Starch Pros

October 04th 2018

EU starch industry looks to protein & plastic potential following isoglucose ‘disappointment’.

In Belgium, StarchEurope told FoodNavigator (https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2018/10/03/EU-starch-industry-looks-to-protein-plastic-potential-following-isoglucose-disappointment) that the European starch industry will start looking towards innovations such as bioplastics in an effort to compensate for the lack of isoglucose demand expected when EU sugar quotas ended last October. Global sugar prices have weighed heavily on European prices which are below the cheapest starches. The association says that low oil prices have hampered development of bioplastics in the past but as those prices increase, demand will return.

Source: https://www.biofuelsdigest.com/bdigest/2018/10/04/

September 28^th 2018

New Avebe Innovation Centre at the Zernike Campus in Groningen was officially opened.

New innovation centre combines knowledge and stimulates cooperation.

After a construction period of more than a year, the new Avebe Innovation Centre at the Zernike Campus in Groningen was officially opened today by the King’s Commissioner for the province of Groningen.

Avebe employees have now started working at the centre on innovations in the field of potato starch and potato protein. The first startup has already moved into the building and the next companies are already eager to become part of this innovation hotspot in Agrifood.

Built by construction consortium BAM/Trebbe on behalf of project developer Triade, the building is a complete innovation centre including a laboratory, a test facility, offices and a customer innovation centre. Avebe has moved all its existing lab facilities to the new building at the Zernike Campus in Groningen. The Groningen knowledge institutes Groningen University, University Medical Centre Groningen and Hanze University of Applied sciences Groningen create a strong link when it comes to cooperation in education and research.

In addition to Avebe’s own space for offices and research, the building also has space for startups in the Innolab Agrifood, developed by Campus Groningen and partners. Innolab Agrifood stimulates and facilitates entrepreneurship. It provides lab facilities, but also business support, including in the areas of business development, strategy, intellectual property and patenting. This Innolab presents opportunities for students and innovators to further develop their own initiatives. Bert Jansen, Avebe’s CEO: “Innovation is in our DNA and helps us to achieve a good return for our members, not only today but also in the future. By combining forces, this can now be done faster, better and more efficiently. This will enable us to respond even better to market developments.”

During the opening, more than 200 guests experienced for themselves what is happening in the area of potato starch and potato protein innovation. Visitors were given the opportunity to visit the laboratories after the festive opening ceremony to see for themselves and sometimes also to taste the products in which the ingredients from the potato are used. Potato starch and protein are used in food, animal feed, construction and industry.

Source: https://www.avebe.com/news/

September 26^th 2018

Ingredion looks east: Specialty ingredients giant to invest US$60 million in APAC expansion.

Ingredion Incorporated, a leading global provider of ingredient solutions, today announced US $60 million of planned investments to grow its specialty food ingredients business in Asia-Pacific. Beginning earlier this year, the Company commenced expansion of its modified and clean-label specialty starch capabilities in tapioca, waxy corn and rice.

The Company’s specialty capital investment projects include:
– A 20 percent expansion of its tapioca modified food starch capacity in Thailand along with state-of-the-art upgrades to its wastewater treatment facilities.
– More than doubling the capacity and increasing the regulatory standards of its specialty rice starch and rice flour business in Thailand, which it acquired in 2017.
– Completing a 30 percent expansion of its modified food starch capacity and further improving its corn wet milling capacity in China.

“These strategic investments are designed to accelerate our growth and strengthen our manufacturing network in Asia to meet increased consumer demand,” said Jim Zallie, Ingredion president and chief executive officer. “Growing our global specialties business to $2 billion in annual sales by 2022 is an integral part of our strategy to deliver long-term profitable growth and enhance shareholder value.”

“We see growing demand for both clean-label ingredients and specialty starch based texturisers throughout the region,” said Valdirene Licht, Ingredion senior vice president and president, Asia-Pacific. “The investments will allow us to continue to evolve with our customers to provide innovative, on-trend solutions. Our local team has extensive applications and formulating expertise combined with the broadest and deepest portfolio of waxy corn and tapioca based specialty starches and a successful track record of supporting customers in the region for more than three decades. We’re now excited to be building our on trend rice ingredient business and we will continue to make further investments in Asia that benefit our customers globally.”

“The actions being taken in Asia are consistent with our global strategy to invest in our specialty starch franchise and expand our capabilities to innovate and offer more customized solutions for our customers around the world,” added Zallie.

The Company operates four manufacturing facilities in Thailand and three manufacturing facilities in China.

Source: http://www.ingredionincorporated.com/

September 20^th 2018

Starch Europe and BSIA call for a BREXIT deal that secures the least disruptive impact on trade and on the food supply chain between the UK and the EU.

In the current context of uncertainty on the progress of negotiations for a Withdrawal Agreement, Starch Europe and BSIA, the British Starch Industry Association, join voices to call for the continuation of trade between both areas, due to the high integration of both markets resulting from 45 years of common rules.

The UK starch industryis fully integrated in the EU supply chain, processing raw materials either locally available (e.g. wheat) or imported from the EU (starch potatoes and wheat).
UK starch products are partly re-exported to the EU market where they are further used as ingredients in industrial and food preparations. The 4 UK starch processing plants exported 48 000 tonnes of starch products to the EU market in 2017 (1).
The UK is the main export market of EU starch producers.
EU-based starch plantsprocess starch extracted from wheat, maize and starch potatoes. In 2017, the EU-27 exported 892 000 tonnes of starch products to the UK (2), representing more than 53% of the total UK starch market (3).

Starch Europe and BSIA stress how crucial the least disruptive impact of Brexit on EU-UK trade flows is for its industry and calls for a transition phase post-Brexit until the conclusion of an ambitious free trade agreement between both sides.
This is the prerequisite for businesses to continue operating efficiently and to benefit from certainty and predictability for operations in the EU and in the UK.
The EU and British starch industries believe that a transition period as from 29 March 2019 is crucial to secure predictability for UK and EU businesses. Duty-free quota-free trade will provide proper conditions for businesses to prepare, until the implementation of the EU-UK trade deal.
Both associations support the swift conclusion of an ambitious Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the UK and EU post-Brexit.

Joint effort to avoid Non-Trade Barriers to preserve the EU and UK supply chain
BSIA and Starch Europe both support:
– Strict and consistent rules of origin,
– Simplified administrative procedure for food exports, and
– Mutual recognition of standards between EU and UK bodies.

(1) EUROSTAT – COMEXT extraction on trade flows 2017
(2) Ibid; The European starch industry manufactures over six hundred products including native starches, modified starches, liquid and solid sweeteners as well as oils, proteins and fibres that are used as ingredients and functional supplements in a vast array of food, feed and industrial applications
(3) Starch Europe assessed the UK consumption market of starch at 1,472 million tonnes

Source: https://www.starch.eu/blog/category/news/

September 13^th 2018

Cargill introduces a new range of label-friendly potato starches for meat, meat alternatives and culinary products.

Additions to SimPure™ portfolio deliver on consumer preference for simple ingredients with superior texture.

Cargill is expanding its portfolio of label-friendly functional native starches with the addition of three potato starches designed for meat, meat alternatives and culinary applications. Designed for mild processing conditions, these starches offer superior viscosity and improved sensory experience, without compromising on taste and appearance. The products will be available worldwide under the SimPure brand.

“In today’s marketplace, consumers are scrutinizing product labels like never before,” said Laura Goodbrand, starch product line manager, Cargill Europe. “Changing consumer preferences highlight the desire for foods made with simple, recognizable ingredients, yet they still expect the same sensory and texture experiences. As we continue to grow our SimPure portfolio, delivering on those competing needs drives our product development efforts.”

Designed for use in low-processing conditions, Cargill’s newest SimPure starches offer food developers a range of options for both instant and cook-up applications.

Three label-friendly starches for meat, meat alternatives and culinary applications:

– SimPure 99500 creates firm and meaty textures without the salty taste as a result of its water binding capabilities. This cook-up starch is a cost effective texturizer designed for meat and meat alternatives.

– SimPure 99530, a functional cook up starch, delivers superior dispersibility, ideal for use in dehydrated culinary and dairy applications for immediate consumption. Easy to use in both industrial and home settings, it has a delayed but full viscosity development, which means no lumping when mixed with hot water and top quality texture in the final product.

– SimPure 99570 and 99571 are two new instant viscosifying starches designed for use in cold prepared soups, sauces, desserts and fillings. These functional starches differ in particle size to offer either a smoother texture (fine particle size) or a pulpier texture (coarser particle size).

“As a global leader, we continue to explore and invest in ingredients that help our customers deliver label-friendly products with great taste and texture,” commented Kailee Petersen, starch product line manager, Cargill North America. “These new SimPure functional starches are proof of this ongoing commitment, and we will continue to expand the SimPure line, adding texturizing solutions that use familiar ingredients to provide the functional, label-friendly options our customers require.”

The SimPure native starch portfolio was launched in October 2017 to address consumer demand for label-friendly products. The first tailor made starch, SimPure 99560, was designed to effectively replace modified starches in frozen meals and slow cooked meats.

Earlier this year, Cargill and its Danish potato starch partner, AKV Langholt AmbA,- invested in a new potato starch production unit at their Langholt facility in Denmark which was officially inaugurated on the 24th of August 2018. The new SimPure products have been produced at this state-of-the-art processing facility, with more products in development.

Source: https://www.cargill.com/2018/cargill-introduces-a-new-range-of-label-friendly-potato-starches

September 09^th 2018

A new non-transgenic technology to produce cassava.

Using the famous CRISPR-Cas9 gene scissors, plant biotechnologists at ETH Zurich have been able to improve cassava. The new variety has amylose-free or ‘waxy’ starch, which is preferred for applications.

Cassava is one of the world’s most important starch crops. The storage roots feed more than 500 million people, and they are also used in many other important applications, for instance in paper production or as a food additive. Although cassava plants are hardy and can survive even in drought conditions, it is time-consuming to cross-breed useful new traits into different farmer-preferred varieties.

That is why ETH scientist Simon Bull in collaboration with two ETH research laboratories opted to take a new approach to introduce new traits into cassava. The research teams from Plant Biochemistry and Plant Biotechnology together with Hervé Vanderschuren, a former Cassava group leader at ETH and now at the University of Liège, used the famous CRISPR-Cas9 gene scissors to make changes to the crop plant’s genome. Their study has just been published in the journal Science Advances.

The experiments with the new cassava lines were primarily directed to basic research and technology development without immediate commercial of industrial applications.
They used the gene editing tool to change two cassava genes so that the plant produces modified starch. Starch is composed of amylose (approx. 15 percent) and amylopectin (85 percent). This new modified starch has little or no amylose, and is in high demand on the global market. To achieve this, the researchers inserted a block of several foreign genes into the cassava plants. This block included the genes for the Cas9 protein and for the guide RNA molecule that the CRISPR-Cas9 system needs in order to cut the genetic material at the desired point. It also contained a gene from another plant, the thale cress Arabidopsis, to accelerate flowering.

Gene scissors “silence” genes.

The researchers had the Cas9 gene scissors cut the GBSS and PTST genes of the cassava plant at the embryogenic stage, thereby changing the sequence of the plant’s genetic code. Both genes are involved in the production of amylose. If they are defective, the cassava plant is no longer able to produce it.

Bull and his colleagues cultivated several particularly promising plant lines in a glasshouse. The researchers then studied them to determine the amylose content of their storage roots. Some of the lines were found to have produced no amylose at all: the starch in the roots of this modified cassava contained only amylopectin.
These ‘waxy’ (amylose-free) cassava roots join a list of other globally important crop varieties, such as maize and potato, which have similar traits.
Crossing eliminates foreign DNA

To remove the foreign genetic material they had introduced into the cassava, the plant scientists crossed two individual plants of a transgenic amylose-free cassava line together. Cassava carries two copies of each of its chromosomes; the foreign DNA had been inserted into only one of two identical chromosomes in these individuals. On that basis, one in four of the progeny of this crossing would be free of foreign DNA.

“Without flowers, we would not have been able to perform the cross to remove the foreign DNA,” Bull says. However, the plants retained the ability to produce only amylose-free starch. Bull explains, “This means that in the first generation of progeny, the trait we wanted remained but the foreign DNA could be completely crossed out.” The tricky part was getting the cassava to flower and produce seeds. This plant rarely flowers in nature, and almost never in a glasshouse environment. Cassava is generally propagated not through sexual reproduction but rather via stem cuttings, which are genetically identical.

Method saves years of breeding.

The method that Bull and his colleagues have developed considerably accelerates cultivation of cassava. “The desired trait, namely that cassava starch should comprise only amylopectin and no amylose, has been achieved using conventional breeding techniques,” Bull says, “but it took thousands of plants and several years, rather than just a few plants produced in months as our solution.”

In many countries in the Global South, and in particular in African countries, cassava is an important source of carbohydrates. The plant’s roots store large quantities of starch that serves as vital source of calories. The roots are also processed for local markets providing income for smallholder farmers.

Because amylose-free cassava starch has broad applications, removal of amylose usually requires more processing and energy-consuming methods for starch purification. Consumers may also prefer the waxy, amylose-free starch. “That’s why this new variety of cassava should be very appealing both to consumers and industry alike,” Bull says.

Source: https://www.ethz.ch/en/news-and-events/eth-news/news/2018/09/cassava-with-improved-starch.html and https://www.news.uliege.be/cms/c_10285159/nl/une-nouvelle-technologie-non-transgenique-pour-produire-du-manioc

September 06^th 2018

Sharp rise in wheat prices as dry weather scales back output prospects.

The FAO Food Price Index remained stable in August, as cereal prices rebounded while vegetable oils and sugar declined.

The monthly index, released today, averaged 167.6 points in August, virtually unchanged from its revised estimate for July and 5.4 percent below its level in August 2017.

The FAO Cereal Price Index rose 4.0 percent during the month, with wheat prices rising twice as much due to deteriorating crop prospects in the European Union and the Russian Federation. International maize quotations rose by more than 3.0 percent while rice prices eased during the month.

The FAO Vegetable Oil Index declined 2.6 percent from July, nearing a three-year low as palm, soy and sunflower oil quotations all fell amid favorable production trends and, in the case of palm oil, weak global import demand.

The FAO Dairy Price Index posted its third consecutive monthly decline in August, falling 1.5 percent amid relatively thin seasonal volumes. While droughts may adversely affect milk production growth in parts of Europe and Australia, New Zealand’s output prospects are improving.

The FAO Sugar Price Index dropped 5.4 percent from July to reach the lowest level in a decade, due largely to the continued depreciations of the currencies of major exporters Brazil and India.

The FAO Meat Price Index was broadly unchanged on the month, as pigmeat and ovine meat quotations rose on strong import interests from China, offsetting declining poultry and bovine meat prices, with the latter under pressure by high export availabilities from the United States of America.

New forecasts for worldwide cereal production.

FAO now forecasts global cereal production in 2018 to reach 2 587 million tonnes, a small upward revision from July but a three-year low and 2.4 percent below last year’s record high level.

The latest Cereal Supply and Demand Brief, also released today, cut by a notable 14 million tonnes the world wheat production forecast for this year, which now stands at almost 722 million tonnes, the smallest crop since 2013. Dry and hot weather intensified yield reductions around Europe.

On the other hand, worldwide production of coarse grains was revised up by 15 million tonnes since July, with improved outlooks for maize in China, Ukraine and the United States of America, more than offsetting expected output reductions in the European Union and the Russian Federation. FAO now expects 2018 coarse grain output to be nearly 1 354 million tonnes, some 2.6 percent below the level of 2017.

World rice production, meanwhile, is expected to rise 1.3 percent from the previous year and reach a new record of almost 512 million tonnes in 2018, buoyed by larger output recoveries in Bangladesh and Viet Nam and stronger area rebounds in Sri Lanka and the United States.

FAO raised its forecast for world cereal utilization to 2 648 million tonnes, largely due to greater use of maize for feed and industrial use and the robust rice harvest.

Cereal stocks are also being reduced – especially in China, the European Union and the Russian Federation, and the global cereal stock-to-use ratio is expected to slide to 27.3 percent, a five-year low.

The forecast for world trade in cereals over the 2018/2019 season has been revised up to nearly 414 million tonnes, about 1.5 percent below the previous year’s record high.

Source: http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/1151662/icode/

September 06^th 2018

European drought: Potato starch supplier Emsland warns of “dramatic” cost increase to raw materials.

The European potato harvest will be at a historically low level this year and present a massive challenge for growers, processors and their customers. Due to the crop failures in potato fields, some of which were total failures, the availability of potato products will be significantly reduced. According to the Raw Materials Procurement Department of the Emsland Group, potato fields of the contract farmers of the group are in dire conditions.

Also AVEBE, one of the worlds biggest potato tarch producers and owned by farmers in the Netherlands and Germany, expects to process substantial fewer potatoes this year. The first fields harvested for this production campaign that just started, have confirmed indeed lower potato yields.

The German Association of fruit, vegetables and potato processing industry (BOGK) expects that the potato harvest in Germany and Europe also made light of the situation in July.

Farming and potato processing industry experts explain that at this current time the crop is expected to be reduced by a minimum of 25 percent; large potatoes, which are necessary to produce French fries will only be available in small numbers or in the worst case not at all in many areas.

Since May 2018, Europe has been experiencing a dry spell and above-average seasonal temperatures, including numerous heat waves.

Europe is experiencing what farmers are calling the “worst drought in recent history” – which could create food shortages and financial troubles for Europeans. The Lithuanian government declared a state of emergency for the drought and Latvia acknowledged it as a natural disaster of national scale. Norway, Ireland, and Denmark have imposed water restrictions.

The commodity exchanges for potatoes have been reacting massively to this drought for quite some time. At the same time, some growers of seed potatoes are already raising their prices for 2019, as they are also likely to suffer from reduced yields and quality problems, meaning that the drought could also affect next year’s plantings.

Source: https://www.emsland-group.de/news/2018/897-shortage-of-raw-materials-due-to-extreme-drought-significantly-impacting-the-2018-19-potato-campaign and https://www.bogk.org/application/files/7515/3251/1626/Press_release_potato_harvest2018.pdf 

August 20^th 2018

Could tapioca rival ‘pervasive dominance’ of corn and potato starch?

Global demand for products made with tapioca starch is set to rise, supported by increased interest in products that deliver health benefits and are free from gluten and other allergens.

According to market research firm fact.MR, the tapioca starch market is currently valued at US$4.5bn and the market is projected to grow at CAGR of 6.1% over the forecast period, from 2018 to 2028. The functional qualities of tapioca starch combined with health benefits and rising demographic demand are propelling market growth.

The factors that favor the growth of global tapioca market in terms of demand generation include the high percentage of carbohydrates and prevention of food allergies. As well as being free from allergens like nuts, tapioca starch is also gluten-free, making it ideal for food makers producing products that appeal to the growing body of consumers who suffer from celiac disease. Tapioca helps to reduce cholesterol level and maintains the blood sugar level. It also helps to prevent constipation. Tapioca is a rich source of calcium, manganese, folate, and iron which makes it useful for the pregnant women also. Tapioca helps metabolize carbohydrates. Thus the increasing awareness of health benefits of tapioca fuels the growth of global tapioca market in the forecast period.

End users continue to prefer tapioca flour and tapioca pearls over other forms of this cassava extract. Moving forward, demand for tapioca pellets will “flourish”, outgrowing all forms of tapioca starch, fact.MR suggested. The functional properties of the ingredient across various product categories also continues to support growth. Applications include use as a thickening or stabilising agent for the preparation of soups, pies, puddings, breads, sauces, soy, and meat products. Manufacturing of instant noodles, vermicelli, sago, chocolates, biscuits, and ice cream can also utilise tapioca starch.

While it is said that corn and potato starch “represent a pervasive dominance” in the worldwide starch industry, it is believed that the door is opening to starch alternatives, such as tapioca. In particular, because both potato and corn starch have some significant
downsides, including undesired cereal flavor, cloudy appearances, and lower tendency to gel. A slew of excellent traits of tapioca starch, including resistance to longer cooking times, persistent quality during food reheating and freezing processes, and complete dissolution with high viscosity and clarity retention property, have considerably boosted their adoption in the food industry. This has significantly driven growth of the tapioca extract market.

The tapioca starch market will exceed revenues worth US$8.5bn by the end of 2028, the researchers forecast.

Tapioca in Europe.

Tapioca is a starch extracted from cassava root. It is native to the northeast region of Brazil but its use spread throughout South America. The plant was transported by the Portuguese and Spanish to most of the West Indies and Africa and Asia.
The liberalisation of international trade arrangements will contribute to the development of the European market, alongside growing demand for gluten-free products. But the tapioca starch market in Europe continues to remain impacted by Free Trade Agreements with third-world countries. Starch Europe, the trade association that represents businesses related to starch industry, at both Europe and international level, has joined hands with Vietnam FTA to leverage latent opportunities in Vietnam’s emerging market to foster EU’s services, industrial, and agricultural exports.
This, coupled with the occupancy of an established marketplace for gluten-free food and beverages, will underpin the expansion of Europe’s tapioca starch market.

Source: http://www.newslocker.com/en-uk/news/food/could-tapioca-rival-pervasive-dominance-of-corn-and-potato-starch/

August 08^th 2018

European drought: solutions required as wheat, maize and barley crops have significant damage.

The drought in many regions of the European Union and Eastern Europe has caused significant damage to wheat, maize and barley crops.

Weather conditions are affecting the quality of the wheat as well as its quantity; because of the drought, the failing number is unusually high. There have been reports that the governments of drought-hit German, Swedish, Finnish, Lithuanian and Danish farmers are considering special aid packages.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), prices of these crops could remain under upward pressure.

Although the agency believes that the overall effects of the recent droughts are not yet alarming, there may be a need for alternative solutions if the cost of these ingredients continues to rise.

Source: http://www.feedandgrain.com/news