More than just ‘plant-based’: a conscious technological choice
The food industry is undergoing a period of profound transformation. Whilst the initial focus was on ‘plant-based versus animal-based’, the debate has now shifted to food processing, facilities and transformation.
The Animal Fat Free ® range, developed by Biobontà, stems precisely from this realisation: to simplify industrial processes whilst maintaining high sensory performance.
What does ‘unprocessed’ really mean?
According to the NOVA classification, ultra-processed foods are characterised by:
- a large number of ingredients
- extensive use of functional additives
- artificial reconstruction of food matrices
Many vegetable-based sauces currently on the market fall into this category:
- protein isolates
- reconstituted fibres
- synthetic emulsifiers
- masking flavourings
Animal Fat Free ® sauces take the opposite approach
- continuous food structure
- few functional ingredients
- no molecular reconstruction
From a technical point of view, this means one very specific thing: 👉 simple emulsions, not restructured systems
The emulsion: a natural colloidal system
An emulsion is a two-phase colloidal system in which two immiscible liquids (typically water and oil) are stabilised by means of:
- mechanical energy
- an emulsifying agent
Classic mayonnaise is the perfect example:
- aqueous phase
- lipid phase
- mechanical emulsification
- physical, not chemical, stability
📌 Animal Fat Free® applies precisely this principle, avoiding:
- forced texturisation
- artificial gelling
- extrusion or high-pressure fractionation processes
Why giving up soya is a complex technical decision
From an industrial perspective, soya is an ‘easy’ emulsifier:
- functional proteins
- natural lecithins
- excellent stability
But it has well-known drawbacks:
- a declarable allergen
- a recognisable flavour profile
- high levels of industrial standardisation
Animal Fat Free® is soya-free
This choice requires us to:
- rethink the structure of the emulsion
- work with physical rather than chemical parameters
- take on a genuine technological challenge
It is not an ideological compromise, but a scientific stance.
Rice as an emulsifying base: challenges and benefits
Using rice as the base for a sauce is technically complex.
Rice consists mainly of:
- starch (amylose + amylopectin)
- a very low content of functional protein
Why it is difficult to emulsify with rice
- lack of lecithins
- low amphiphilic capacity
- the need for precise viscosity control
In this context, the stability of the emulsion does not derive from additives, but from:
- particle size distribution
- balance between the aqueous and lipid phases
- mechanical control of the process
This makes the product intrinsically closer to a culinary preparation than to an industrial reconstruction.
Nutritional and sensory implications
From a sensory perspective:
- smooth texture
- clean mouthfeel
- no legume-like aftertaste
From a conceptual perspective:
- fewer ingredients ≠ less flavour
- more structure ≠ greater industrial complexity
The result is a sauce that:
- behaves like a traditional sauce
- complements real food well
- does not overpower, but accompanies
Animal Fat Free® as a cultural concept in modern cuisine
This range is not designed to imitate meat, eggs or animal-derived products.
It was created to redefine the very concept of modern sauce:
- suitable for everyday cooking
- compatible with allergy requirements
- technologically straightforward
- sensory-rich
In a market that often confuses innovation with complexity, Animal Fat Free ® chooses the more difficult path: intelligent simplicity.
Biobontà: responsible food technology
The Animal Fat Free® project reinforces Biobontà’s positioning:
- focus on the structure of the food
- respect for raw ingredients
- rejection of ultra-processing as a shortcut
The future of flavour is no longer artificial.
It is technically cleaner.
