AAK Highlights Plant-Based Fat and Oil Solutions at IFT FIRST 2026

AAK, a supplier of specialty fats and oils, is exhibiting at booth #814 during the IFT FIRST 2026 Annual Event and Expo, held July 13-15 in Chicago.¹ The company is using the event to present its portfolio of functional fat and oil solutions, which are designed to support nutritional profile, functionality, and sensory appeal across a range of food and beverage applications.

“The AAK team is excited to meet with IFT FIRST attendees and discuss how fats and oils are the essential building blocks that make our food delicious and appealing to consumers,” stated Joe Campbell, Vice President, Go-to-Market, AAK USA & Canada. “Our specialized plant-based fat and oil portfolio allows manufacturers to deliver great-tasting foods and beverages that consumers will love while providing labeling benefits such as 100% plant-based, non-GMO and more. AAK works with manufacturers to overcome formulation challenges with solutions tailored to their specific needs to match or even improve production processes. In baked goods, fats and oils play a vital role in dictating crumb structure, tenderness and moisture, while in confectionery, they act as structuring agents that control meltdown, gloss and stability. Our IFT FIRST concept is a fun way to showcase how plant-based fats and oils from AAK can help enhance indulgence in baked goods and confectionery to create products with exceptional texture, taste and performance.”

What Product Is AAK Using to Demonstrate Its Capabilities?

At its booth, AAK is featuring a Deconstructed Dubai-style Chocolate concept built from three separate components, each formulated with a different AAK ingredient. A puff pastry pie crust uses Cisao 8172 and Cisao 8315 for crumb texture, a compound chocolate coating uses Cebes 29-82 NH as a cocoa butter alternative, and a Dubai-style filling uses Confao 73 for a smooth, creamy texture. Show attendees can sample each layer individually to evaluate how the ingredients function on their own before considering them in a finished formulation.

What Applications Does AAK's Broader Portfolio Address?

Beyond the show floor demonstration, AAK positions its plant-based fats and oils as relevant to confectionery, bakery, dairy, special nutrition, and plant-based alternative product categories. Per the company, its ingredients are formulated to address sensory attributes like taste and texture while also supporting sustainability goals and label claims such as non-GMO and RSPO certification. AAK notes that fats and oils influence crumb structure, tenderness, and moisture in baked goods, and act as structuring agents affecting meltdown, gloss, and stability in confectionery applications. The company points to its network of local and global Innovation Centers, along with more than 150 years in the industry, as the basis for its co-development approach with customers on formulation projects.

What Else Has AAK Recently Announced?

AAK's IFT FIRST presence follows a separate regulatory update relevant to plant-based formulators. In July 2024, the company received a No Questions Letter from the FDA on a GRAS notification for its shea stearin ingredient, opening the door to its use in new food categories, including plant-based meat, poultry, and dairy alternatives, for the first time since 1998, AAK explained.

Company leadership described the notification as providing regulatory certainty for customers formulating with the ingredient across bakery, confectionery filling, nut and seed spread, and margarine applications. AAK also described shea stearin as a lower-saturated-fat alternative to coconut oil for solid-fat applications, positioning it as a longer-term option for manufacturers seeking to reformulate away from tropical oils.²

References

1. AAK. AAK Showcases Latest Functional Oil Innovations at IFT FIRST 2026 [press release]. Published July 13, 2026. Accessed July 13, 2026.
2. Krawiec S. AAK announces successful GRAS notification for its shea stearin ingredient for use in plant-based food products. Nutritional Outlook. Published July 12, 2024. Accessed July 13, 2026. https://www.nutritionaloutlook.com/view/aak-announces-successful-gras-notification-for-its-shea-stearin-ingredient-for-use-in-plant-based-food-products