We at Frontline Food Consultants and Engineers provide cutting-edge services in the development of spread products including savories, sweets and nuts. Starting from the right ingredients such as nuts, oils or natural sweeteners, to the final stages where you fine-tune the texture and taste profiles of spreads and commercialization, we guarantee your product’s unique selling proposition in the marketplace. We temper specific production aspects and sub-processes like blending, emulsifying and pasteurization so as to achieve an optimum texture and shelf stability. 

With our Product Development and Innovation services, we are able to assist you in developing delicious spreads for your products; such as nut-free spreads and products with plant-based origin. You can seek Sustainability Support from us and you will find suitable suppliers of eco-friendly and non-GMO ingredients for your products and sustainable packaging solutions. Our R&D team helps to create sustainable food packaging, healthy spread alternatives, and healthier or specialized products, such as reduced-sugar or enriched spreads. Our shelf-life optimization and regulatory compliance guidance guarantee that your spreads achieve the desired safety, quality taste, and texture as desired by the consumer. 

What are Spreads? 

Spreads are semi-pasty food products meant to be used as coatings for bread, crackers, or other products. To be more precise, they can, and are usually flavourful and dense, which increases their appeal as garnishing the meals and SNACKs. spread production starts with the selection of raw materials, which can be nuts, fruits or vegetables. These ingredients are then prepared the preparation also involves roasting, boiling and pureeing based on the type of spread being prepared.

The process that follows is the mixing process of ingredients to the level of homogenization of the substances. For nut butter, this could mean that the nuts are ground to get some amount of oil out of the nuts, making it a paste-like consistency. For fruit spreads pectin and sugar could be incorporated during the preparation of the food item so that it thickens on cooling. Emulsifying is a process of incorporating oil and other liquids uniformly in the spread while making the product stable without any case of separation after some time. The mixture is then pasteurized if necessary, to increase shelf life and ensure safety of the product. Last of all, the spread is poured into jars or tubs that guide out air as well as moisture to avoid changing the texture, then it is ready for the market.

Types of Spreads 

When talking about food spreads, they can be classified according to the fillet, and how the food item is prepared. In this article, we focus on several primary types describing their background, advantages, and usability in cooking.

Nuts and Seed Butter

Types:

  • Peanut Butter: A food product derived from roasted peanuts, suitable for use as spread for BLT sandwiches, in baking, and as a dip.
  • Almond Butter: Produced from roasted almonds, commonly incorporated in blended beverages, and pastries and served as nut butter.
  • Sunflower Seed Butter: Shelled seeds of sunflowers; for nut allergy sufferers, delicious for snacking and baking.

Benefits:

  • Nutritional Value: Rich in protein, health-beneficial fats, vitamins E and B, and mineral contents include magnesium and zinc.
  • Dietary Preferences: Good for vegetarians and vegans or individuals who wish to keep a healthy weight.

Applications:

Culinary Uses: Applied in sandwiches, baking, blended with fruits and vegetables, in sauces, and as a dip for fruits and vegetables.

Fruit Spreads

Types:

Jam: Obtained from fruit pulp or puree, sweetened, and cooked until a gel-like is formed.

Jelly: Extracted from fruits and sweetened confection made with pectin.

Preserves: This category consists of products having whole fruit pieces or chunks in syrup or jam form.

Benefits:

  • Flavor: Added a sweet and sour taste which gave different foods a good taste.
  • Nutritional Value: Consists of vitamins C and A and the dietary fiber coming from the fruits.

Applications:

  • Culinary Uses: They are used in preparing bread and cakes, sandwich spread, or as toppings for yoghurt and desserts.

Savory Spreads

Types:

  • Hummus: A spread/dip/ that consists of Ground chickpeas, sesame paste, lemon juice, and garlic.
  • Tapenade: Ready preparation from olive, capers, and anchovies which are used in sandwich and as a spread.
  • Pâté: Being made from liver or other meats, ground fine, like pâté, it is served spread on bread, crackers, etc.

Benefits:

  • Nutritional Value: A great source of protein and good fats, and other nutrients that are important to our body.
  • Flavor and Texture: Imparts rich, savory flavors and enriches another dish with thickness.

Applications:

  • Culinary Uses: Antipasto is served as a bread spread, a crack spread, in sandwiches, as a vegetable dip.

Non-Veg Dips

Types:

  • Tzatziki: Traditional Greek dish made from yogurt, cucumber, garlic and herbs; usually served with grilled meats and bread.
  • Fish Roe Dip: Obtained from fish eggs, that can be mixed with olive oil, lemon juice and spices, it serves as a spread or a dip.
  • Shrimp Dip: Prepared from cooked shrimps, cream cheese seasoning and lemon juice used like dips or spread.

Benefits:

  • Nutritional Value: A good source of protein and polyunsaturated fatty acids especially omega three.
  • Flavor: Adds rich and diverse flavors to a variety of foods further improving other foods.

Applications:

  • Culinary Uses: As a dip for bread and crackers, instead of sandwich spread, or as a side dish served with seafood preparation.

Ingredient Selection:

  • Sourcing: Choose fresh products from trusted suppliers only.
  • Inspection: The raw material should be thoroughly checked and tested before accepting them in the production line.

Preparation:

  • Cleaning and Sorting: Wash and separate them to make sure they are rid of undesirable stuff.
  • Processing: Roast, blend or cook a spread as may be necessitated by the kind of spread towards preparation.

Mixing and Emulsification:

  • Mixing: You also place all the components in a high shear mixer just to make sure that they are well blended.
  • Emulsification: If needed, the emulsifiers should be included to help to stabilize the product and improve texture.

Pasteurization (Optional):

  • Objective: Improve safety by eradicating, pathogenic bacteria and other microbes.
  • Methods: Using warm plates to warm foods, particularly spreads, in order to retain their taste and consistency.

Packaging:

  • Filling: Let spreads into sterilized jars, bottles, or tubs in order to avoid contamination of the spreads.
  • Sealing: Make sure everything has a tight seal so it does not go bad.
  • Labeling: To enhance the overall labeling, it must contain the nutrient values which are calorie information and the direction of use.
  • Sustainable Options: Research on the best packaging material that can be used to minimize on the effect on the environment.

Storage and Distribution:

  • Temperature Control: It is important to store foods at optimum temperatures that would ensure it does not spoil or appears off.
  • Distribution: Effectively transport products to the consumer and in the best condition they were when produced.

Produced and Equipment Applied for Production

High-Shear Mixers:

  • Function: Carefully mix the ingredients in order to get the right texture of the mixture.
  • Design: Having high-speed blades to facilitate the distribution of the ingredients in equal measures.

Homogenizers:

  • Function: Establish a stable product with an enhanced appearance by reducing the size of particles present in a composition.
  • Design: High pressure is applied in order to get good smoothness of the finished product.
  • Pasteurizers (Optional):
    • Function: Enhance safety by killing harmful microorganisms.
    • Design: Gentle heating to preserve the flavor and texture of spreads.
  • Packaging Machines:
    • Function: Automate the filling and sealing of containers to ensure hygiene and efficiency.
    • Design: Capable of handling various container types, including jars, bottles, and tubs.