The push to clean up food label declaration has escalated over the past few years. Initially, this focus concentrated on artificial flavors and colors; however, a wider array of food ingredients such as starches, gums, chemical emulsifiers and stabilizers, are now in question.
Due to this scrutiny, food companies are quickly reformulating or creating new products using natural ingredients to improve food labeling. Unfortunately, this effort can be challenging because many foods that contain natural ingredients are not as tolerant to food processing conditions; and as a result, developers are often left scrambling for alternatives.
In a recent press release, Fiberstar reinforced the role their natural ingredient,Citri-Fi® can play in the clean label markets.
Citri-Fi® natural citrus fiber is produced from the citrus juicing industry. Fiberstar’s clean, patented process opens up the fiber to provide a higher surface area which improves its high water holding capacity. This makes Citri-Fi® ideal for key food applications such as meats, bakery, dairy, beverages and sauces, Plus, Citri-Fi is non-GMO, gluten-free and non-allergenic, and it qualifies as fiber under the new FDA ruling so it can be labeled as citrus fiber, citrus flour, dried citrus fiber or pulp.
This natural fiber can be a natural solution in the following applications:
- Meat & Poultry – 100% phosphate replacement when used with native starch. Provides yield improvement and firm and juicy texture.
- Sauces – Starch and gum replacement in tomato-based products. Provides viscosity to improve quality and texture and maintains tomato sauce red color and flavor.
- Dairy – A chemical stabilizer and emulsifier replacement. Provides reduced syneresis, freeze thaw stability and smooth mouthfeel.
- Dry Plating Oils – An alternative to silica, starches and spray drying which can be costly. Provides high oil load (25-30%) while remaining free flowing, with functional benefits in the final products such as stabilization and texture and mouth-feel improvement.
Please contact your Skidmore representative for samples or more information.
