A Welsh Government funded project has helped bakery companies to incorporate innovative ingredients into their products to make them healthier. This is in response to directives such as the Welsh Government’s ‘Well-being for Future Generations’ Act.

Project Hexagon brought together four Welsh bakery companies to work alongside new product development experts from Cardiff Metropolitan University’s ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre and Univar Solutions, a global ingredients company.

Using ingredients from Univar Solutions, ZERO2FIVE carried out a number of successful trials for each company to help them develop their products. These included enriching sandwich maker Panini’s gluten free bread with protein and helping The Bake Shed make their gluten free luxury caramel shortbread less crumbly.

Cwmbran-based La Crème Patisserie wanted to develop a vegan setting agent solution for use in their range of cheesecakes, mousses and panna cottas, as their existing product was very soft set. Following trials, the company identified two innovative plant based stabilisers and thickening agents which gave the desired product performance.

Sian Hindle, La Crème Patisserie said: “It’s been fantastic to call on the technical expertise of ZERO2FIVE and work with an ingredient manufacturer who I would never normally have access to. This has allowed me to create innovative products that my customers are increasingly demanding which I hope will result in increased sales and markets.”

Professor David Lloyd, ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre said: “Project Hexagon has developed innovative solutions to a number of important health challenges. From reduced sugar recipes to vegan and free-from diets, we look forward to continuing to work with the companies to further develop their products.”

Gary Abraham, head of supplier management EMEA, Univar Solutions said: “We enjoyed collaborating with ZERO2FIVE to streamline processes and open the possibilities of new innovations for growth. Our superior market intelligence data and analytics combined with ZERO2FIVE’s knowledge proved to be valuable as we predict trends and drive growth through a set of new products.”