First envisioned during the COVID pandemic, the Oleum platform is comprised of three different AI software programs — Jul-ia, James.ify and Anthon/e — named after famous chefs. Each of the three provides specific functionality including:
- Jul-ia supports margarine and shortening development and can demonstrate the connection between triglycerides and their oils and fats characteristics.
- James.ify shows how to blend fats to retain the characteristics of the fatty bases in an application.
- Anthon/e rapidly designs lipids and currently is in the validation stage.
Alianza’s R&D team uses the AI platform to inform their lipid creations and works with food and beverage companies one-on-one to create lipids for specific food and beverage applications. The platform is provided to Alianza customers at no extra charge.
“[James.ify and Anthon/e] have a special purpose to formulate emulgels and oliogels. ... With them, you can reduce saturated fat, and you can make healthier products and more affordable products. The other one [Jul-ia] can design shortening products and margins, and it basically works on matching the fatty acid profile and the composition that you require,” Mashali said.
Alianza used Oleum to create cookies containing its SmartShortening ingredient for IFT FIRST. The company also sampled chocolate truffles with its spray-dried oil ChocOleogel and chocolate tablets with its cocoa butter extender ChocoUp.
Additionally, Alianza shared a collaboration with HIFOOD’s, including a protein shake made with HIFOOD’s powder ingredient blend with medium-chain triglycerides, pea protein and fiber called SportsBlend; and a pound cake muffin with BakersBlend.
'[AI has] no preconceived idea that something cannot work'
With the Oleum platform, Alianza can discover underutilized fats that CPG companies might not consider when they are formulating products, Mashali said.
“If you look at all of the fats that you put into the system and all of the different molecules in the fats [and] all of the fatty acids ... AI can help us analyzes all of these variables,” Mashali said.
She added, “[AI has] no preconceived idea that something cannot work. The artificial intelligence just goes with data. It is going to tell you, ‘Why do you not try this out?’ And we have tried them out, and they have worked. So, it has been amazing to learn with the artificial intelligence [about] all of these possible compositions.”
Alianza is planning to extend the scope of the Oleum platform in the future to incorporate more specific product categories, Mashali said.
“Right now, [Oleum] is only oliogels and shortenings, but we are taking it to chocolate, we are taking it to plant-based [and] we are taking it to sports nutrition. We want to take the platform everywhere,” she added.
