Starch Pros

December 17^th 2018

Biodegradable, edible film kills pathogens on seafood.

A biodegradable, edible film made with plant starch and antimicrobial compounds may control the growth of foodborne pathogens on seafood, according to a group of international researchers.

“We have the ability to develop a film with antimicrobial activity that can kill foodborne pathogens on food surfaces,” said Catherine Cutter, professor of food science, Penn State. “Given the recent outbreaks that we have seen with a number of food products, coming up with something that can be used by the industry to kill microorganisms on the surfaces of food is a noble area of research to investigate.”

Seafood may be contaminated with bacterial pathogens, such as vibrio and salmonella. Vibrio naturally occur in marine environments, and salmonella can contaminate seafood during production or processing. Both types of bacteria are linked to gastrointestinal problems when consumed. Because both types of bacteria can survive long-term freezing conditions, the contamination of these bacteria is a concern for the seafood industry.
Freezing does not kill bacteria. However, when freezing food, ice crystals can form from the water in food. The ice crystals, Cutter says, can act like “daggers” and pierce the bacterial cell wall, causing damage to the cell.

“Vibrio and salmonella are somewhat susceptible to freezing,” said Cutter. “So, if you treat bacterial cells with antimicrobials and then freeze them, the approach can be more lethal.”
The researchers from Thailand used a blend of thermoplastic starch, a biodegradable polymer made from cassava — tapioca powder, and a gelatin coating containing antimicrobials known as Nisin Z and lauric arginate (LAE).
The team of researchers in Thailand then created a “culture cocktail” of the bacteria and inoculated slices of tiger prawn and big-eye snapper. The experimentally-inoculated seafood samples were tested using different compositions of Nisin Z and LAE to see which variations would give the “best kill.” After dipping the samples into the edible film composed with antimicrobials, some of the slices were vacuum packaged and chilled for up to a month, and other samples were frozen for 90 days.

“If you just dip shrimp into any antimicrobial — it’s not going to stick very well,” said Cutter. “But if you put the antimicrobial into an edible film, and then dip the shrimp into the film and pull it out, that film is going to form around the shrimp. The film then releases the antimicrobials over time.”

Cutter emphasizes the importance of a “controlled release” of the antimicrobials over time in order to get the “maximum kill,” which is made possible by the edible film’s unique properties. Applying just the antimicrobials directly onto the food products would result in the antimicrobials dripping off or diluting.

“If you’re going to make an edible film, you want to make a film that has similar properties to plastic,” said Cutter. “You want these edible films to be transparent because consumers aren’t going to buy something they can’t see, you want them to be flexible, and you want the film to mold to the food product. By using edible films, you are doing it in a way that is biodegradable.”

Cutter said a big challenge that the food industry faces is reducing the reliance on plastic packaging, something the food industry has been using for the past 40-50 years.
“How do you get the industry to change something they and consumers are so used to using?” said Cutter. “This research demonstrates, through proof of concept, that antimicrobial edible films work. So how do we get this type of packaging into a commercial application? That’s the next logical step in the progression of this type of research.”
The team’s findings will be published in a paper issue February of 2019 in International Journal of Food Microbiology.

Others responsible for this project include Rinrada Pattanayaiying, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand; Amporn Sane, Kasetsart University, Thailand; and Penchom Photjanataree, Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technology.

Source: https://www.psu.edu/research

December 08^th 2018

Upcoming Starch Conventions 1^st half of 2019.

CMT’s 8^th StarchWorld Asia (Bangkok, Thailand), January 23^th – 24^th 2019.

Starch Convention with Exhibition (Detmold, Germany), April 09^th – 10^th 2019.

International Starch & Starch Derivatives Exhibition (Shanghai, China), June 19^th – 21^st 2019.

Source: https://www.cmtevents.com/aboutevent.aspx?ev=190105 and http://www.agfdt.de/en/eventreader/events/starch-convention-european-bioethanol-and-bioconversion-technology-meeting-with-exhibition.html and http://www.cisie.cn/en-us/

December 05^th 2018

Slowing starch digestibility in foods: formulation, substantiation and metabolic effects related to health.

Worldwide, the number of people with metabolic diseases such as diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM) is rapidly increasing, especially in South Asia. Development of T2DM is influenced by lifestyle-related factors such as diet and physical activity. Sustained exposure to higher post-prandial glucose (PPG) and insulin (PPI) responses increases the risk of development of (pre-)diabetes. Data from studies with drugs inhibiting alpha-glucosidase (an enzyme involved in starch digestion) and low glycaemic index/glycaemic load diets have shown that reducing PPG levels in blood by reducing the amount of absorbed carbohydrates or slowing the rates of carbohydrate digestion reduces the risk of T2DM.

However, it is not yet clear whether a reduced (total) PPG itself directly contributes to health benefits or whether related effects of changing carbohydrate digestion and/or changed metabolism play a major role. This thesis has investigated how starchy foods can be made more slowly digestible, how this is substantiated, what is their impact on PPG and PPI as well as on the associated metabolic pathways. The hypothesis is that slowly-digestible carbohydrates cause further post-absorptive effects, which manifest themselves as changes in postprandial glucose flux parameters and levels of gastrointestinal and pancreatic hormones, as well as glucose metabolites. Carbohydrate-rich staple foods are key candidates for reducing PPG and PPI exposures, because of their frequent use. Wheat-based flatbreads and rice are two of the most common carbohydrate-rich staple foods in Southeast Asia, making them important contributors to the daily glycaemic load. The first part of this thesis is dedicated to the question of which characteristics of starchy foods contribute to PPG (and PPI) and to what extent. Storage of starch in grains occurs mainly in the form of amylose and amylopectin. A systematic review of rice studies showed that rice types with a higher amylose percentage give a lower PPG response. Post-harvest processing (such as parboiling) and consumer processing (such as cooling/reheating) further contribute to a lower PPG and PPI response after consumption due to their effects on gelatinization and retrogradation. Gelatinization is the hydration and swelling of starch granules, leading to a higher starch availability to human digestive enzymes, while retrogradation is the recrystallisation of starch resulting in a more resistant type of starch.

Many food hydrocolloids, a group of long chain polymers including many dietary fibres, are able to lower blood glucose response due to their viscous or gelling nature under gastrointestinal conditions. This can delay gastric emptying and inhibit the propulsive and mixing effects in the intestine, leading to a slower digestion and a greater release of incretin hormones. In addition, these hydrocolloids may also act by direct digestive enzyme inhibition in the gastrointestinal tract. In the food product hydrocolloids can
coat the starch granules resulting in a decrease in swelling and gelatinization of starch and the formation of a physical barrier to alpha-amylase. These insights for slowing the rate of starch digestion by food hydrocolloids were applied in consumer-relevant food products, which were subsequently tested for effects on PPG and PPI in Caucasian and Indian subjects. Southeast Asian flatbreads are usually prepared at home from a commercially-made whole-wheat flour mix (“atta”). We showed that inclusion of specific viscous fibres (guar gum and konjac mannan) produced a significantly lower PPG and PPI. Legume flours turned out to be especially valuable in lowering PPG when combined with low amounts of guar gum in flatbreads. Several studies underpin the conclusion that it is possible to modulate the PPG response to staple foods, and that this is influenced by factors affecting carbohydrate digestibility. Therefore, it might be useful for the food industry to have a reliable in vitro model to predict the rate of digestion of existing and newly developed staple foods. The method to assess this was via an in vitro digestion assay based on the widelyused Englyst method, extended by an oral digestion step, and optimization of the pH and the amount of digestive enzymes. The impact of gastrointestinal hormones, gastric emptying and metabolic feedback mechanisms are not taken into account in these kinds of models. This in vitro digestion model was validated against in vivo PPG measurements in flatbreads. A regression model with four in vitro variables (rate of starch digestion, AUC of glucose release over 120 min, the carbohydrate level and % rapidly digestible starch, as independent variables), was highly predictive of in vivo plasma glucose responses. In vivo, PPG is not just a reflection of starch digestibility, but determined by different underlying glucose fluxes: rate of appearance of exogenous glucose (RaE), endogenous glucose production (EGP) and rate of disposal of total glucose (RdT; the uptake of all glucose by tissues). Therefore, the “golden standard” to measure the rate of influx of glucose from the intestine (i.e. confirm slower digestion) is the dual stable isotope technique, in which 13C-labelled starch in combination with a deuterium glucose infusion is used to differentiate between the different glucose fluxes. In a study using 13C-labelled starch in flat breads with guar gum (2 and 4%) and chickpea flour (15%), these formulations slightly reduced the RaE, but more substantially affected RdT, as well as EGP compared to a flatbread without these additions. From a systematic review of studies comparing RaE of different carbohydrates via 13Clabelled carbohydrates we conclude that changing the RaE by diet is associated with substantial changes in PPG and PPI but also RdT. To get further insight to these postabsorptive effects metabolomics analyses of the 13C-glucose metabolites of the 13Clabelled starch was performed. Guar gum dose-dependently delayed the formation of the glycolysis-derived metabolites lactate and alanine.

In conclusion, we found that modifying rates of carbohydrate digestion, e.g. by the addition of fibres and chickpea flour, results in effects beyond just PPG lowering, including changes in the underlying glucose fluxes, hormonal levels and metabolites. Our findings can be applied to dietary approaches to achieve a more desired cascade of metabolic effects, which can contribute toward a more favourable metabolic profile and reduced risk of T2DM. Consumers also can prepare healthier carbohydrate-rich products (e.g. pasta or rice) at home by introducing shorter cooking times and cooling/reheating cycles.

Source: https://www.rug.nl/research/portal/en/publications/slowing-starch-digestibility-in-foods(92d89548-9887-4251-8075-c530bb945fcc).html

November 29^th 2018

SiccaDania proudly announces the acquisition of NivobaHovex.

“This acquisition is a very important milestone in the development of SiccaDania as a leading supplier of high quality advanced process solutions to the global starch industry. Through this acquisition, SiccaDania gains a strong position as an innovative market leader not only for single machines, but for high quality technical solutions and state-of-the-art complete starch production process lines‘’ comments SiccaDania’s CEO Soren Rasmussen.

“The food processing industry is continuously facing demanding themes in today’s world, such as rising human population, environmental pollution and general change in customers’ lifestyles, forcing us to focus on the most sustainable and the most innovative technologies. By combining the resources within SiccaDania group, we will strive to become the world leader in advanced starch and co-products systems. Ranging from single components and process units to complete turnkey plants, we aim at becoming the first-choice supplier to our customers worldwide’’ continues Mr. Rasmussen.

SiccaDania is excited to have this experienced and talented group of people joining our organization. With over 125 years of experience, Nivoba and its team have become instrumental in developing many of the technologies currently used by starch producers all over the world. On the other hand, Hovex, initially a break-out from Nivoba, is considered an expert in delivering the highest demands for purity, efficiency and sustainability. In 2017, the combination of these two strong Dutch names has created a powerful player in the global starch industry.

Mr. Arend Jan Van Gelder, the current Managing Director of SiccaDania Netherlands, assuming the same role for NivobaHovex is certain that “the wealth of experience and know-how in NivobaHovex enables the combined group to design and deliver complete integrated systems from raw material intake to the best possible end products, while also keeping a close eye on your total energy, water and waste management. Not only will we be able to supply conventional process lines for starch products, we as NivobaHovex SiccaDania will also design and deliver unique solutions for side-streams and co-products promising lower water and energy consumption, higher product yields, and higher overall profit margins for customers.”

Source: https://siccadania.dk/siccadania-acquires-nivobahovex/ and https://www.nivobahovex.com/

November 21^st 2018

Comparison of a sports-hydration drink containing high amylose starch.

Australia-based Flinders University start-up, Preserve Health, has launched a twostep hydration system backed by more than 20 years of medical research between Flinders and
Yale Universities. The system, called PREPD, uses a unique resistant starch that has been
identified as a key factor in promoting hydration in the gut.

“Until now, we have not seen any significant advances in hydration since the first sports drinks were invented over fifty years ago,” claims Preserve Health CEO, David Vincent. “Research shows a 2 percent drop in hydration can reduce athletic performance by up to 30 percent. PREPD changes all this by enhancing the effectiveness of water and any sports drink, reducing dehydration and helping athletes to perform at their peak for longer.”

Co-inventor Prof. Graeme Young from Flinders explains, “While the human body can’t store water in reserve, the resistant starch in PREPD unlocks the largely unused hydration potential of the large intestine to absorb up to five liters of fluid per day.”
PREPD is a two-part system, used pre and post-exercise, to complement sports drinks. PREPD Prime is to be consumed between 6-18 hours before intense physical exertion, to promote better hydration when performing. PREPD Recover is consumed immediately after heavy exertion to rapidly replenish fluid and electrolytes, while also boosting rehydration in recovery.

Vincent tells NutritionInsight that PREPD can be applied in areas that reach far beyond sports nutrition. The system can provide hydration to anyone suffering from dehydration with applications including emergency services, mining and defense, he claims.
“The unique resistant starch in PREPD is also a prebiotic (food for the good bacteria in the gut) which is fantastic for immune and gut health,” he adds.

“When the project commenced five years ago, we were lucky enough to have the 20 years of medical research between Flinders and Yale Universities behind the technology. This demonstrated a 39 percent improvement in hydration measures in a medical setting compared with the World Health Organization’s current recommended drink,” Vincent says. “After demonstrating significantly better hydration before, during and after exertion in our 2014 clinical trial, the main challenges were developing the taste and texture of the product to be ready for mass consumption.”

The unique resistant starch in PREPD is derived from corn starch and has been granted generally regarded as safe (GRAS) status as a medical food by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“Similar starches are commonly found in baked products although they will not deliver a benefit to hydration like the starch in PREPD. PREPD is gluten and dairy-free and there are no significant barriers to use. We suggest consuming up to one PREPD Prime drink at least six hours before intense exertion and up to one PREPD Recover drinks afterward within a 24 hours period,” Vincent says.

The FDA decision is good news for several fiber ingredient suppliers, including resistant starch. The eight new fibers are: mixed plant cell wall fibers (a broad category that includes fibers like sugar cane fiber and apple fiber, among many others); arabinoxylan; alginate; inulin and inulin-type fructans; high amylose starch (resistant starch 2); galactooligosaccharide; polydextrose; and resistant maltodextrin/dextrin.

Last year, major resistant starch supplier Ingredion received approval of a petition submitted to the FDA, resulting in a qualified health claim enabling food manufacturers to communicate the relationship between high-amylose maize resistant starch and a reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes on the packages of conventional foods.

One of the key innovations to watch on the resistant starch development front is in the wheat growing space. Earlier this year, we reported that Arcadia Biosciences had achieved two key technology milestones in its High Fiber Resistant Starch (RS) Wheat program. First, through advanced screening and traditional breeding techniques, the company has developed nontransgenic (non-GM) wheat varieties that contain up to 94 percent amylose, the highest levels available. Increased levels of amylose correspond to high levels of resistant starch, which has been proven to deliver significant health benefits. Second, these same wheat varieties deliver levels of total dietary fiber high enough to meet the threshold required by the US FDA for a “good source” of fiber or “high in fiber” designation on consumer packaging.

Source: https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-018-0253-8#Sec20 and https://news.flinders.edu.au/blog/2018/11/07/elite-sports-hydration-drink-off-running/.

November 02^nd 2018

Scientists find a ‘switch’ to increase starch accumulation in algae.

Results from a collaborative study by Tokyo Institute of Technology and Tohoku University, Japan, raise prospects for large-scale production of algae-derived starch, a valuable bioresource for biofuels and other renewable materials. Such bio-based products have the potential to replace fossil fuels and contribute to the development of sustainable systems and societies.

A “switch” controlling the level of starch content in algae has been discovered by a research team led by Sousuke Imamura at the Laboratory for Chemistry and Life Science, Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech).

Reported in The Plant Journal, the study focused on the unicellular red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae. The researchers demonstrated that starch content could be dramatically increased in C. merolae through inactivation of TOR (target of rapamycin), a protein kinase[1] known to play an important role in cell growth.

They observed a notable increase in the level of starch 12 hours after inactivation of TOR through exposure to rapamycin, and this led to a remarkable ten-fold increase after 48 hours.

Importantly, the study details a mechanism underlying this profound increase in starch content. Using a method called liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), the researchers examined subtle changes in the structure of more than 50 proteins that might be involved in “switching on” the process of starch accumulation. As a result, they pinpointed GLG1 as a key protein of interest. GLG1 acts in a similar way to glycogenin, an enzyme found in yeast and animal cells, which is known to be involved in the initiation of starch (or glycogen) synthesis.

The mechanism will be of immense interest to a wide range of industries seeking to scale up biofuel and value-added biochemicals production.

For example, the findings could accelerate the production of environmentally friendly fuel additives, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and bioplastics[2] that are now in high demand with the phasing out of single-use plastic bags and straws in many parts of the world.
Algae, compared with land plants, are very appealing due to their high photosynthetic productivity and relative ease of cultivation. Starch, triacylglycerols (TAGs) and other algal biomass constituents are increasingly viewed as a promising and powerful way to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) outlined by the United Nations.

The research team notes that more studies using other algal species, as well as higher plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana, could yield further information about the fundamental molecular mechanisms behind starch accumulation. “This information will help to develop technologies to improve starch biosynthesis productivity and concomitantly improve sustainable biomass and bioenergy production,” Imamura says.

Source: https://www.titech.ac.jp/english/news/2018/042832.html

October 24^th 2018

Cargill launches the Waxy Corn Promise™, a farm-based program raising food starch sustainability across Europe.

The Waxy Corn Promise supports farmers to continuously improve their practices and reduce their impact on the environment in corn growing areas.

To ensure a long-term sustainable crop supply for food starch, Cargill has committed to source waxy corn 100 percent sustainably from European farmers. In support of this initiative, Cargill has developed the Waxy Corn Promise program, leveraging the strong partnerships between Cargill, farmers and co-op suppliers to address key sustainability challenges in the waxy corn growing regions. Benchmarked at the Silver level by the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative Platform (SAI Platform), the Waxy Corn Promise delivers on consumers’ expectations for more sustainable food ingredients, says Cargill.

“The Waxy Corn Promise was developed with the support of our agricultural crop suppliers and an agronomy consultancy, to Ensure that we make real sustainability impact,” explains Dawn Emerson, Cargill Sustainability Manager. “It is tailored specifically to the waxy corn crop and the growing regions, recognizing the good work that farmers do already and providing improvement actions to help them become more sustainable year-on-year.”

Emerson highlights how important sustainability is in the corn supply chain. Sustainability is not about what we do today – it is a long-term commitment where we aim to achieve improvements. At the farm level, there are several key challenges in the waxy corn regions, such as sandy soil (nutrient leaching), diversity (monoculture), water stress (dry season) and water use (irrigation). We want to support our farmers and focus on sustainability that will improve and ensure a longterm crop supply,” she notes. “Our program recognizes what farmers do already and provides clear actions to bring incremental improvements. In doing so, it meets customer’s needs, driven by consumer demand, to use sustainably sourced ingredients in their foods. It helps food developers understand the sustainability level of their food starches and contribute to corporate sustainability goals,” Emerson says.

“The Waxy Corn Promise program is the first program we have done in a European region and we started with waxy corn as a pilot because of the strong relationships we have with the cooperatives in France. These relationships ensure the success of the project and the commitment of the farmers to participate in the full program which is set out in three-year improvement phases,” she adds.

According to Judd Hoffman, Director for Texturizers & Specialties at Cargill Europe, the European crops have been impacted by the early to mid-summer dry weather. “We have been working closely with our suppliers and farmers to monitor crops and harvested yields. Cargill’s robust and reliable supply chain has overcome any shortage or quality issues and we currently succeed to offer our customers the quantities we committed to.”

Continuous improvement is a vital component of the program, according to Cargill. Action plans are implemented and reviewed each year, at each farm, in close collaboration with Cargill’s supplier partners. The sustainability actions are deliberately targeted at the most relevant topics for waxy corn and the growing areas: protection of biodiversity, soil and water quality preservation and water use optimization.

“We are committed to making an impact and raising sustainability standards across our supply chains,” continues Hoffman. “Waxy corn is a specific type of corn used to produce starches serving as ingredients in many food products and the Waxy Corn Promise provides credible claims, helping our customers achieve their sustainability targets. It also provides assurance and certainty to consumers who are increasingly seeking products containing sustainably sourced ingredients.”

While helping farmers protect and efficiently use their valuable natural resources, the waxy Corn Promise also drives positive change throughout the European starch supply chain, in line with Cargill’s commitment to nourishing the world, protecting the planet and enriching our communities, says the company.

Source: https://www.cargill.com/2018/cargill-launches-the-waxy-corn-promise

October 16^th 2018

Ingredion pumps up starch production business in China with new investments.

The US firm announced a US$60 million investment to grow its specialty food ingredients business in APAC recently. China will be one of the investment priorities. For instance, investments will be pumped into 1) completing a 30% expansion of its modified food starch capacity and to 2) further improving its corn wet-milling capacity in China.

Valdirene Licht, Ingredion senior vice president and president APAC stated about the firm’s business priorities in APAC following.

“A priority for us is China. The investments we have made recently is to expand our capacity in propylene oxide (PO) based starch,” she said. PO-based starch is a type of starch that provides shelf-life stability base in a variety of conditions, such as frozen, refrigerated, and air-conditioned environment.
“This project, we have completed the phase 1, we are finalising phase 2, and in the end of this year we will have completed the expansion,” Licht said, referring to the factory located in Shanghai. The factory manufactures modified starches from corn, waxy corn, and tapioca.
“We plan to continue to grow in China and we are going to have next wave of investments,” she revealed.
The company currently has three plants in China, one of which is in Shandong, and was acquired by the firm in 2016.

Besides China, Ingredion is also investing in Thailand to meet growing demand for tapioca starch. For instance, it aims to expand its tapioca modified food starch capacity in Thailand by 20%.
In addition, it intends to double the capacity and increase the regulatory standards of its specialty rich starch and rice flour business in the country.
“We have four plants in Thailand today, we are upgrading the plants we have,” Licht said. “We have been in Thailand for more than 30 years. We have a good footprint in Thailand.” It is also upgrading Thailand’s waste water treatment processes to meet local regulatory standards.

Besides China and Thailand, Ingredion currently has manufacturing facilities in Korea and Australia.

A less restrictive regulation on the use of modified starches in India has provided new opportunities for Ingredion.In 2016, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) announced that modified starches could be used in processed foods under the conditions of Good Manufacturing Practice.
Previously, the maximum permissible limit of modified starches in ready-to-eat products was 0.5%.
In India, tapioca starches could be used in a range of food applications including sauces, dressing and even tapioca pearls – a type of stapled food in India, Licht said.
“Today we are selling in India already and we have a team in India. It is very recent, it is another market that will grow.” The firm currently supplies specialty starches to India via different existing factories.

A spike in the cost of raw tapioca had led to lower operating income for Ingredion recently. Despite so, tapioca starch business would remain as a key priority for the company, Licht emphasised.
The price index of tapioca starch was US$340/metric tonne in January last year, according to the Thai Tapioca Starch Association. The figure grew by 50% to reach US$510/metric tonne as of Sep 25 this year.
The firm is trying to increase production volume to cope with the price hike.“You can see it is a big increase right, it impacted us of course. What we did was to absorb part of this impact, tried to sell more orders, and increased production volume to compensate a bit,” she said.

The company expects to recover in the next six to nine months from the price impact, and stressed that it was committed to producing tapioca products. “There was a lack of raw material which pushed the prices up, this means that there is a good demand for tapioca. APAC is a big consumer of tapioca starch.” “The price is a temporary situation. We expect to recover in the next six to nine months from the price impact. This will not affect our plans for growing demand for tapioca. We are committed to this market.” “We want to continue developing tapioca innovations because it is a great starch.”

Source: https://www.foodnavigator-asia.com/Article/2018/10/15/node_2546598

October 11^th 2018

PURIS to debut pea-based alternative to gelatin for gummies.

Addressing a perceived market need, PURIS will debut a plant-derived alternative to gelatin for gummies at the upcoming Supply Side West trade show (https://west.supplysideshow.com/en/home.html).

The new product is a form of pea starch, which is derived from PURIS’ core product, a proprietary strain of peas optimized for good taste for the extracted protein.

PURIS has had enough success with the development of that product that it attracted the attention of food giant Cargill. The pair announced a joint venture earlier this year to ramp up production of the company’s signature ingredient.

With that increased production came increased opportunity for product offshoots. It’s an old story in the ingredients business to find new value in otherwise ‘waste’ streams from the production of other ingredients, and PURIS is no different in this regard, said Tyler Lorenzen, president of PURIS, which is based in Minneapolis, MN.

“We have been investing in our production capacity. With our second new spray drier installed, we have about four times the capacity we had when we started,” Lorenzen told NutraIngredients-USA.

“Pea starch has an interesting functionality. We have shown that it could replace the gelatin in a gummi; we’ve shown that before. Now we have shown that we can replace the pectin used in gummies as well,” he said.

Lorenzen said one of the early bonuses noted in the product  development has been a pleasing flavor profile. Gummies are, after all, mostly about taste.

“With pea starch we’ve noticed you get a nice flavor pop,” he said. “Some corn starches can mute or tone down flavors.” The basic work on producing a pea starch-based gummi has been done, Lorenzen said. Now the company is working on proving out which bioactives could work best in this delivery mode.

“We are partnering with FutureCeuticals testing some of their bioactives in these gummies,” Lorenzen said. “By the time of SupplySide West, we will have a better idea about that.”

Another new product that will debut at SupplySide West is a protein derived from fava beans. Lorenzen said this has been on the back burner for a while. But development of this product had to wait while the pea protein supply bottleneck was sorted out.

Research from Cargill has shown that dairy alternatives are making inroads in markets around the world. Demand for PURIS’s pea protein has been consistently outstripping supply, especially in its organic offerings.

“One of the big things about our company is the organic story,” Lorenzen said. “We have been in an interesting spot in our capacity constraints in recent years. We’ve fixed that now. “We have been getting asked about fava bean protein for years. But we felt that it would irresponsible to launch a new protein when we were already so capacity constrained,” he said.

Lorenzen said the fava bean protein is new enough that the company is still developing the messaging around it. But he said it could offer an interesting alternative to other more established plant proteins.

“We’re still learning a lot about it. It’s an interesting source; fava beans are as much as 80% protein. In our early work we have found that it will be good for foaming applications,” he said.

Source: https://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Article/2018/10/11/PURIS-to-debut-pea-based-alternative-to-gelatin-for-gummies.

October 06^th 2018

Innovating together for a sustainable food system.

Meeting tomorrow’s demands on our agricultural resources.

Starch Europe is honoured to host its annual conference, taking place on the theme Innovating Together for a sustainable Food System: Meeting tomorrow’s demands on our agricultural resources.

Ongoing policy discussions around, inter alia, Food2030, CAP Reform, the EU Bioeconomy Strategy, and the EU Protein Plan, stress the importance of a multi-stakeholder approach to achieving a climate-smart, environmentally sound and sustainable food system.

At this year’s conference, Starch Europe is seeking to facilitate the debate on how continuous innovation helps achieve these goals, and the contributions of the starch industry in particular.

We hope you will join us for this high level debate which will include speakers from the European Commission, European Parliament, farmers and academia.

When: November 06^th 2018 – 11:00 to 13:00.

Where: Bibliothèque Solvay, Rue Belliard 137, 1040 Bruxelles.

Source: https://www.starch.eu/starch-europe-conference-2018/