Meet Aino Siitonen, our newest addition to product development and research. Siitonen’s strong problem-solving skillset and research experience complement the growing BlackGrain from Yellow Fields® team at Apetit.
“This is an exciting and rewarding time to join the BlackGrain team: so much important groundwork has already been done, and we are starting to see substantial results on the commercial side,” says Apetit’s new product developer Aino Siitonen.
New food products featuring BlackGrain textured vegetable protein (TVP) include Sopu hybrid meatballs, Saarioinen’s vegan bolognese microwave pizza, and Apetit’s own vegan burger patty. More food innovations are on the way.
“We have a precious innovative ingredient in our hands”
Siitonen holds a master’s degree in food sciences and is currently finishing her doctoral thesis focusing on B vitamins in legume-based foods. Academia teaches precision and a systematic, methodic approach. According to Siitonen, these qualities are also essential in commercial product development and quality control.
“We have a precious innovative ingredient in our hands – this means there is no textbook to consult, and that is where the researcher’s mindset comes into play. A valuable foundation has been laid by our team during the past ten years. Going forward, we need to pave our own path,” Siitonen says.
Diversity ensures health and nutrition in plant-based food production
Working with BlackGrain rapeseed ingredients aligns with Siitonen’s passion for solving the challenges in sustainable plant-based food production:
“We need a diverse range of plant-based and hybrid products to be able to get everyone on board. This is also the most sustainable way to ensure good health and nutrition on a global scale: to spread out rather than rely on one or two sources of plant-based protein.”
“It is also important to have variety in flavour and mouthfeel in different meat analogues. Not everyone wants products that taste like legumes, for example,” Siitonen explains.
BlackGrain TVP is a versatile textured vegetable protein that consists of BlackGrain rapeseed powder and pea protein isolate. In this combination, BlackGrain rapeseed powder effectively masks the typical flavour of pea protein, bringing its own mild umami taste and making the final product easy to season to suit any desired flavour profile.
With a component like BlackGrain rapeseed powder, the sky is the limit
Besides BlackGrain TVP and its relevant meat analogue and hybrid applications, BlackGrain rapeseed powder is proven to be an ideal ingredient in cereals, snack bars, and bread.
“BlackGrain rapeseed powder is not a stand-alone ingredient but rather a component that can be combined in a myriad of creative ways, some of which are yet to be discovered,” Siitonen says with a smile.
“I consider myself lucky to be in a position that involves so much variety and creative problem-solving. It’s inspiring to work with ingredients that offer something totally new to the evolving plant-based food market.”
From isolates to a single versatile ingredient worth its weight in gold and macronutrients
Many plant-based protein sources are processed into isolates which are then later combined with other ingredients to achieve a balanced nutritional profile in the final product. BlackGrain rapeseed powder is the result of a different approach – utilising the natural goodness of the raw material and harnessing all three valuable macronutrients: protein, fibre, and beneficial fats.
“The inherent healthy fats and fibre in BlackGrain rapeseed powder present a huge nutritional benefit that protein isolates can’t compete with,” Siitonen says. “Who would have imagined rapeseed could give us so much more than oil?”