Puratos UK has unveiled Sproutgrain Oat and Softgrain Sprouted Oat, which is designed to help bakers create new, innovative breads that are in line with consumer trends.
With texture, health and wellbeing now important priorities for consumers, alongside taste and freshness (Puratos Taste Tomorrow 2020 and 2018), the products are anticipated to be an exciting addition to the Puratos offering.
Made of oat kernels, which have been sprouted and fermented to deliver a sweet taste, Sproutgrain Oat provides what is described as “a juicy mouthfeel” to the crumb resulting in a “fresh-tasting product”.
Softgrain Sprouted Oats, on the other hand, consists of sprouted oat grains that are cooked and infused with oat sourdough to deliver a unique flavour with fermented sourdough notes.
Rich in vitamins, minerals, fibre and wholegrain, the new additions offer both convenience and versatility and can be used in a host of sweet and savoury applications.
Alongside sprouted grains meeting numerous consumer trends, oats and multigrain are also booming in popularity, according to Puratos.
Last year, 18% of launches in the bread category contained oats and grains (according to research organisations such as Innova Market Insights and Mintel), highlighting demand.
As consumers look for more natural ingredients and processes in bread, Puratos believes the future of bread “lies in its past and that today’s baker can be inspired by the expertise of the 250 generations of bakers before ours”.
According to Puratos, centuries ago in Russia and China, people were sprouting grains and beans to allow them to enjoy many health benefits such as improved digestion. Unique technology at Puratos means that sprouting is achieved with only three ingredients – carefully selected grains, water and air with a final, natural fermentation step.
The Softgrain range is inspired by Northern European bakers in the past who cooked and infused wholegrains and seeds in sourdough.
Philippa Knight, Marketing Director, Puratos UK, commented: “Puratos Sproutgrain Oat is an innovative and convenient solution for bakers that takes away the complexity of controlling the sprouting process themselves. The product is extremely versatile and offers real differentiation, providing them with a simple way to reinvent the current bread category.”
