Pasta master feeds the desire of calorie counters
Consumers will by now probably be familiar with the concept of low-carb pasta, but Italian pasta manufacturer Pasta Lensi has gone one stage further with the development of a range of pastas that are lower in calories than standard pasta as well as being lower in carbohydrates.
The company manufactures a number of pasta products for the UK market, including its own brand of Lensi products and for own-label customers such as Asda. Its new recipe of pasta, which has 30% fewer calories than conventional pasta, will appeal to consumers that are still concerned about their calorie as well as their carbohydrate intake.
The pasta, which has a high fibre content, was created using a secret recipe blend of around 12 different types of semolina. It is part of Lensi's drive to create products for the more health-conscious consumer.
The pasta manufacturer has also recently developed a reduced carb pasta, with a 50% reduction in carbohydrates, under its LoCarb brand for retail and second variant which has a carbohydrate content of only 22%. A high-fibre pasta and a gluten-free variant are also available.
While the low-carb products are available for retail, the company is shifting its focus to the manufacturing sector where it hopes its new pastas can be used to make low calorie and low-carb products such as ready meals, says general manager Andrea Ghia. The low calorie pasta, for example, has been developed solely for the manufacturing industry. "There is a huge interest in low carbohydrate diets at the present time and these products will give meal manufacturers a chance to get in on the act," he says.
As part of its innovation, Lensi says it can develop bespoke pastas that will stay al dente even when put through the very high temperature cooking processes required by ready meals manufacturers. The pasta will also withstand the stress of a restaurant kitchen and, as a result, the company is also targeting the foodservice sector which so far has been slow on the uptake of low calorie and low-carb pasta.
Ghia says the low calorie or 'light' pasta could in the future have greater longevity than low carb pastas because of its wider appeal to all dieters, not just those following a low-carb diet. "Calorie reduction has more potential as it has been an established concept for many years," says Ghia. "In the long-term it could be a stronger proposal for manufacturers."
