may mean that you need a different combination of enzymes

and other ingredients to achieve the desired result.”

According to Bruschke, XFresh technology should first and foremost be seen as a toolbox

for creating tailor-made solutions. “We’ve built up a huge database with information on dozens of

enzymes and their effects. We also have a tried-and-tested method for describing initial freshness.

Through our local R&D departments, that information can be used to help customers create cakes

with extended sensory freshness. Maybe specific applications call for a slightly different mix of

enzymes. It’s also possible that some adjustments may be needed in the customer’s cake mix, in

which case we’ll work with them to reach exactly the right balance. I think that’s where our main

strength lies: we understand the baking process inside out, so we know which controls to adjust for

a perfect result.”

European Baker (July/August)