AECI Food & Beverage
AECI Food & Beverage is an established supplier of food ingredients focusing on premium, value-added products.
We exclusively represent leading international manufacturers and suppliers of specialty ingredients, catering to the Food & Beverage industries. We provide a broad range of ingredients across various markets, including Dairy, Bakery, Health & Nutrition, Meat, Beverages, Commodities and Processing Aids.
Our company serves a vast market among the industry; one of them is bakery production. AECI Food & Beverage offers full-scale services, which highlights our commitment to delivering functional blends. These offerings are underpinned by our cutting-edge pilot plant facility based at Linbro Logistics Park in Sandton, together with a fully equipped laboratory managed by qualified Food Technologists. These resources allow the company to support its customers’ varied and evolving needs, at the top of innovation in bakery.
As a leader in the Food Industry, AECI Food & Beverage not only has one of the most diverse bakery-specific product ranges available on the market today; it is a range that continues to grow. This includes different components such as phosphates, hydrocolloids, cocoa powder, starches emulsifiers, whipping agents, spices, free-flowing and anti-caking agents, sweeteners, preservatives, glazing agents, specialty flours, milk powders, egg replacement as well as bread and cake improvers.
The wide selection of products emphasizes AECI’s commitment to be able to provide an all-round solution for its customers, catering from the basic through to those looking for a point-of-difference.
In the last decade, “foodie” culture has grown, and consumers have become increasingly interested in what exactly is in their food, and where their food comes from. Consumption is not only driven by price, but also by functionality. Transparency is of utmost importance, both in statements and claims as well as in the perceived value of the product or service.
“Naturally Healthy” is the most powerful trend in for consumers’ need for foods and ingredients which should be “naturally functional”. The demand for clean-label has now challenged the Bakery Industry tremendously. Not only must baked goods taste good, but must also have natural nutrients together with reduced sugar and salt.
Consumer awareness around the advantages of whole grains has significantly increased over the years. According to common perception and research, whole grains reduce inflammation, help to prevent weight gain, lower the risk of a stroke and ischemic heart disease, and positively influences gut bacteria. There is a consumer demand for whole grain products that must maintain the taste and texture that they are used to. Whole grain “side-effects,” such as a rough texture and a slightly bitter taste, is not what our consumers want. Therefore, industry is required to provide the benefits of whole grain, and at the same time, deliver a soft, light crumb, mild taste with prolonged freshness.
The demand for clean-label has now extended to flavourings and extracts, with natural herbs and spices becoming popular. In line with this, consumers are looking for simpler labels with a shorter list of ingredients. They perceive these labels as an indication that the product is “better” for them.
We find consumer demand is not only for high-quality bread and baked goods, but also in snacks and out of home products. This is an important driver of business development and market expansion because consumers love quick and convenient products to fit in with their lifestyles. As such, bakeries are reacting to these demands by growing their portfolio of snacks, such as the “baker burger” and innovative variations of the traditional sandwich.
Consumers want indulgence, convenience and authenticity and this is driving significant growth in the bakery market. Manufacturers are innovating constantly to deliver more varied and alluring products to meet consumer expectations.
AECI Food & Beverage use these trends as opportunities for developing innovating and exciting products.
Our vision is to continue to provide customers with innovative technical solutions with sustainability of preferred ingredients and exceptional service. In addition, AECI Foods & Beverage further utilize the specialty ingredients portfolio by combining ingredients to engineer value-added solutions for various sectors of the food industry.
In the Bakery industry phosphates are widely used. These are a crucial function in leavening and dough conditioning. They help the product to have a required texture and volume. We have varied phosphates for varied controls in temperature. In contrast, for controlling the viscosity and texture of food products hydrocolloids are then used to improve the texture especially for gluten-free baked goods which is growing trend for gut health, which also enhance dough handling and increases the shelf life.
When making chocolate-flavoured baked goods Cocoa powder is essential. AECI Food & Beverage branch in Malaysia, supplies cocoa powder with a strong and consistent flavour profile from the country. Due to global cocoa bean crisis there is a shortage of cocoa powder together with an increase in price. AECI Food & Beverage has sourced a replacement for cocoa powder, should customer require an alternative substitute to use in their product.
Starches in its natural and modified forms are generally necessary to provide the right texture, stability etc(either add more or take out etc) for baked goods. The starch helps in moisture retention, guaranteeing the end result to stay soft and fresh for a longer time. We now have a wide range of modified starch to native starches to offer our customers. Tate & Lyle is our key partner for modified starches.
Emulsifiers, whipping agents as well as alginates and carrageenan’s are used in cakes and other baked goods. We need them for emulsification to achieve a uniform crumb structure. They help bind ingredients that would otherwise fall apart, for example, oil and water. Perfect light and airy cakes, which are too dense in texture, is one of the most dreaded cake faux pas amongst bakers, consistency issues (one batch comes our perfect another not so perfect) plague even the best baker’s life. This all can be remedied by using the correct emulsifier or carrageenan, which you can get from AECI Food & Beverage.
AECI Food & Beverage has a range of whipping agents that are also highly relevant and required for desserts such as mousses and whipped creams.
To top up the fiber level of your baking and snack products without affecting your formula and taste the way traditional fibers would, AECI F&B offers a soluble dietary fiber called Fibersol-2. This resistant maltodextrin is multifunctional and can be used in countless applications, so it’s perfect for formulators. It can be incorporated into all types of beverages, processed foods, cultured dairy products, frozen dairy desserts, confections and dietary supplements in every form just to name a few. In addition to rapid dispersion, this fiber is clear or transparent in solution, highly soluble and stable under virtually all conditions.
Fibersol-2 digestion is also a very low viscosity, low hygroscopic and a fiber source with water-binding and body- and texture-improving characteristics. With no inherent flavor, Fibersol-2 allows you to invisibly increase the fiber content of your good-for-you baking and snack products and consumers will start looking at fiber in a whole new way!
Preservatives will help extend the shelf life of your bakery items and prevent them from going off. They enable the product to remain safe for longer periods as well as keep the taste and quality intact. Glazing agents, on the other hand, help give a smooth and glossy appearance to baked products; Milk powders improve the flavour and texture of baked goods, resulting in a richer taste profile and these can be purchased from AECI Food & Beverage.
Eggs are a pivotal element in 21st Century baking. Due to the crisis of bird flu last year, it caused major shortages and exorbitant egg prices and limited availability. AECI Food & Beverage offers egg replacement options. This is now possible with Nutrilac® from Arla Foods Ingredients. It is a price-stable egg replacement with similar properties to eggs. In fact, sensory evaluation shows that Nutrilac® delivers several quality improvements such as higher moisture levels in cake and have a fresher feel during shelf life and the crumb is less fragile and more resilient.
The consumer benefits include less calories than eggs, lower fat levels and has no cholesterol. It is GMO-free proteins which are cost effective and in line with animal welfare.
Industrial Benefits include reduced shipping and storage requirements, with a lowers risk of microbial danger. It is easy to use and comes with a cost saving benefit.
At AECI Food & Beverage we are an innovative, modern company, positioning itself with flexible production to meet the continually changing demands from the bakery industry. AECI is in the strong position to deliver both the products and support needed to do well in this competitive marketplace, offering a well-rounded technical view, product innovation, and a straightforward business partnership approach. Basic philosophical pillars are quality, transparency, and the customers’ satisfaction—this is why it is one of the secure partners among the bakeries and food industry producers.
As consumer taste preferences continue to evolve, AECI is committed to growing with the retailer. AECI Food & Beverage looks forward to taking care of customers with a growing demand for clean-label products, enabling realization of those innovative new bakery items, and provisioning technical expertise to aid the customer in navigating the maze of entanglements the food industry presents.
