Stacy Pyett: innovative vegetables
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Consumption of fruits and vegetables is well below the recommended daily levels. The food industry can address this issue by providing consumers with vegetable containing products with excellent taste and texture, which are easy to eat and fit into the natural consumption moments of the day.
The NIZO Food Application Centre provides food grade facilities for interactive innovation. Together with scientists with expertise in nutrition, texture and flavour, our creative chef brainstormed novel ways to make vegetables easy and fun to eat.
Spinach “Bitterballen”
Research performed in NIZO’s health department has shown that the negative health effect of haem in red meat is lessened when the meat is combined with green vegetables. Based on this work, an idea was born to develop traditional fried meat snacks which incorporated green vegetables. In a creative session the chef worked with application specialists to develop crispy spinach-rich “bitterballen” to provide a healthier alternative to the traditional Dutch bar snacks.
Avocado-containing custard
Especially for children, the taste of vegetables can prevent them from consuming the recommended amount. Our application specialists took up the challenge to develop a commercially ready dessert with hidden vegetables. It was found that up to 8% by weight of avocado could be added to chocolate custard without compromising the sensorial qualities. The avocado taste was efficiently masked by the chocolate flavour of the custard, and the result was a creamy, healthy dessert.
Develop a new product
To get an idea of what you can do with your ingredients or products, we can arrange a collaborative brainstorm session. Benefit from the practical advice of our scientists and from the creativity of our chef, to interactively test and taste your ideas in our kitchen and product development lab. Naturally, your recipes can also be tested on a larger scale directly in our fully food-grade pilot facility.