Food: Breakfast July/August 2016

by Cindy Hazen

INSIDER’s Take

• Although busy families are looking for quick breakfast options that are convenient and portable, they also want nutritional value.

• Eggs deliver more than 20 functional benefits to food formulations while retaining their taste and nutritional characteristics.

• Consumers are drawn to ingredients such as protein, probiotics, fiber, vegetables and grains—as well as products with reduced sugar.

"Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper." This advice from author and nutritionist, Adelle Davis, spoke to a generation. While our culture has changed since the 1954 publication of her book “Let’s Eat Right to Keep Fit,” some things remain the same.

Today’s families are rushed. They rarely sit down together for breakfast, save for on an occasional weekend. Grab-and-go is the weekday norm for busy lifestyles. Convenience and portability are important attributes for a host of products ranging from yogurts, to bars, breakfast sandwiches, toaster pastries, bowls and single-serve cereals. But hurried or not, consumers still want nutritious foods.

Protein Rules

The trend toward increased protein consumption continues across demographics and meal occasions. As more Americans work to keep fit, they recognize protein’s role in workout recovery and muscle development. Baby Boomers look to protein to help them retain muscle mass and functional ability as they age. And studies continue to link protein with weight management because of its satiating ability.

Satiety is tied to energy. Protein gives slow burning energy, the type to fuel a farmer for a day in the fields. That’s one of the reasons breakfasts of a century ago had heaping servings of meat and eggs.

The Hartman Group suggested a renaissance of this concept today.1 They point to the willingness of modern middle-class workers to forgo daily eating routines. Without breakfast as a cornerstone, the day starts with an uncertainty of when there will be time to eat. “Although behavioral data suggest most consumers eat four or five times a day, anxiety over energy remains powerful,” noted

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Food: Breakfast July/August 2016

Hartman’s The Cultural Transformation of the American Breakfast report. “It is really an anxiety about underperformance in an increasingly competitive era.” Today’s workers are reaching for higher satiety foods for sustained energy to maintain cognitive focus and enhance performance.

According to Mintel’s report “Protein Fever,” 25 percent of Americans are consuming more protein than a year ago. Forty-six percent of respondents add protein to maintain a healthy weight, 43 percent said it helps satisfy their appetite, 39 percent said they add protein to build muscle, and 38 percent add protein to help lose weight.

This is good news for manufacturers of breakfast foods. To start their day, 56 percent of Americans consume a food or drink that contains protein. Egg-cellent Protein

Because of their essential amino acid profile, eggs are the traditional standard by which other proteins are measured. One large egg contains 6 g of high-quality protein and 4.5 g of fat, of which 1.5 g are saturated. With only 70 calories each, eggs are nutrient dense; they are one of the few natural sources of vitamin D, and they provide an excellent source of choline and selenium. They are a good source of vitamin B12, phosphorus, riboflavin, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin E, folate, iron and zinc.

Once maligned for cholesterol content (185 mg per large egg), evidence suggests eating eggs does not result in an increase in blood cholesterol levels. “More than 40 years of research have evolved the thinking around eggs and cholesterol,” said John Howeth, senior vice president, Foodservice & Egg Product Marketing, American Egg Board. This is reflected in the “Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2015-2020,” released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and USDA. Guidelines do not include a daily cholesterol limit for eggs.

Registered dieticians named “relaxing cholesterol restrictions” one of the top 10 trends for 2016.2 Besides being a guilt-free source of protein, eggs tick off other boxes that are important to consumers. “They are an all-natural, nutritional powerhouse, with nothing artificial, which is also increasingly important to Americans,” Howeth said. Most consumers prefer ingredients they can pronounce easily and are likely to find in their own kitchens. Egg ingredients are natural. They are available as dried, liquid or frozen, and can generally be listed as “eggs” on the label. “Eggs are nearly universally recognized by consumers and readily accepted as a ‘clean’ or ‘clear’ label ingredient,” he said.

Eggs can be readily included in many packaged, prepared breakfast foods such as sandwiches, burritos and bowls to appeal to consumers’ desire for nutritious convenience. “Egg product suppliers eliminate the egg preparation step by supplying precooked eggs in the form of egg patties, omelets and scrambled eggs,” Howeth said. “These fully cooked, pasteurized egg products are quick-frozen to ensure freshness and provide consistency and portion control in the final application, making it easy for consumers to incorporate them into their on-the-go lifestyle.”

Plus, eggs deliver more than 20 functional benefits to food formulations while retaining their taste and nutritional characteristics. When added to food and beverage formulations, eggs often perform

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Food: Breakfast July/August 2016 multiple functions such as binding and browning or emulsification and aeration. They influence texture, volume, mouthfeel, thickening, adhesion, color, humectancy, shelf life, crystallization control and pH. They add richness to foods and beverages, and they play well with a host of spices, proteins, grains and vegetables.

Trend watchers Andrew Freeman Co. and Baum+Whiteman declared vegetables a major trend for 2016. Vegetables are moving to the breakfast plate beyond the traditional spinach and mushroom omelet. Poached eggs are topping roasted asparagus, kale and sweet potatoes. When the eggs and veggies come together in a bowl, it’s portable.

New York City’s Egg Shop calls their breakfast bowls Cruisers. The Spandex features a poached egg, miso quinoa, avocado, pickled carrot, farm greens and gluten-free tamari.

At Food Evolution in Montvale, New Jersey, the menu supports creation of breakfast bowls. Choose a style such as Mediterranean (tomatoes, onion, spinach, olives, feta cheese, red pepper, aioli and herbs) or Veggie (choice of two sautéed vegetables: scallion, bell pepper, roasted red pepper, spinach, broccoli, tomato, carrot, kale, onion, cucumber or avocado). Next, choose whole eggs or egg whites. Lastly, choose a base of potato or vegetable hash.

Kale and Clover in Scottsdale, Arizona, serves its Breakfast Bowl with two eggs, brown rice, tomato, zucchini, bell peppers, onions, mushrooms and avocado.

The trend is moving to fast-food restaurants. In Southern California, McDonald’s is test marketing an egg white and turkey sausage bowl with kale and spinach. Taco Bell has already gotten into bowl action with its Mini Skillet Bowl made with eggs, potatoes, nacho cheese sauce and pico de gallo. It can be upgraded with guacamole and creamy jalapeño sauce.

Still, the breakfast sandwich is the top menu item according to ConAgra’s “Culinary Trends Breakfast Explosion.” “There have been sharp increases at quick-service restaurants (QSRs) in menu items like breakfast wraps, breakfast burritos, breakfast sandwiches and French toast sticks,” the report said. It predicted the trend will continue.

The popularity of portable breakfasts is also evident in the frozen food case of the grocery store, although most offerings are egg, potato and meat focused. Vegetarian Protein Options

Interest in plant proteins is trending upward, in part because consumers are seeking healthful, environmentally sustainable sources. Packaged Facts research revealed 37 percent of consumers age 25 to 39 years, and 22 percent of adults under age 25 are likely to seek plant proteins.3 Asian, Hispanic and Black consumers reported seeking plant proteins at a higher rate than White Non- Hispanic consumers (25 percent to 15 percent). Men and adults holding advanced college degrees are more likely to seek plant protein.

Pea protein is ideal for inclusion in breakfast bars, protein-enriched hot and cold cereals, and protein-fortified baked goods. “Pea protein isolates are non-genetically modified (non-GMO) isolated pea proteins containing 88 percent to 90 percent protein,” explained Gil Bakal, managing director,

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A&B Ingredients. “A clean-label product, they are highly digestible (more than 98 percent), gluten- free, and they exhibit low incidents of allergens and low levels of anti-nutritional factors.”

Pumpkin seed is another option. According to Rikka Cornelia, product manager, BI Nutraceuticals, “BI’s pumpkin seed protein not only provides 70 percent to 80 percent protein content, but it does so in a unique, consumer-friendly format. This hypoallergenic, plant-based protein complements cereal products more so than whey protein with its nice roasted aroma.” She cautioned that as with other plant-based proteins, it can make a product chalky and powdery when used at high levels.

Adding nutritional ingredients with extremely short shelf lives can be challenging, but Siemer Specialty Ingredients has developed a series of natural Heat Treated (HT) nutritional products including stabilized bran, germ, and whole wheat flour that can be used in popular breakfast products such as nutrition bars, sports/power bars, cereal and artisan breads. The proprietary heat treatment process deactivates enzymes to significantly extend the shelf life between six and nine months at ambient temperature.

The company’s clean-label nutritional ingredients provide formulators the ability to add a natural source of vitamins, omega-3s, protein and fiber to products without compromising functionality or flavor.

“In the past, these products have been difficult to use given their short shelf life. However, utilizing our state-of-the-art heat treatment technology, we are able to extend the shelf life exponentially while retaining the inherent nutritional values,” said Rob Ferguson, account executive, Siemer Specialty Ingredients. “We are also able to control the granulation of the product to best suit the customer’s palate.” Ingredients for Digestive Health

Consumer awareness of the benefits of probiotics is at an all-time high. In data published by Ganeden and credited from an April 2015 SSI consumer research study, Millennials are significantly more willing to pay for the added benefits of probiotics in a breakfast product. In dairy products, 67.9 percent of those responding in the 18- to 34 age group said they would pay more for probiotics, as compared to 42 percent of those over age 55. In cereals, 58.7 percent of Millennials responded positively, whereas 36 percent of Boomers said yes.

Formulating breakfast foods with probiotics can be challenging because most probiotic strains are unable to withstand manufacturing processes. “GanedenBC30 can survive through most of these processes without requiring special technologies or changes to manufacturing processes—making it one of the only probiotics that can be used in foods and beverages outside of the refrigerated dairy category,” said Mike Bush, executive board president, International Probiotics Association and president, Ganeden. It is a spore-forming strain of bacteria, and the spore provides natural protection and stability throughout manufacturing and shelf life. “Some of our current partner products include cereal, pancake mix, nut butters, nutritional bars and juices,” he said. This probiotic can also be formulated into anything baked, boiled, frozen or pressure processed such as oatmeal, milk, yogurt, toaster pastries, muffins and waffles.

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Because the benefits of probiotic ingredients in a product are strain specific, Bush recommended formulators look at the clinical studies supporting the exact probiotic strain used to determine which benefits to claim, and ensure inclusion rates through the end of shelf life to support these amounts.

Adequate fiber consumption is important to digestive health. Psyllium contains up to 90 percent dietary fiber. It is easy-to-use, and is heat- and pH stable. “It is nearly tasteless and absorbs flavors, so no masking is required,” Cornelia said. “In addition, it can provide structure in gluten-free products.” Its gelling properties when hydrated require management. It can be used to reduce or remove other gums or starches.

Citrus fiber, produced from citrus pulp or peel (as Citri-Fi by Fiberstar), can be used in various breakfast foods to improve nutrition, texture and costs. “This natural fiber provides multiple functionalities for sausage links/patties, baked goods (regular and gluten-free), nutrition bars, juices and fruit prep for yogurts,” said Jennifer Stephens, vice president marketing, Fiberstar. “And because this fiber is clean label, it can be labeled as citrus fiber, dried citrus pulp or citrus flour, which all resonate well with consumers.”

This fiber improves moisture retention in certain breakfast bars. It adds freshness and moistness to many baked goods. “In low- or reduced-fat baked goods, Citri-Fi can aid in reducing fat and/or eggs, which can improve the overall nutritional profile of the food products while potentially providing cost savings,” added Tasha Olson, director food technology, Fiberstar. “In gluten-free baked foods, Citri- Fi provides significant moisture retention, which improves the quality throughout shelf life, and the natural fibers may provide potential freeze/thaw stability due to the water binding, which is also a challenge in gluten-free. This natural citrus fiber also provides natural emulsification for customers looking to reduce or replace chemical emulsifiers.”

In meats, this fiber can replace phosphates in breakfast sausages and patties. In yogurts and fruit- filled baked bars, it can extend or replace added pectin.

Studies have shown that 5 g/d of chicory root fiber not only adds fiber to the diet, but can also help feed normal beneficial probiotic bacteria in the gut. Oliggo-Fiber, a chicory root fiber inulin from Cargill, is a soluble fiber known as the invisible fiber because it can be added to products without affecting taste, texture or appearance. “It is often added to food and beverage products to provide a good or an excellent source of fiber,” said Carol Lowry, senior food scientist, Cargill. “The Daily Value (DV) for fiber is 25 g. A food with a good source of fiber provides 10 percent of the DV or 2.5 g of fiber per serving. A food with an excellent source of fiber provides 20 percent of the DV or 5 g of fiber per serving. Both amounts are reasonable to achieve by adding chicory root fiber to breakfast foods, such as bars, baked goods or cereals.”

In bars, chicory root fiber can be used as a binding agent and to soften texture. It can also be used as a coating in breakfast cereals.

Reducing Sugar

Lowry noted chicory root fiber also can be used to manage the sugar content of products by serving as a bulking agent, flavor modulator and mild sweetener. “It helps give a more balanced sensory

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Food: Breakfast July/August 2016 profile when used in conjunction with stevia and other high-intensity sweeteners. We’ve even found some reduced-sugar applications where inulin adds enough sweetness to meet consumers’ taste expectations, without additional high-intensity sweeteners,” she said.

Zero-calorie erythritol also helps sugar reduction. ”In baked goods like muffins, erythritol not only replaces some of sugar’s bulk, its low hygroscopicity helps improve shelf life and stability,” said Ravi Nana, polyols technical service manager, Cargill. “Additionally, in coated cereal, erythritol imparts a crunchy texture. Erythritol can even be found in reduced-sugar fruit preserves. “

In breakfast bars, erythritol is typically used at lower levels of 3 to 5 g per bar as it won’t replicate sugar’s binding abilities. “Even at these reduced rates, erythritol continues to aid in sugar reduction, and for bars containing glycerin, formulators will find erythritol can improve humectancy,” Nana continued. Gaining Grains

After a century as a breakfast staple, cereal is on the decline. Sales fell to about $10 billion last year, from $13.9 billion in 2000 according to The New York Times.4 “Almost 40 percent of the Millennials surveyed by Mintel for its 2015 report said cereal was an inconvenient breakfast choice because they had to clean up after eating it,” the author wrote.

New ways with grains may lure them back. Packaged Facts found that almost 46 percent of those surveyed who purchased ancient grains in the last 30 days were age 18 to 39 years.5 Less familiar ancient grains were especially appealing to younger consumers.

“We’re seeing more people use grains such as quinoa and amaranth as nutritious additions to cereals and granola or energy bars,” said Zack Sanders, director marketing, Ardent Mills, Denver. “These grains provide nutty, earthy flavors that blend well with the sweet ingredients such as fruit or natural sugars/syrups that are typically used in formulations. They also provide nice visual effects and textural performance; that's what really stands out when using ancient grains in new ways.”

Ancient grains in flour, flaked and popped forms can be mixed with something more familiar, like oatmeal or wheat, to add a nutritional boost, sweet roasted and nutty flavors, and visual interest to breakfast cereal.

Don Trouba, director of marketing for Ardent Mills suggested that barley, while not grouped with ancient grains, is an old grain that is underutilized in breakfast foods despite its relative ease-of-use, high nutritional value and mild, slightly sweet taste. Ardent Mills offers a proprietary form of waxy, hulless barley that offers exceptional flexibility, functionality and nutritional benefits. With dietary fiber making up more than 50 percent of its carbohydrates—and 40 percent of that in the form of cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber—barley can be a potent tool for heart health, digestive health and blood sugar management. Compared to other cereal grains, it has three to nine times the fiber content.

As consumers turn to foods that are fresh and simple, they may turn to sprouted grains. David Sheluga, director, Consumer Insights, Ardent Mills said, “The word ‘sprouted’ symbolizes living and

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Food: Breakfast July/August 2016 green. Even among those who are not aware of what sprouted grains are, the word has great appeal. Similarly, ancient grains have the allure of distant times, faraway lands and eating foods that are not adulterated by modern science or processing.” Cindy Hazen has more than 25 years of experience in developing seasonings, dry blends, beverages and more. Today, when not writing or consulting, she expands her knowledge of food safety as a food-safety officer for a Memphis-based produce distributor. She can be reached at cindyhazen.com

References

1The Hartman Group. The Cultural Transformation of the American Breakfast. July 30, 2014. http://hartbeat.hartman-group.com/hartbeat/542/the-cultural-transformation-of-the-american-breakfast

2Today’s Dietician. Popular Nutrition Trends for 2016. December 2015.

3Food Formulation Trends. Ancient Grains and Sprouted Ingredients. August 2015. http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/1215p26.shtml)

4The New York Times. Cereal, a Taste of Nostalgia, Looks for Its Next Chapter. Feb 22, 2016. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/24/dining/breakfast-cereal.html?_r=0)

5Food Formulation Trends. Ancient Grains and Sprouted Ingredients. August 2015.

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