Why change is needed

Consumers are clear about what they want from meat products today. Across Europe, consumers are rejecting products that use nitrites and phosphates and seeking out foods that are free from artificial ingredients, additives and preservatives. The trend creates a major opportunity. Whichever company has first-mover advantage in natural solutions stands to capture new markets and reenergise meat sales.

FINDING A NATURAL-BASED INGREDIENT SOLUTION

The challenge is to remove the nitrite salts that are widely used in cooked meats such as ham without affecting taste, texture, colour or shelf life. Solina looked to a traditional recipe for inspiration, leading to the development of a functional blend of natural essential oils, spices, plant extracts and salt. The blend provides meats with the full range of properties, from taste and colour, to antimicrobial and antioxidant functionalities, that consumers and manufacturers expect.

We created a powder that imbues meat with those properties by focusing on four pillars. Across the first two pillars, we added polyphenols, through ingredients such as cloves and cinnamon, and essential oils for their antioxidant and bacteriostatic properties. The other two pillars cover meat broth and starters to provide taste, colour, antioxidant properties and more. The result? Ham with a tender texture and fresh taste that uses ingredients consumers recognise and embrace.