Milling & Baking News - April 5, 2022 - 32

TUES | 04 05 2022
New takes on traditional pasta
New ingredients and applications make pasta more attractive to consumers
T
raditional dry pasta is typically
made from unleavened dough
consisting of ground durum
wheat and water or eggs, which is then
formed into sheets or various shapes.
And while grocery shelves continue
to be filled with traditional pasta products,
pasta manufacturers recently have
ramped up innovation that is utilizing
alternative ingredients and applications to
meet changing consumer eating behaviors.
One such application comes from
researchers at the Hebrew University
of Jerusalem, who last week unveiled a
technique for manufacturing pasta
that can be " pre-programmed " for
specific shape shifting upon boiling.
As part of the technique,
researchers said the pasta starts
as flat sheets and may be packaged
in small-volume boxes. Upon
boiling, the product takes the form
of bulkier pasta shapes, such as
elbow and bowtie. The flat-pack
pasta allows manufacturers to
more efficiently package while
minimizing empty space, the
researchers said.
" Our shape-shifting pasta technology
has the potential to transform
the manufacturing, transportation
and storage process, "
said Professor Eran Sharon of
the Racah Institute of Physics,
Faculty of Science.
LEANING ON LENTILS
Also last week, Global Food and
Ingredients Inc., a Canadian owned and
operated plant-based food and ingredients
company, announced it has acquired
Bentilia, a lentil-based pasta brand offering
a full lineup of gluten-free products.
Founded in 2014 by Alnoor Sheriff,
32
MILLING & BAKING NEWS
Bentilia's products are all sourced from
lentil flour. Bentilia also offers a " Zimmunity "
line of pasta products that includes
proprietary, nutrient-rich ingredients
such as shiitake mushrooms, kale, broccoli
and spinach. Bentilia is sold through
several health and wellness specialty
channels in both Canada and the United
States, as well as through its direct-toconsumer
website online.
" We believe that our acquisition of the
Bentilia brand will position us extremely
well to capture significant market share
in what is a high-growth category for
retailers in the US and Canadian markets, "
said David Hanna, chief executive officer
of GFI. " The Bentilia lineup of products not
only has well-established health and wellness
credentials in this space, but we also
believe it will be able to deliver on elevated
taste expectations as well. "
Following the acquisition, GFI said
it will focus on building Bentilia's distribution
platform by expanding into
additional health and wellness-oriented
brick-and-mortar retailers, particularly
in the United States.
GFI said it will source and process
red lentil flour - the key ingredient in
the Bentilia product portfolio - at one
of its four processing plants in western
Canada. The flour will be milled further
through GFI's pea splitting and flour mill
capabilities, the company said.
CRAZY ABOUT KERNZA
Patagonia Provisions, the food brand
under Patagonia, Inc., in February said
it is adding an organic fusilli pasta made
with Kernza, a perennial grain that
comes from intermediate wheatgrass.
The fusilli pasta is made with a combination
of semolina and Kernza flours.
Sausalito, Calif.-based Patagonia
Provisions chose to use Kernza for its
climate-friendly properties, according to
the company. Since Kernza is a perennial
grain, its roots stay alive in one place
throughout the year, and it doesn't need
to be planted annually. The grain also
uses less water than wheat and requires
no tilling.
" We are excited to continue to find
delicious innovative ways to help scale
Kernza, " said Birgit Cameron, co-founder
and head of Patagonia Provisions. " Full
of warm, nutty flavor and a pleasing
springy texture, our new pasta works
well in just about every plant- or meatbased
recipe, including comforting pasta
bakes and pasta salads. "
GETTING INTO SHAPE
Also in February, Banza, a maker of
chickpea-based comfort foods, launched
Banza Cascatelli by Sporkful, a betterfor-you
and gluten-free version of the
new cascatelli pasta shape.
The company partnered with Dan
Pashman, creator and host of The
Sporkful podcast, who spent several
years researching and designing the
novel pasta shape. Cascatelli features
sauce-holding crevices and a slightly
rough texture. Drawing inspiration from
existing pastas bucatini and mafaldine, it
has a half-tube shape with ruffled edges.
The new cascatelli product offers the
same nutritional benefits as Banza's
other pasta shapes, with 20 grams of protein
and 8 grams of fiber per serving.
" It was amazing to see the excitement
around cascatelli when it launched last
year, and it made us eager to create a version
made from ingredients that all pasta
lovers could enjoy, regardless of dietary
restrictions, " Mr. Pashman said. MBN
- Eric Schroeder
bakingbusiness.com
PASTA update
BENTILIA, PATAGONIA, INC. AND BANZA
http://www.bakingbusiness.com
Milling & Baking News - April 5, 2022

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