French maize firm offers a nut taste without the need for nuts

A novel maize product which gives products a nutty flavour without the use of nuts, will be launched by Limagrain Céréales Ingrédients (LCI) at next month’s IBA bakery trade fair, which takes place in Munich from September 12 to 17.

Nutricorn Nuts is a maize germ toasted using a clean-label hydrothermic process, according to Limagrain Group marketing manager Patricia Panel-Dusseaux. Its ‘hazelnut’ taste and grain size are said to make it a suitable replacement for nuts in food.

'Nut-free'

Nutricorn is cheaper than hazelnuts and almonds and allows a ‘nut-free’ claim to be made on product labels.

Nutricorn is low-fat, which reduces the likelihood of clumping and sticking during processing, claims LCI.

Various applications

It can also be used as a topping in various applications, such as on tortilla chips, baked goods and dairy products.

In 2015, 12% of LCI’s turnover was for products less than three years old. “This demonstrates the vitality of our research and development [R&D], says LCI's deputy chief executive François Viallet. Around 4% of LCI’s total turnover is devoted to R&D.