Starch Pros

July 20^th 2021

Gurgaon-based agency begins making biopolymer from corn starch.

Gurgaon-based Hello-Tech Worldwide, a expertise sourcing supplier within the discipline of plastics and packaging, has come out with a plant-based bio-compostable polymer. The biopolymer, made out of corn starch, can change single- and multiple-use plastic merchandise.
“Corn starch is the principle ingredient within the polymer, which is biodegradable. It’s 100 per cent compostable and might change plastic bottles, straws, cups, disposable cutlery and polybags,” mentioned Mukul Sareen, Director, Enterprise Improvement, Hello-Tech Worldwide.

Bio-compostable product

The bio-compostable polymer, branded as Dr. Bio, has acquired the approval of the Institute of Petrochemicals Expertise (previously Central Institute of Petrochemicals Expertise Engineering and Expertise) after checks.
“Our product, India’s first, was accredited solely after it was discovered to be compostable. Ours is the one Bureau of Indian Requirements (BIS) accredited biopolymer movie,” the Hello-Tech Worldwide official mentioned.
The agency, which shifted its headquarters to the Haryana metropolis just a few years in the past from Mumbai, has made additional progress with its product.
“We received the Central Air pollution Management Board licence to start out producing the bio-compostable polymer just a few days in the past and we’ve now begun to pitch Dr Bio to numerous clients,” Sareen advised BusinessLine in a cellphone interview.
Hello-Tech started producing bio-polymers at its plant in Ludhiana, Punjab, in 2018.

Polymer granules

The biopolymer is produced by changing the corn starch right into a granule. “We purchase starch from the mills and go in for polymerisation by way of a mixing course of. This helps us to get polymer granules the best way some petrochemical companies produce plastic granules,” Sareen mentioned.
From these granules, the Gurgaon-based agency, established in 1985, produces bottles, cups, trays, polybags and different such supplies. “Corn starch makes up 60-70 per cent of our product. We additionally use biomass to fabricate our merchandise,” he mentioned.
The biopolymer product getting the obligatory clearances from the authorities is important since India alone produces 9.46 million tonnes of plastic waste yearly. At the very least 40 per cent of this stays uncollected. The issue with these waste is a few 43 per cent is used for packaging and most are for single-use.
At the very least 60 per cent of this leads to landfills or in open environments. An actual downside with plastics is that out of each 100 kg, at the very least 40 kg will not be tapped for reuse.

Stronger than plastics

Although manufacturing prices of biopolymer are greater, it may be offset by producing supplies which have decrease micron ranges than conventional plastic merchandise. “Biopolymers are 2.5 instances costlier than plastic merchandise however the place it could rating is that you simply can’t produce a plastic bag lower than 50 microns. Alternatively, we will produce a biopolymer bag of 20 microns,” he mentioned.
Although the micron stage is decrease, these biopolymers are stronger than the plastic baggage. “A 50 micron typical polybag manufactured from plastic can usually maintain merchandise as much as two kg. Our biopolymer baggage can maintain merchandise as much as 5 kg,” Sareen mentioned.
Hello-Tech Worldwide’s hope for a superb response to its product additionally stems from the brand new legislation that the Centre is planning to provide you with towards elevating the micron stage to 120. “This can make our product extra aggressive towards the plastic merchandise,” he mentioned.
The corporate has commercially launched Dr Bio and a few clients have accepted it. “We’re additionally exporting the biopolymers to Europe, the US, South America and South Africa. Now we have began pitching our product to e-commerce companies too and thus far, we’ve received good traction,” he mentioned.
Hello-Tech, which is a privately held agency, is now trying to produce comparable biopolymers from potato and tapioca, that are starch supplies.

Source: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/hi-tech-international-begins-making-biopolymer-from-corn-starch/article35423562.ece

July 12^th 2021

Tate & Lyle spins off industrial sweeteners, starches division to focus on specialty food and beverage solutions.

Tate & Lyle has struck a $1.3bn deal to sell a controlling stake in its ‘Primary Products’ industrial sweeteners and starches business in the Americas to private equity firm KPS Capital Partners, as it focuses on specialty sweeteners, fibers, texturants and other high-value food & beverage ingredients.

The Primary Products business will be moved into a newly formed company called NewCo in which Tate & Lyle will retain a 50% stake.

NewCo comprises three corn wet mills in the US, acidulant plants in the US and Brazil; a 50% stake in two joint ventures – Almex in Guadalajara, Mexico and Bio-PDO, in Loudon, Tennessee; and a grain elevator network and bulk transfer stations in North America.

Tate & Lyle will in turn focus on specialty ingredients for sweetening, mouthfeel, and fortification, such as allulose, sucralose, locust bean gum, stevia, specialty starches, fiber, tapioca and products from selected corn wet mills in Indiana, the Netherlands, and Slovakia.

Primary Products’ European operations, which accounted for around 5% of Primary Products’ revenue in the year ended 31 March 2021, will remain with Tate & Lyle, which said the deal would reduce its exposure to commodities markets in North America.

Upon completion of the deal – expected in the first quarter next year – Tate & Lyle plans to return about £500m to shareholders in a special dividend and retain remaining proceeds for investment, to strengthen its balance sheet, and for M&A, said Tate & Lyle, which sold its sugar business in 2010.

CEO Nick Hampton stated: “Today’s announcement represents the next phase in the evolution of Tate & Lyle. Our one strong company will become two stronger businesses, both in a position to pursue new and exciting growth opportunities in their respective markets.”

Speaking on a call with analysts this morning, Hampton said sweetening, mouthfeel, and fortification were areas of “significant growth” for Tate & Lyle, adding: “Over the last three years, in sweetening, revenue from products supporting sugar reduction, excluding sucralose, increased by a compound annual growth rate of over 20%. Over the same period, in mouthfeel, our range of clean label texturants delivered revenue growth with a CAGR of over 30%; and in fortification revenue for our soluble fibers grew by more than 15%.”

Source: https://www.tateandlyle.com/sites/default/files/2021-07/12-july-2021-tate-lyle-press-release-final.pdf

July 07^th 2021

Hydroxyethyl starch products shouldn’t be used for low blood volume unless no other options exist.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says it is requiring new safety warnings for hydroxyethyl starch (HES) products in light of reports of death, kidney injury and excessive bleeding associated with these products.

HES treatments are used to stabilize patients experiencing severe blood loss. The announcement follows up on an FDA safety review of these products from randomized clinical trials, meta-analyses, and observational studies. Through this review, the agency concluded that “changes to the Boxed Warning are warranted to highlight the risk of mortality, kidney injury, and excess bleeding, as well as to include a statement that HES products should not be used unless adequate alternative treatment is unavailable.”

There are currently three FDA-approved HES innovator products on the market: HESPAN, 6% hetastarch in 0.9% sodium chloride injection; made by B. Braun Medical, HEXTEND, 6% hetastarch in lactated electrolyte injection made by BioTime, and Voluven, 6% hydroxyethyl starch 130/0.4 in 0.9% sodium chloride injection, made by Fresenius Kabi. There is also one approved generic version of HESPAN that is distributed in the US (6% hetastarch in 0.9% sodium chloride injection) made by Hospira.

In reaching the decision to make the labeling changes, FDA relied on a meta-analysis as well as retrospective and observational studies that “collectively show increased risk of mortality” and acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients undergoing surgery who receive HES. The meta-analysis looked at 15 randomized controlled trials, finding a safety signal for increased risk of AKI and renal replacement therapy (RRT) in 4,409 surgical patients treated with HES products. The meta-analysis review was published in the August 2014 issue of Netherlands Journal of Critical Care.

Other retrospective and observational studies in a variety of surgical populations also found increased risk of AKI, RRT and coagulopathy, noted FDA.

For blunt trauma patients, receipt of HES products was associated with not only AKI, but also increased risk of mortality in two retrospective studies.

Excess bleeding when surgical patients received HES products was also seen in one small randomized controlled trial and a larger retrospective study.

This is not the first time that regulators have sounded alarm bells for these products: in 2013, the FDA and the European Medicines Agency issued warnings for these treatments, saying they had several worrisome side effects (RELATED: FDA adds serious new warnings to hydroxyethyl starch products, but falls short of EMA’s restrictions, Regulatory Focus 26 June 2013)

Source: https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/safety-availability-biologics/labeling-changes-mortality-kidney-injury-and-excess-bleeding-hydroxyethyl-starch-products

July 07^th 2021

Samyang Corp. has developed biodegradable plastic using corn starch.

A Bio-material That Can Be Easily Processed into Films.

Samyang Corp. announced on July 6 that it has developed biodegradable plastic using corn starch for the first time in the world. The biodegradable plastic utilizes a bio-material called “isosorbide*,” which is created by chemically processing starch from plants such as corn. The material is stronger and tougher than petroleum-based materials, so it can be easily processed in the form of film. For this reason, it is used to produce disposable bags, agricultural films and fishing nets among others.

Samyang Corp. also developed a compound that can be processed into films. Processing biodegradable plastic into a film form requires a compounding process. The company has developed technology related to this compounding process.

Samyang Innochem, an affiliate of Samyang Corp. is currently building an isosorbide plant with an annual capacity of 10,000 tons for completion in the second half of 2021.

Source: https://www.samyang.com/eng/HD03/Details/1789

* Isosorbide is a bicyclic chemical compound from the group of diols and the oxygen-containing heterocycles, containing two fused furan rings. The starting material for isosorbide is D-sorbitol, which is obtained by catalytic hydrogenation of D-glucose, which is in turn produced by hydrolysis of starch. Isosorbide is discussed as a plant-based platform chemical from which biodegradable derivatives of various functionality can be obtained. Isosorbide is currently of great scientific and technical interest as a monomer building block for biopolymeric polycarbonates, polyesters, polyurethanes and epoxides.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isosorbide

June 25^th 2021

A tiny device incorporates a compound made from starch and baking soda to harvest energy from movement.

Scientists have used a compound made from a starch derivative and baking soda to help convert mechanical to electrical energy. The approach, developed by scientists at Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Technology (DGIST), with colleagues in Korea and India, is cost-effective and biocompatible, and can help charge low-energy electronics like calculators and watches. The details were published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials.

“Triboelectric nanogenerators harvest mechanical energy and convert it into an electric current,” explains DGIST robotics engineer Hoe Joon Kim. “But many of the materials used in these devices are considered a biohazard and are not suitable for wearable applications. Our triboelectric nanogenerator incorporates cyclodextrin, a green material that is widely used for drug delivery in the human body, making it eco-friendly and hazard-free.”

Cyclodextrin is a polysaccharide compound produced from starch. The scientists used it to link sodium ions together in what is known as a metal-organic framework (MOF). MOFs form porous materials widely used in gas storage, catalysis and sensing.

Specifically, Kim and his team applied ultrasound to a mixture of cyclodextrin and sodium bicarbonate in water. They then added trimesic acid and applied another short round of ultrasound. The process happens at room temperature and leads to the formation of a MOF made of sodium ions linked together by cyclodextrin bonds.

The team incorporated the MOF into a nanogenerator by coating it onto a copper electrode, which sits on a plastic polyethylene terephthalate (PET) base. Opposite to the MOF layer is a Teflon layer placed on a second copper electrode that is also stuck to a PET sheet. The two sides of the nanogenerator open and close in response to movements, such as walking or jogging. Each time the MOF makes contact with the Teflon, electrons are exchanged and an electric current is generated. This process is called the triboelectric effect.

The team tested the device by attaching it to a shoe, a backpack, and a person’s knee and abdomen. They found it could harvest mechanical energy from walking, jogging and bending, and even from some typical yoga moves. The device was able to drive low-power electronics like a digital wristwatch, a hydrometer and a calculator.

“Our MOF extends the list of triboelectric materials,” says Kim. He and his team plan to continue looking for biocompatible materials that can be used in wearable applications. They are also working on developing super capacitors that can store energy generated from triboelectric nanogenerators. “Using the nanogenerator and super capacitor together, we believe we can develop next-generation energy systems for wearable electronics, biodevices and robots,” he says.

Source: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-06/dgi-tcp062121.php

June 24^th 2021

In a world-first, a Kobe University research group led by Associate Professor FUKAYAMA Hiroshi of the Graduate School of Agricultural Science has used rice to successfully illuminate the mechanism by which plants regulate the amount of starch produced via photosynthesis. This knowledge could contribute towards improving the quality and yield of agricultural crops.

These research results were published in the international scientific journal Plant, Cell & Environment on May 14, 2021.

Main Point

• Plants convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into organic substances (such as starch) via photosynthesis. If a plant is growing in conditions where there is an elevated concentration of CO2, the amount of starch it produces increases.
• CRCT (1) protein levels increase when CO2 concentrations are elevated. This protein has been thought to promote starch synthesis but how it does this was previously unknown.
• The research group revealed that 14-3-3 proteins (2) play a role in CRCT-mediated regulation of starch synthesis.
• They indicated the possibility that CRCT moves into and becomes activated in the starch-storing parenchyma cells after being synthesized in the phloem’s vascular bundles.
• The researchers also revealed that CRCT binds to regulation sites on multiple starch synthesis-related genes and is a transcriptional activator protein.
• Synthesizing starch is a vital process for plants. The illumination of the regulatory mechanism behind this process will be useful for improving crop productivity and quality.

Research Background

The increased concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is the main cause of global warming, which is a worldwide issue. However, it has been said that this could benefit plants as they convert CO2 into starch via photosynthesis. If a crop is grown in conditions where there is an elevated concentration of CO2, starch synthesis is accelerated, resulting in vigorous growth and increased yield. CO2-Responsive CCT protein (CRCT) is activated in conditions where CO2 concentration is high, however its function remained unknown. This research group has been investigating these proteins using rice plants, and previously discovered that CRCT is an important protein that regulates starch synthesis. In their latest findings, the group have revealed how CRCT regulates this process, which was not understood until now.

Research Methodology and Findings

Various proteins are required for starch synthesis in plants, including glucose 6-phosphate/phosphate translocator, ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase, starch synthase and starch branching enzyme. The researchers hypothesized that CRCT regulates the expression of multiple genes corresponding to these starch synthesis-related proteins. Proteins that regulate gene expression are called transcription factors. In many cases, these transcription factors form a complex with another protein. When the researchers analyzed the volume of CRCT inside a plant, they discovered that it can form a complex with some types of protein. To investigate this further, they performed an analysis using an antibody that specifically binds to CRCT, which revealed that CRCT binds to 14-3-3 proteins. From another analysis, this time using green fluorescent proteins, the research group illuminated that CRCT and 14-3-3 protein form a complex inside the nucleus (Figure 1). They also indicated the possibility that CRCT moves into and becomes activated in the starch-storing parenchyma cells after being synthesized in the phloem’s vascular bundles. Furthermore, the researchers revealed that CRCT promotes transcription by binding to regions that regulate the expression of multiple starch synthesis-related genes.

It is known that there is a negative correlation between the expression of 14-3-3 proteins and the amount of starch. However, our results showed that there is a positive correlation between the amount of starch and the expression of CRCT. Consequently, the research group assumes that 14-3-3 protein and CRCT form an inactive complex (Figure 2).

Further Developments

Starch synthesis is indispensable for plants, and CRCT, which regulates this process, is a prime target for efforts to improve crop quality and productivity. In addition, CRCT is a gene that is activated under conditions where there is an elevated concentration of CO2, and this knowledge will be useful for selecting suitable rice cultivars for such environments in the future. Furthermore, similar genes to CRCT have been found in every plant investigated so far. The research group is also currently investigating CRCT function in potato, a staple starch crop.

From an academic standpoint, there are still questions that need to be answered. Looking at the current research results, it can be supposed that CRCT proteins move between cells but the underlying mechanism is not known. Furthermore, it is not understood how CRCT changes its own expression level in response to CO2 concentrations and sugar levels. If the mechanism behind CRCT-mediated regulation of starch synthesis can be fully illuminated, it will be possible to make even greater improvements to agricultural crops.

Source: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-06/ku-itm062221.php

June 23^rd 2021

Researchers look at finding new opportunities for pulse starch.

Pulse crops grown in Saskatchewan, including peas, fababeans, chickpeas and lentils, have long been recognized as a safe and nutritious food source.

Now, researchers at the University of Saskatchewan are looking at novel uses for pulse starches that could result in the creation of new environmentally friendly products such as bioplastics, biofilms and plant-based biomedical materials.

This week, the provincial and federal governments announced that they’ve committed $2.5 million to support pulse starch research being led by U of S researcher Yongfeng Ai.

Ai’s project received the money through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) program and the Saskatchewan Strategic Research Initiative Program, whose theme is pulse starch utilization.

The work is aimed at improving the processes that are used to transform pulse crops into novel food ingredients as well as bioplastics, biofilms used for packaging and high-value, plant-based products used by the medical industry.

“Today’s investment will stimulate further development and growth in the Saskatchewan pulse and value-added industries by identifying new ways to process pulse starch,” said Saskatchewan ag minister Dave Marit.

The project will bring Saskatchewan closer to achieving a number of goals described in Saskatchewan’s Plan for Growth document, Marit added.

Those goals include processing 50 percent of Saskatchewan pulse crops in the province and increasing the province’s value-added agriculture revenue to $10 billion.

Pulse starches offer a wide variety of characteristics that make them unlike other botanical source materials.

Specifically, pulse starches can be developed into unique biogels that have different physical forms. They can also tolerate high temperature processing and are a good source of resistant starch — a new type of dietary fibre.

The strong gelling and film-forming ability of pulse starches make them a particularly useful ingredient for bioplastics and biomedical materials.

Potential uses include packaging materials, fabric fibres, hemostasis materials and wound dressings.

Unlike plastic-based products, products made from pulses starches are highly biodegradable and compostable.

“This project will build the university’s reputation as a leading research institution, working to highlight Canada’s innovation ecosystem on the global stage,” said Baljit Singh, the university’s vice-president of research.

“Dr. Ai’s work demonstrates the clear potential for the development of value-added pulse products to industry and the public at large.”

Ai, an assistant professor at the university’s College of Agriculture and Bioresearches, will explore new applications for Saskatchewan pulse starches and streamline the processes used to convert pulses into value added starch-based ingredients and products.

Ai also holds Saskatchewan Agriculture’s Endowed Research Chair in Carbohydrate Quality and Utilization. The research will be conducted in U of S laboratories in conjunction with the university’s Crop Development Centre, the departments of animal and poultry science and chemical and biological engineering, the Food Pilot Plant, the Fermentation Pilot Plant and the Bioprocessing Pilot Plant.

Other research collaborators include Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, the Saskatchewan Agri-Food Innovation Centre, the University of Manitoba, the Alberta Food Processing Development Centre and the Canadian International Grains Institute.

Other researchers involved in the project include professors Michael Nickerson, Tom Warkentin, Bunyamin Tar’an, Bishnu Acharya, Darren Korber, Takuji Tanaka and Denise Beaulieu from the U of S and Malcolm Xing from the U of M.

Source: https://www.producer.com/news/on-the-hunt-for-new-ways-to-use-pulse-starch/

June 09^th 2021

Simplified ingredient lists and traceable origins increasingly prioritized.

Traceable, fair-trade and simplified labels and other claims are stealing the spotlight in Food & Beverage innovation, and texturizing ingredients are no exception to the trend. The plant-based space, in particular, is seeing new label-friendly texturizers come to market.

Alternatives to meat and dairy not only rely on hydrocolloids for texture and mouthfeel, these products are driven by a demographic already seeking ethical and sustainable claims on the foods they eat.

Reflecting the focus on clean label claims, Innova Market Insights reports the top positioning in Food & Beverage containing hydrocolloids is No Additives/Preservatives, accounting for 15 percent of product launches globally in 2020. This is followed by Gluten-Free (14 percent), High/Source of Protein (9 percent), Vegetarian (9 percent) and Vegan (7).

Furthermore, the use of hydrocolloids in F&B is decreasing globally, featuring a -1 percent year-over-year decline when comparing 2019 and 2020 launches, notes the market researcher.

This may demonstrate brands’ efforts to shorten the ingredient list with multifunctional texturizers, in-situ hydrocolloids or other clean label alternatives.

FoodIngredientsFirst speaks with industry experts on the latest hydrocolloid ingredients and technologies, which are sharpening the focus on clean and clear labeling in their latest texture developments.

Cargill and CP Kelco are two companies making strides in ingredients that can shorten the ingredient list for improved texture.

“From our 2021 IngredienTracker consumer research, we know that today’s shoppers have a keen interest in how their food is made,” says Matthias Bourdeau, marketing manager at Cargill Starches, Sweeteners and Texturizers Europe.

“They seek out products made with recognizable ingredients that they view as ‘minimally processed.’”

Cargill’s recently unveiled WavePure ADG powder ingredient, for instance, is sourced from red Gracilaria seaweed. As a traditional food ingredient in the EU, this gelling and thickening ingredient is suitable for dairy desserts and does not require an E-number.

For CP Kelco, a key strategy to reducing the total number of ingredients is finding one ingredient that can help accomplish multiple tasks. This could be a dual-function gellan gum for suspension and mouthfeel, or a new pectin that simplifies the process of making fruited yogurt drinks, explains Adeline Saadi, senior manager, business development at the company.

CP Kelco’s latest innovation, Nutrava Citrus Fiber, for example, is both a nutritional and functional ingredient with sustainable credentials.

“Our process allows us to convert the peels into a citrus fiber that is suitable for a broad range of food and beverage products,” she says.

The typical content of dietary fiber in Nutrava Citrus Fiber is a minimum of 80 percent with an approximately balanced amount of soluble and insoluble fiber.

The “close to nature” ingredient is touted for being able to help formulators meet their clean label goals while supporting dietary fiber intake and key requirements for texture and taste.

For dairy and dairy alternative beverages, new grades of KelcoGel Gellan Gum offer dual functionality by providing both long-lasting suspension and mouthfeel. It can represent cost savings for formulators and a way to achieve fewer ingredients on the label.

CP Kelco also offers grades to help meet organic-compliant, reduced-sugar, non-GMO and other clean label goals, she adds.

For Dennis Seisun, founder of hydrocolloids consultancy IMR International: “The battle for consumers has transitioned from inside the container to outside.”

In other words, traditionally, it has been the best product inside the container which won consumers’ minds and dollars: Good texture, mouthfeel, little syneresis, good flavor release, and suspension.

“But over the last few decades,” he says, “the importance of label declaration has gained importance, which could not have been imagined.”

As a result of intensified demand for clean label, Seisun explains, consumers have driven food companies to innovate in a way that achieves functionality with “a bit of an optical illusion.”

The best of example of this are in-situ ingredients, he details.

“Tomatoes with a higher pectin content are grown so as to avoid having to add any pectin; a higher dose of stabilizer is added to a yogurt fruit filling, which is then added to a yogurt which itself cannot contain a stabilizer.”

He explains that in the past, xanthomonas bacteria was fermented in whey extract, and the resulting xanthan gum was not recovered. The product was declared as “fermented whey extract” when, in essence, xanthan gum was providing the functionality.

“We expect to see more of the in-situ technologies used to please consumers while providing the needed functionalities.”

In a bid to support label-friendly formulation, Cargill added tapioca-based starches to its existing lines of corn- and potato-based SimPure starches earlier this year.

The SimPure functional native starches are obtained without chemical modification. Instead, the starch granules are stabilized through heat and moisture treatment.

This gives SimPure starches process stability similar to conventional modified starches while allowing for a reference to the botanical source (i.e., potato, corn or tapioca) on the ingredient label.

These process tolerant starches bring sensory and functional attributes together, offering a creamy mouthfeel, while delivering good water-binding properties and cold-storage stability.

The newly introduced tapioca-based SimPure solutions have a neutral flavor profile and targeted product applications that vary depending on the product range.

For example, the SimPure 996 series of tapioca starches create soft gel textures for applications such as firm-but-succulent meat alternatives.

New technologies in processing are also helping companies innovate to meet the growing demand for plant-based products with meat- or dairy-like mouthfeel.

Steve Matzke, senior manager, pioneering innovation at CP Kelco notes that, while fermentation is not new per se, more companies are inquiring about fermentation as a technique to sustainably produce ingredients and even alternative proteins.

“Fermentation provides a consistent approach to ingredient technology that is less reliant on climate and the volatility that can be associated with harvesting raw materials,” he says.

“Fermentation can be used to produce specific functional ingredients which can be enablers for improved sensory and textural properties of plant-based products.”

CP Kelco’s “go-to” ingredient for texture, KelcoGel Gellan Gum, is derived with fermentation.

It leverages the fast growth of microorganisms to efficiently scale up and produce large quantities for market, Matzke adds.

Taking on the tech challenge for a scalable plant-forward future, Cargill has invested in the start-up Bflike to enable affordable, plant-based alternatives that are “virtually indistinguishable from their animal-based counterparts.”

“Bflike is poised to be a new technology leader in the rapidly evolving meat and fish alternatives categories, which can really cover all these fronts,” says Belgin Köse, segment director proteins, Cargill Starches, Sweeteners and Texturizers Europe.

Bflike will license its proprietary technology and premix ingredient solutions to food manufacturers and retailers, supporting them to commercialize their own meat and fish alternative products.

A key feature to Bflike’s technology, notes Köse, is its patent-pending vegan fat and blood platforms and its ability to utilize machinery commonly used for meat products.

“This means that their licensees will not need to buy expensive equipment or use energy-intensive technologies. Finally, the technology allows customers to move seamlessly from pilot to commercialization, scaling up quickly using their own production processes and machinery, while supported by Cargill’s secure supply of critical ingredients.”

Source: https://www.foodingredientsfirst.com/news/texture-innovation-industry-experts-deem-clean-and-ethical-label-claims-paramount.html

June 03^rd 2021

USGC teams up with Egyptian corn starch company.

Most businesses have a desire to be more efficient with their inputs and increase profitability. To help one of the most renowned companies in Egypt improve its industrial starch plants’ operations, the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) connected the Cairo- based company with high-level starch consultant, Dr. Vijay Singh of the University of Illinois.

“Dr. Singh’s consultation began in 2019 as he helped the starch producers evaluate their facilities and identify processes that could improve their overall operations and plant profitability,” said Kyle Gilliam, USGC manager of global strategies and trade.

“The results of the Council’s industrial corn starch study were shared with the starch company via a virtual conference last year. The findings showed that U.S. corn can extract three to four percent higher yields of starch versus corn of other origins, which can have a significant impact on the plant’s overall profitability.”

This week, Dr. Singh and Gilliam traveled to Cairo to help the Egyptian starch company understand the technology and science associated with corn wet milling through an audit that analyzed the starch extractability of U.S.-origin corn. The study’s results show that starch companies processing 1,500 metric tons per day of corn can gain about $1 million in additional profit for every one percent of increase in starch yield. But to reach that gain, technology must be optimized.

Through one-on-one meetings and tours of the facilities, Dr. Singh was able to review the company’s procedures, collect samples and provide specific recommendations for improving its wet milling operations. Optimization of the wet milling process also allows for the discussion of U.S. corn benefits.

“Dr. Singh’s technical expertise helps provide reassurance that U.S. corn and co-products are an available and reliable source in Egypt,” Gilliam said. “We are working to continue to build long-term trust in this competitive market.”

Increasing use of starch by Egyptian customers could mean additional sales of U.S. corn – both for starch and other purposes.

U.S. corn exports to North Africa and the Middle East are highly variable and compete on price with South American and the Black Sea corn. However, the region has more than 2 MMT (78 million bushels) of corn demand for 15 industrial starch plants in the region. If the Council’s engagement with the starch sector is successful, the Council will establish a consistent demand for 2 MMT (78 million bushels) of U.S. corn in the region for the industrial starch sector. In turn, this could increase overall demand for U.S. corn on an annual basis as traders and vessels are routinely shipping U.S. corn into the region 12 months of the year rather than just six. Subsequently, the local starch industry has the potential to earn a combined $15 million more annually due to higher starch yields in U.S. corn.

Source: https://www.world-grain.com/articles/15387-usgc-teams-up-with-egyptian-corn-starch-company

May 11^th 2021

Neanderthals ate starch-rich foods, expanding their brains.

Neanderthals and ancient humans adapted to eating starch-rich diets 100,000 years ago, far earlier than previously believed, according to a new study on the evolutionary history of the human oral microbiome.

According to the findings, such foods became important in the human diet long before farming and even before modern humans evolved.

And, although these early humans were probably unaware of it, the advantages of introducing the foods into their diet undoubtedly aided in the expansion of the human brain due to the glucose in starch, which is the brain’s main fuel source.

“We think we’re seeing evidence of a really ancient behavior that might have been part encephalization, or the growth of the human brain,” said Harvard Professor Christina Warinner, Ph.D. ’10. “It’s evidence of a new food source that early humans were able to tap into in the form of roots, starchy vegetables, and seeds.”

The findings are the result of a seven-year study conducted by more than 50 foreign scientists and published on Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Researchers recreated the oral microbiomes of Neanderthals, primates, and humans, including what is thought to be the oldest oral microbiome ever sequenced: a 100,000-year-old Neanderthal.

The goal was to learn more about the evolution of the oral microbiome, which is a community of microorganisms found in our mouths that help to protect against disease and promote health.

The researchers compared the fossilized dental plaques of modern humans and Neanderthals to those of humanity’s nearest primate relatives, chimps and gorillas, as well as howler monkeys, a more distant relative.

The findings also push back on the idea that Neanderthals were top carnivores, given that the “brain requires glucose as a nutrient source and meat alone is not a sufficient source,” Warinner said.

According to the researchers, the discovery makes sense because starch-rich foods, such as underground roots, tubers (like potatoes), and forbs, as well as nuts and seeds, are important and reliable protein sources for hunter-gatherer societies around the world.

In reality, starch now accounts for roughly 60% of all calories consumed by humans worldwide.

“It shows that our microbiome encodes valuable information about our own evolution that sometimes gives us hints at things that otherwise leave no traces at all,” Warinner said.

Source: https://www.pnas.org/content/118/20/e2021655118