Family-owned ingredients supplier Griffith Foods has launched what it claims is a healthier alternative to frying that reduces fat by 30% compared to using fryers.
The Never Fry Coating System officially launched by Griffith at FiE is an ingredient solution that combines a seasoned batter, premium breading mixture and top glaze containing dehydrated vegetables. The frying step is made obsolete by using a unique oven baked hot air treatment to lock in fantastic taste – this improves nutritional profiles, allows for attractive bright colours, and reduces production costs.
“It’s a very exciting, healthy, nutritious and delicious product concept,” Johan Boot, Vice President of Product Development & Innovation Europe at Griffith Foods told Food Navigator. The innovation offers “taste, texture and nutrition in one offer”, he said.
The technology enables manufacturers to avoid the traditional deep-frying process and instead use an oven method and avoid investment in expensive deep-frying lines in the factory which also brings a lot of waste and high energy costs. The product can be used in ovens in restaurants or in homes.
Boot said it was important the product ‘tastes great’ and has the right texture and the same crunchiness as fried products while remaining a healthy and nutritious alternative to traditionally prepared coated products.
“Based on our extensive coating texture technology we have been combining specific natural ingredients with no e numbers artificial additives to come up with a multi-faced process that will allow that preparation in an oven. On top of that we have been creating the concept of vegetable inclusions in the coating.”
The inclusion of vegetables – either real or powdered – can adds a health element plus vibrant colours, he said.
“It has been a very long process of many iterations and finding that fine balance between taste, texture, the crunchiness, and health – and that has taken many months of experimentation, aligning with customer needs, because the technology can be tweaked to align with the needs of any customer… it wasn’t an easy process.”
He added the coating system can be used for any substrate. “Essentially it can be applied to the same substrate as normal conventional coatings such as chicken and other meats but it also be used with plant-based alternatives,” he said.
The company also demonstrated its ‘breakthrough’ Sodium Flex innovation which promises to reduce sodium levels in various snack products by 70%.
The products are true to its ‘Creating Better Together’ mantra. Wim van Roekel, president at Griffith Foods Europe explained: “Our customers are seeing health and nutrition play a much bigger role in consumer decision making and so our culinary expertise, creativity, and problem solving have an even bigger part to play.”
The innovations are also a key part of the company’s plan to double sales and triple its bottom line by 2027.