As consumer trends lean heavily on sustainability, the demand for plant-based and ecologically sourced raw materials continues to be high in the bakery sector.

Palm oil has long been used in the bakery products market due to its versatility and highly functional qualities. Yet its contribution to deforestation has resulted in consumers and manufacturers seeking more sustainably sourced solutions.

Food industry experts are looking for alternative fats and modifying them for desired consistency and stability to replace palm oil in baking applications. Commonly used alternatives include sunflower oil, rapeseed oil and coconut oil.

With its partner Bunge, Haarla offers ecologically produced plant-based alternatives to palm oil and dairy butter. Our diverse solutions can be used in baking to achieve cost-efficiency as well as excellent consistency and processing qualities.

Plant-based alternatives to palm oil and dairy butter

A popular alternative to palm oil is shea butter, derived from the shea nut, which grows naturally in Western Africa. According to Custom Market Insights, the global shea butter market is estimated to reach USD 5.2 billion by 2030.

Did you know?  Established by Bunge "The Where Life Grows" shea sustainability program is committed to preserving and protecting the shea landscape, empowering shea collecting women, and creating socio-economic value in their communities. As part of this vision, Bunge publishes about efforts in the shea supply chain via Shea Blog Posts.

Shea butter does not rely on plantations, making it environmentally friendly. Furthermore, our partner Bunge has been involved with a program ensuring its sustainable, ethical and traceable collection. Due to shea butter’s nourishing properties, including vitamins and minerals, it is used in baked goods to replace regular butter. It produces a highly creamy texture and rich flavors, and it can be used as the basic ingredient in pastries and cookies, among others.

Another exciting innovation is the Beleaf™ PlantBetter. It has the sensory qualities and functionalities of dairy butter but is an environmentally-friendly alternative with a carbon reduction of 50%. It also brings cost benefits, as it does not have the price volatility of dairy products. Beleaf™ PlantBetter offers significant benefits: it can successfully be used to replace butter even in more challenging baking applications and produce the desired aeration, volume and taste required by croissants and cakes.

The sensory experience is indeed memorable: a series of blind sensory panel studies conducted by Bunge across three countries unequivocally demonstrate that Beleaf™ PlantBetter is equal to premium national butter brands.

Want to hear more about our plant-based innovations in the bakery sector? Our experts will tell you more.

You can also download Haarla & Bunge webinar  Palm-oil free solutions for baking industry recording by clicking here