Roquette, a global leader in renewable, plant-based raw materials, has obtained GRAS designation for its microalgae-based lipid food ingredient. Continuing its legacy of breakthrough food innovations, Roquette has, since 2006, shown leadership in creating whole food ingredients that draw on the inherent nutritional value of microalgae and recently featured its lipid ingredient at the International Baking Industry Exposition.

“At the IBIE, we showcased our microalgal lipid in a variety of bakery applications: brownies, crackers, and muffins. In each application, the use of microalgae enabled us to significantly reduce the total calories and fat while maintaining the positive sensory attributes consumers expect,” said Fernando Arias, Commercial Vice President of Roquette America.

Roquette Microalgae’s GRAS-designated lipid delivers extraordinary goodness through its unique balance of nutrition and sensorial properties. Approximately half lipid by weight, its characteristic composition is predominantly monounsaturated, consisting, in large part, of oleic acid. Its macronutrient composition consists of lipids, proteins, fibers, and carbohydrates, as well as micronutrients.

“The inherent components of microalgae result in a healthy lipid – it delivers nutritional benefits as a trans-fatfree, cholesterol-free lipid with emulsifying properties that contribute to an indulgent sensory experience,” Arias said.

Roquette Microalgae’s lipid profile suits manufacturers’ application needs, making it an ideal ingredient for developing healthier, low-fat and low-cholesterol applications with indulgent attributes, including baked goods, sauces, dressings, and ready meals. In addition to providing an alternative to trans and saturated fats, Roquette Microalgae can be used in the development of nutritious, allergen-free formulations where dairy, egg, nuts, soy, and gluten cannot be used. Incorporating Roquette Microalgae in its formulation for Reduced-Fat Gluten-Free Brownies, Roquette successfully reduced calories by 18.75% and fat by 25% compared to the gluten-free control. The ingredient also provides a vegan alternative to common lipids.

Supported by Roquette’s high-capacity manufacturing facilities and fully dedicated infrastructure, the suite of Roquette Microalgae ingredients continues to grow with the backing of product development facilities around the world, like Roquette’s Customer Innovation Center in Geneva, IL, which offers extensive formulation knowledge and partnership in application development. With its GRAS designation in hand, Arias says Roquette and its food industry partners are excited to bring microalgal applications to grocery store aisles.

“With 80 years of food ingredient expertise and our dedicated team of Science People, we’re very excited to collaborate with our partners in the development and scaling-up of better tasting, better-for-you applications that benefit from Roquette Microalgae’s delicious sensorial properties and substantial nutritional value,” Arias said.