Chr. Hansen has launched its latest ingredient innovation to reduce browning in foodservice pizzas by up to 100 percent. The F-DVS Pure Appeal culture is launching worldwide to ensure that pasta filata cheese producers have what they require to create the appearance that consumers associate with a desirable pizza experience. Speaking to FoodIngredientsFirst, Tony Salvador, Commercial Development Manager, Pasta Filata at Chr. Hansen, says, “the impact to industry could be sizable.”

The F-DVS Pure Appeal culture offers a product that can help pasta filata makers produce mozzarella type cheeses and regional variants such as provolone, kashkaval and oaxaca, with a tailored level of browning, when the cheese is baked on top of a pizza. 

Consumers worldwide love pizza. The ever-increasing demand accelerates the production of pasta filata, which is the largest, fastest-growing segment and most globally widespread cheese type, accounting for 25 percent of cheese produced globally, according to Chr. Hansen. 

Shift in pizza consumption
“Pizza operators are invested in the consumer experience and we recognize point-of-sale to point-of-consumption being one of the critical factors for continuously improving their experience. To that end, we intend to help manufacturers create an entry point into faster pizza solutions. When cheese producers can provide pizzerias with a product that allows them to bake their creations in less time, it’s likely to result in a significant shift for the consumer experience,” Salvador explains. 

Moreover, the ability to control browning becomes a key priority as consumers are attaching more importance to the appearance of their food and its so-called “Instagrammability.” “Pizza needs not only to taste good but also look good,” he urges. 

Similar to the digital world, pizza has become this creative space wher evolution is constant, stresses Salvador. “When pizza became a mainstream option, the offerings were flavorful, convenient and affordable. In many ways, that platform hasn’t changed.” What has changed is the expanse within those categories, he maintains. “From ingredient choice to the venue, to delivery, every aspect of the pizza experience has evolved.”

Pizza naturally brings out the creativity in people and creativity drives evolution within the sector. “As the world learns to navigate current circumstances surrounding COVID-19, the coming months will certainly be filled with unknowns. Nevertheless, the outlook within the sector remains positive – additional cheese capacity is coming online in the coming months, chains are continuing to invest in site locations, and consumers continue to demand pizza,” he elaborates. 

Empowering pizza producers
“As foodservice pizza continues its aggressive growth, globally, we focus on addressing customer needs with practical solutions. Pizzerias are intent on delivering pizza to their customers from point-of-sale to consumption as fast as possible. Having predictable cheese performance and appearance is critical and often out of their control – especially ‘browning,’” Salvador details. 

“One key reason is the need to optimize pizza baking time for faster delivery, hence increased oven temperature, which ‘burns’ the cheese. Also, there is a distinct consumer trend towards whiter looking (less burned) pizza appeal,” he elaborates.

The F-DVS Pure Appeal culture, enables pizza makers to achieve predictable appearance every time. Simultaneously, the solution helps protect the cheese from yeast and mold spoilage throughout the supply chain.

“Manufacturers invest heavily in process control, so our innovations need to have a high probability of success before the demonstration phase. In the case of Pure Appeal, we aimed to bring a single culture to the market that can be applied to an existing process and deliver a predictable cheese.”

“Our consumer outreach initiative was a great way to measure our assumptions related to consumer expectations,” Salvador notes. “Pizza is so enjoyable because the choices are endless, and the consumer has a large influence on how their pizza is created. Those choices inherently create unique expectations for individual consumers. However, the key theme was consistency. Consumers enjoy the flexibility to customize their pies, but they expect their favorite pizzerias to offer a consistent cheese topping.”   

“As a natural solution, F-DVS Pure Appeal culture meets consumer expectations for food made with natural ingredients, and it contributes to a stronger sustainability profile through enhanced water and energy conservation,” Salvador concludes.