Supriyo De, Managing Director, India, Palsgaard To meet rising global demand for plant-based, lean-label cake emulsifiers, Denmark-based Palsgaard has expanded production of its Emulpals whipping agents in Brazil. The move…

Supriyo De, Managing Director, India, Palsgaard

To meet rising global demand for plant-based, lean-label cake emulsifiers, Denmark-based Palsgaard has expanded production of its Emulpals whipping agents in Brazil. The move aims to enhance supply capabilities across Latin America while supporting growing customer needs for healthier, high-quality cake solutions. In conversation with NUFFOODS Spectrum, Supriyo De, Managing Director, India, Palsgaard, shares insights on the company’s growth strategy, evolving market trends in the region, and how its global network of application centres, including the new facility in Navi Mumbai, is helping manufacturers create next-generation bakery formulations.

What motivated Palsgaard’s decision to expand Emulpals production in Brazil, and how does this align with the company’s global growth strategy?

We’ve been producing our Emulpals® series of whipping agents for more than four decades. They’re suitable for cake mixes used by bakers and food services, industrial mixes used by cake factories, as well as for retail mixes used by household consumers worldwide. They’re plant-based, powdered emulsifiers that accelerate production speed and enhance quality across all kinds of cakes from classical sponge cake mixes and muffins to gluten-free, sugar-free, vegan, and microwavable recipes.

Expanding production in Brazil doesn’t just help us better serve high-growth markets in Latin America. Emulpals® emulsifiers’ versatility and wide-ranging benefits have led to significant global demand, and this move helps us to ensure we can produce the quantity of whipping agents we need to satisfy that. In India, for example, the range is very popular, and we’re working with customers at our new, state-of-the-art application centre in Navi Mumbai to deliver the solutions they need.

How has the demand for plant-based, lean-label cake emulsifiers evolved in Brazil and Latin America? What specific trends are you observing among local cake mix manufacturers?

All over the world, there’s huge interest in better-for-you formulations that can deliver the indulgent sensory qualities offered by traditional recipes. With Emulpals®, you can create a variety of delicious cakes with just one emulsifier, and it’s also plant-based, non-GMO and sugar-free.

Brazilian consumers often like moist, sweeter cakes, but preferences across Latin America vary widely, from lighter textures to richer, denser profiles. Emulpals® makes it possible to tailor the cakes’ sensory qualities to meet the demands of their specific target audience.

Could you explain in more detail how Emulpals emulsifiers contribute to improving cake quality, aeration, and texture, particularly in facilitating a transition from saturated or trans-fats to unsaturated oils?

Emulpals® is a range of activated cake emulsifiers based on specially selected polyglycerol esters and

mono- and diglycerides, which have been optimised to perfect performance in cake systems. These

emulsifiers are activated on rice starch in a highly sophisticated extrusion process. They act rapidly and have powerful functional properties, including maximising air incorporation. This helps provide uniformity and a fine crumb structure, allowing for soft and moist cakes with a quality that lasts for days.

Helping manufacturers move away from saturated and trans-fats is another major benefit. Non-aerated cakes are often based on margarine or shortening, which can contain high amounts of unhealthy fats. In a product such as a pound cake, Emulpals® can be used to replace around 90 per cent of the saturated fat without any negative impact on the sensory qualities – in fact, it can help it become softer and moister. In an aerated system, Emulpals® emulsifiers create a very stable batter that can stabilise high amounts of liquid oil, resulting in a very soft and enjoyable cake.

How is Palsgaard Brazil adapting its Emulpals formulations to cater to the unique needs and preferences of the Brazilian and broader Latin American markets?

We offer a variety of Emulpals® products with specific strengths, such as an ability to deliver results in formulations with different ingredients, temperatures and whipping times.

In many cases, though, catering to specific project requirements is simply a case of changing the dosage and recipe components. By doing so, Emulpals® can be used to make aerated and light cakes, dense and moist cakes, cakes with various crumb structures, cakes with cocoa, and cakes with high amounts of eggs and oil.

The press release mentions a dedicated team of application experts. Could you elaborate on how this team collaborates with customers to optimise cake formulations and production processes?

We have application centres around the world where we collaborate closely with our customers to help them develop the results they need using highly advanced equipment. We offer theoretical

and practical support based on the customer’s specific set-up and working conditions. That makes implementing our emulsifiers into recipes a straightforward task.

Our new Navi Mumbai application centre, for example, has advanced pilot plants equipped to simulate most real-world production conditions. In combination with the complete industrial plant setup and two-zone line oven, which is available at our headquarters in Denmark, this allows our customers to trial and upscale recipes efficiently under conditions that mirror their own production environments. Moreover, this allows us to develop the right industrial solutions and test them out properly.

Our application centres in Brazil and other parts of the world operate on the same principles, providing access to Palsgaard’s global expertise while offering hands-on, locally accessible support.

What is the anticipated impact of local production in Brazil on supply chain efficiency, cost savings, and sustainability for both Palsgaard and its customers in the Americas?

Supply chain diversification is important as part of our commitment to maintaining reliable, high-quality supplies of our ingredients. Of course, it has added benefits for manufacturers in the Americas as we can now provide Emulpals® directly from Brazil, resulting in a speedier and more efficient delivery process with reduced freight costs and carbon footprint.

Shraddha Warde

shraddha.warde@mmactiv.com