Ingredient Focus 2015: Dairy

Products

Whip ‘n’ Cook

In recent years, Arla has focused on its presence in the foodservice category. The company now has a dedicated team in place both at a global and regional level. The team has been working on launching products customised for the foodservice industry. “The development of new portfolio is focused around the chefs’ needs and will be more functional for usage in kitchens and dining areas,” a spokesperson for Arla told Caterer Middle East. The dairy giant has just announced the launch of Whip ‘n’ Cook in the Middle East — a blend of dairy and non-dairy cream which Arla says ‘performs very well’ with pastry, and hot and cold kitchen applications.

Camel Milk Labneh

Camelicious by Emirates Industry for Camel Milk Products now has a wide portfolio of camel-milk based products. Currently, camel milk in plain and flavoured varieties are on sale — including strawberry, dates, saffron and chocolate. The firm has recently launched its camel milk labneh — which is the first labneh made from camel milk, it claims. As well as catering to the tastes of Middle Eastern consumers, the new labneh suits consumers who are lactose-intolerant. It is available in two flavours: chilli and mint. “After a year of research and trials we were successful in producing it, and more flavours will be added in the coming months,” a statement said.

Elle & Vire

Elle & Vire Professionnel uses its dairy expertise, which it has developed for the last 40 years, to provide chefs the world over with high quality products, based on their feedback. The company has recently launched Performance Universal Cream 35.1%, under its Elle & Vire Professionnel banner. It is available in a two-litre capacity box, that comes handy for extensive users. Performance Universal Cream is a versatile product that’s perfect for both sweet and savoury applications, in cooking or pastry. Its smooth and velvet-like texture is ideal for toppings and cooking purposes while offering a good whipping ratio.

News

Sloane Brothers caters to dairy-free boom

A rise in demand for non-dairy options is forcing dairy manufacturers to think on their feet. According to research firm TechNavio, the global dairy alternative beverages market will grow at a CAGR of 15.74% between 2013–2018. Sloane Brothers is launching a portfolio of dairy-free frozen yoghurt options, following the “positive reaction” from consumers about its tropical flavour coconut-cream based offering. “In our opinion, providing a quality alternative that tastes good will result in market expansion, benefiting consumers and suppliers along the way. Our experience in introducing dairy-free options for our consumers has resulted in more satisfied consumers and an increased goodwill in our community in general,” says Joseph Chakra, founder, Sloane Brothers.

Camelicious eyes wider GCC market

After garnering a strong demand across the UAE, Emirates Industry for Camel Milk & Products (EICMP) has set its sights on expanding further across the GCC with its Camelicious range of products. “Currently, we aren’t facing any competition in export, especially when it comes to quality and brand awareness in this region. Hence, we hope to occupy about 65% of the camel milk product market in the GCC by the end of this year. We are targeting about 2% market share in the GCC, across the overall dairy market, including bovine products,” says Mutasher Al Badry, deputy general manager at EICMP.

Top trends

We ask the experts what direction the dairy market is moving in

- Dairy alternatives: As dairy intolerances increasingly come to the fore, there has been a spike in alternative dairy products. Sloane Brothers Frozen Yoghurt has introduced a dairy free option. “Introducing a dairy-free option in the frozen yoghurt parlours actually helps the market expand, in our opinion, as it allows consumers to enjoy the taste of the product even if they cannot consume dairy products,” explains Joseph Chakra, founder of Sloane Brothers.

- Liquid milk dip: The vast variety of dairy options available in the market has resulted in liquid milk suffering a slight dip in sales. According to Idin Asmitha, executive sous chef, Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa by Anantara: “Liquid milk consumption at hotel has dropped but a rising demand for drinking yoghurt and cheeses (particularly low fat cheeses) have developed.”

- Health consciousness: According to the International Diabetes Federation, 37 million people in MENA are suffering from diabetes — that is about 93.7% of the population — and that number is expected to double in the next 20 years. Meanwhile, a study by the Health Metrics and Evaluation Institute (IHME) at the University of Washington conducted last year, revealed there are 259 million people suffering from diabetes in the Middle East. “Health consciousness is on the rise, as a result,” explains Badry. “Consumers are attracted to healthy products of a certain quality and standard. Due to these factors, the focus of the F&B sector will be changing; innovation, speed and quality will be the factors driving the business in the future.”

Recipe

The Sloane Bros. shares its recipe for one of its best-selling items:

The Brunch Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 200g Sloane Bros natural fat-free frozen yoghurt
• 200ml skimmed milk
• 5 medium strawberries
• 10 blueberries
• ½ cup granola
• ½ cup almonds

Method:

• Blend all ingredients.
• Top with whipped cream, a mix of strawberries and blueberries, chocolate sauce and strawberry sauce.

The demand for dairy is high in the Middle East, but global challenges such as price changes and quality standards mean that chefs and suppliers are trying to overcome obstacles to supply the best possible product to consumers

What would you say are some of the challenges facing the dairy sector at the moment?

Globally, the dairy industry is in a fix with regards to getting the pricing right. A recent decline in global dairy commodity prices has seen many dairy processors report profit plunges. Independents, according to Sloane Brothers founder Joseph Chakra, have been less affected by the troubles. “These issues are mostly between major distributors and producers. Being an independent brand, we have not faced these issues and don’t expect it to affect our operations or quality of supply.”

US-based The Melting Pot’s head chef and head of culinary development Jason Miller said some of the challenges he has been facing in California are weather-related, which has witnessed record number of droughts and wildfires. “The cost of feeding dairy cows (which is 50% of the cost of milk production) has been rising,” he adds.

In the Middle East, one of the over-arching challenges a chef faces is the short shelf life of dairy products. Many dairy products struggle to battle against high temperatures and humidity in the arid desert region. “From a cost-saving perspective, we would like to be able to buy in bulk, but that leads to wastage and negates any possible saving,” explains Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa by Anantara executive sous chef Idin Asmitha.

Are there any concerns regarding sourcing of particular dairy products or ingredients in the Middle East?

Shelf life has an impact when looking to source unique dairy items not readily available in the region, says Asmitha. “Our biggest problem is that we can’t find particular dairy products produced locally, and hence, rely on imports when it comes to low fat products. The ricotta cheese and yoghurts are an example of this. Whilst imports are technically a good alternative, we are faced with a problem of limited shelf life.”

Also, customer expectations, when it comes to how their products have been farmed, are growing and influencing their choices when it comes to purchasing, Mutasher Al Badry, deputy general manager at Emirates Industry for Camel Milk & Products explains. This is particularly the case in Western countries, where concerns among consumers are rising with regard to how the animals have been treated and what hormones have been used in milk production, something manufacturers need to be aware of.

“Human health and animal welfare are becoming major factors in the consumers’ decision making. Hormone loaded products have proven to be damaging to human health, especially for children, and the slogan ‘Healthy Milk from Happy Cows’ is gaining popularity. This development leads to a growing demand for pure and natural products. We see this in a strengthening of the organic and bio-product market,” says Badry.

What are chefs demanding from suppliers right now in terms of dairy-related ingredients?

As consumers become increasingly concerned with freshness of produce and provenance, so too are the outlets serving dairy products. Chakra explains: “Responsible suppliers who proactively address important requirements are in an excellent position to solidify and expand their relationships with the chefs and other buyers.”

Miller explains: “Chefs are demanding more transparency with regards to dairy products’ ingredients. More concern where ingredients are sourced from and the nature of the ingredients can impact the flavours and integrity of menu items.”

Chefs are also on the lookout for the most time-effective sourcing methods. Asmitha says to do this, they are looking to deal with a single or very few suppliers that have a comprehensive offering. "This means the variety of products that an individual supplier offers is important — especially as dairy products are ordered on almost a daily basis, based on hotel occupancy. Hence, having to order from a multitude of suppliers is very time consuming."

Camelicious, in its capacity as a catering supplier, finds its clients having similar demands. “Stand out from the crowd [and allow it to] offer something special and extraordinary. Another essential factor for orders is compliance with the caterers’ quality and hygiene policies and standards, which are usually quite high,” says Badry.

Is health taking precedence over indulgence in the dairy market?

The growing awareness of the health benefits of non-dairy alternatives has sparked a demand for such products.

At Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa, Asmitha says many consumers are looking for such products and while the hotel has soya milk available, requests for alternatives like almond milk are on the rise.

“The biggest issue with the non-dairy alternatives is that there are many options, and people have a particular favourite, so it is difficult to have all available at the same time due to shelf life.”

Miller says the proprietary cheese blends at The Melting Pot use a microbial rennet in the cheese production.

“This allows for widespread acceptance amongst our guests the world over,” he says.

More broadly, dairy — linked to desserts, confectionery and ice cream — does have an underlying connotation of not being healthy.

But this doesn’t need to be the case, explains Chakra. Frozen yoghurt he says, contains ‘beneficial probiotic and prebiotic cultures’, which benefit the digestive and immune system, enhancing its appeal.

“We believe that healthy food and rich taste can go hand-in-hand — frozen yoghurt is a perfect example of this phenomenon. Hence, frozen yoghurt sales are booming as compared to ice cream, which is a market that is stagnating or growing slowly,” adds Chakra.

However consumers are unwilling to compromise on quality when it comes to desserts, no matter how healthy it promises to be.

An Elle & Vire spokesperson says the rise in French-style cafés and food outlets has jumped in the region in recent years, on the back of the appreciation French pastries have received.

“French pastry requires creams with good quality, and therefore chefs ask for high-performance creams in order to create delightful recipes,” said the spokesperson from Elle & Vire.