Starch Pros

October 11^th 2017

Tate & Lyle announces major expansion of maltodextrin capacity at its facility in Boleraz, Slovakia.

Production of infant food grade non-GMO MALTOSWEET^® Maltodextrin to be more than doubled over next two years to meet growing global demand.

Tate & Lyle PLC (‘Tate & Lyle’), a leading global provider of speciality food ingredients and solutions, today announces plans to more than double capacity of its non-GMO MALTOSWEET^® Maltodextrin product line at its facility in Boleraz, Slovakia.  

This major expansion of food grade and infant food grade non-GMO MALTOSWEET^® Maltodextrin is expected to be completed in 2019.

MALTOSWEET^® Maltodextrin is a nutritive corn-based speciality sweetener made from locally sourced non-GMO dent and waxy corn starch. It is available in powder and granular formats. Maltodextrin acts as a binder, viscosity provider, fat replacer and bulking agent. The ingredient is used in a wide range of food and beverages such as infant formula, sports drinks, dairy desserts and sauces.

Joan Braca, President, Speciality Food Ingredients, Tate & Lyle said: “Tate & Lyle’s quality management systems ensure our non-GMO MALTOSWEET^® Maltodextrin achieves the high quality standards our customers look for, particularly manufacturers of infant and growing-up formula.

“This expansion will enable us to meet growing customer demand for non-GMO maltodextrins, and particularly in the infant food sector for regions such as Europe, Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific. It will also further strengthen our speciality food ingredients solutions offering worldwide.”

Source: https://www.tateandlyle.com/articles/4

October 11^th 2017

AGRANA opens additional facility at the corn starch mill in Aschach an der Donau, Austria.

Today, AGRANA opened a new facility at its corn starch mill in Aschach an der Donau in Upper Austria. Following the investment of around EUR 80 million, AGRANA has increased its processing capacity at the plant by a third to 540,000 tonnes of corn per year. The additional capacity has also created 25 new jobs in the region.

The Aschach site processes corn to make high-quality products for downstream processing industries. Corn starch is used, on the one hand, mainly in technical applications (such as in the paper, cosmetic and construction industries) and, on the other, in the food industry, e.g.
in the production of noodles and bakery products. As a whole, AGRANA processes the commodities corn, potatoes and wheat to make starches at five production sites in Europe and sells 2.5 million tonnes of starch-based products to 2,000 customers worldwide operating in over 20 different sectors.

AGRANA relies on a speciality-based strategy in the starch market: “Although our starch mills are smaller than those of US competitors, this makes it easier to flexibly manufacture speciality products. We exploit our expertise to focus on speciality starches, e.g. for clean label starches which have not been chemically modified, and therefore have invested in boosting capacity and value-adding technologies here in Aschach. We are also increasingly
processing special corn varieties here, such as waxy corn, and play a leading role in terms of organic and GMO-free starches for the food industry,” highlights AGRANA CEO Johann Marihart.

This facility opened in 1936 as a potato starch mill. In 1958, the site was converted into a corn starch mill with a milling capacity of 60 tonnes of corn per day. The plant has been repeatedly expanded since 1984, particularly since Austria joined the EU. The preceding development phase took place in 2006/2007 and focused mainly on the modernisation of infrastructure and more effective environmental protection. Production takes place year-round
and mainly involves operating in four shifts. 280 personnel at the Aschach site ensure that the various processes are performed efficiently.

Source: http://www.agrana.com/en/media/latest-news/

October 10^th 2017

Cargill introduces SimPure™ functional native starches to address consumer demand for label-friendly products.

First product in the SimPure™ portfolio designed for  convenience products, frozen foods.

In response to growing consumer demand for simple, familiar ingredients, Cargill is launching a portfolio of functional native starches under the new SimPure™ brand.  SimPure offers food and beverage manufacturers tailor-made, functional native starches that deliver the simple ingredient label consumers want, along with greater process tolerance, shelf life and storage stability. The product line will be available worldwide.

Cargill’s SimPure functional native starches, coupled with our integrated formulation and technical expertise, will allow food manufacturers to deliver on consumer demands for label-friendly products with great taste and texture.

“Consumers increasingly want to know what is in their food and are turning to product labels to better inform themselves,” says Simon Waters, Global Food Starch leader, Cargill. “Cargill’s SimPure functional native starches, coupled with our integrated formulation and technical expertise, will allow food manufacturers to deliver on consumer demands for label-friendly products with great taste and texture.

“For years, modified starches served as the workhorses of the texturizing world, solving a host of food processing dilemmas. However, as part of changing consumer preferences, many customers want to remove modified starch from their product labels.

“Through extensive research to identify new starch sources, create new processing techniques and evaluate new combinations of native starches, Cargill’s food scientists developed the SimPure line, offering innovative solutions to these difficult texturizing challenges,” explains Denis Palacioglu, EMEA Starch product line director, Cargill.

The first product in the SimPure portfolio, SimPure™ 99560, was created for use in culinary and convenience applications, such as frozen foods. A custom starch blend of various botanical sources, SimPure 99560 can replace modified starches in frozen-ready meals, without compromising taste, texture or appearance.

Cargill recognized using a single starch often falls short in replicating the mouthfeel, texture and stability provided by modified starches in frozen prepared entrée sauces. The company’s food scientists instead created a tailored system of starches, which deliver comparable performance. The result, patent-pending SimPure 99560, provides optimal freeze-heat stability in mild processing conditions, preventing water separation and producing stable functionality over time. It offers good viscosity in processing and microwave cooking stability. Equally important, SimPure 99560 maintains mouthfeel and texture, delivering on consumers’ sensory expectations.

“As a global leader, we have the most diverse texturizing portfolio, backed by world-class formulation experts and a reliable supply chain, enabling us to create custom solutions like SimPure 99560 to address the application and marketplace needs of our customer partners,” said Waters. “As we expand the SimPure product line, our food scientists will be creating similar ways to use familiar ingredients that provide the functional, label-friendly options our customers require.”

Source: https://www.cargill.com/news/press-releases

October 06^th 2017

Chernihiv to be the largest potato starch production hub in Eastern Europe and in the CIS.

Chernihiv, the Heart of Polesia, according to experts, becomes the potato processing hub. There are already two starch factories operating in the region, and in September 2018, the third one will be taken into operation. The new plant is being built with the technical facilitation of the Danish-based company SiccaDania and will become one of the most state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Europe.

Mr. S.V. Samonenko, Director of PPCE VIMAL, says: “Our enterprise has more than twenty years’ experience in producing potato starch. Over these years, we have continuously improved the quality of our products, have formed a civilized potato starch market in Ukraine, and raised the purchase price for potato producers to a level that exceeds the prices all over Europe. In summer 2018, we shall put into operation a new production facility in order to meet the needs of our customers, as well as to implement a deep potato processing project. We are convinced that the future of Ukrainian potato industry is in the deep processing of potatoes.”

Thus, the launch of the new starch processing plant alone will increase the total revenues of potato producers in Ukraine more than tenfold, and the further ambitions for the production of potato protein and food fibers will allow to deepen the processing of potatoes and obtain products with even greater value-added, both for raw potato producers the participants of the project, as well for the company.

Mr. E.V. Rebenok, Head of R&D Department of PPCE “Vimal” says: “VIMAL started its potato processing operations in 1994 with GU-50 hydrocyclones unit made in Russia by  GUP ”Korenevskij Eksperimentalnyj Zavod”.

The equipment was not perfect, but we strove for perfection and our ambition was to position our products as the best in the world. In 2001, when I was a young chemist, I began to work for the company, and realized that our starch is not the best and we will have to go a long way in order to manufacture products that will meet the customers´ requirements.

Since we supply our products to food manufacturers, we began to seriously work on microbiology, viscosity, color, ash content, and the temperature of gelatinization – over all the key indicators which are essential for the buyers and which determine whether we can sell our products at a high price or not.

At that moment the quality of our starch was formed by a GU-50 hydrocyclones unit. Like similar equipment – GU-200 and GU-500, it was made of carbon steel and was supplied with K-type pumps with a gland packing seal. An attempt to replace the material of the equipment with stainless steel and the outdated pumps with modern ones did increase our productivity, but did not affect the quality issue. Therefore, it was decided to fundamentally change the technological scheme of starch extraction and refining.”

The peculiarity of the GU-50, GU-200 and GU-500 hydrocyclones is that the extraction of the fibers and starch refining occurs simultaneously. Thus, their main shortcoming is the refining only in 4 cyclone blocks out of 12 (in the latest models in 6 out of 14).

In addition, the design of the hydrocyclone unit allows for the uncontrolled multiplication of microorganisms, and the cyclones’ overflow themselves are a foam mixture of potato fibers and juice – a substance that is difficult to dispose of.

For comparison, in modern factories, the refining line has 12 to 14 cyclone blocks, and this excludes concentration cyclones, decanters or plane vacuum filters, in which juice separation is also carried out and fibers is being removed from starch suspension. This is not to mention the attention that modern equipment pays to controlling the development of bacteria.

The desire to improve the quality of products made us take a risky step – to change the scheme of work of the hydrocyclone unit, which was designed by the manufacturer of the plant. In 2011, a technical solution was developed, then dewatering and extraction sieves as well as concentration cyclones made by Larsson were installed.

The purchased equipment installed before the GU-50, and the new flow scheme allowed to threefold increase the number of cyclone blocks involved in refinery process, and which is most important – to radically improve the quality of products and increase the productivity of GU-50 to 150 tons of potatoes per day (i.e., by a factor of three)

In 2016, VIMAL, after consideration of the offers of all potato starch processing equipment suppliers, begins construction of a new potato starch factory with the daily throughput of 1440 tons raw potatoes with the support of the Danish company SiccaDania.

In the new plant, there are separate hydrocyclone lines for the refining of starch, one for large and another one for small granules, which will not only ensure the top quality starch, but also will allow the fractionation of starch and offer products with a large or small fraction, to the customers who need them, as well as to produce modified starch based on fine granules in the future.

Also, at the new plant it is planned to produce pharmaceutical starch and special starch for yeast production.

Source: https://politvesti.com/?p=319146

September 21^st 2017

A sweeter way to make green products.

Researchers invent novel process for extracting sugars from wood.

The shampoo you washed your hair with this morning. The balloons for the party. Refrigerators and sunglasses, medicine and mosquito repellent, guitar strings and fishing lures. These — and thousands of other products we use every day — contain chemicals made from petroleum. But researchers at the University of Delaware can now offer manufacturers a much sweeter alternative to this fossil fuel.

A UD research team has invented a more efficient process for extracting the sugars from wood chips, corn cobs and other organic waste from forests and farms. This biorenewable feedstock could serve as a cheaper, sustainable substitute for the petroleum used in manufacturing tons upon tons of consumer goods annually — goods that consumers want to be greener. More than half of consumers in the U.S. are willing to pay more for environmentally friendly products, according to GfK MRI’s Survey of the American Consumer, reported earlier this year.

Basudeb Saha, associate director for research at UD’s Catalysis Center for Energy Innovation — a U.S. Energy Department-designated Energy Frontier Research Center — led the effort, which involved scientists from UD and from Rutgers University. The results are published in ChemSusChem, a top interdisciplinary journal focusing on sustainable chemistry.

Basudeb Saha, said: “To make greener chemicals and fuel, we’re working with plant material, but we don’t want to compete with its food value. So instead of taking corn and extracting its sugars to make ethanol, we’re making use of the stalks and cobs left over after the corn is harvested, as well as other kinds of waste like wood chips and rice hulls.”

Although the past decade has seen a shift toward using such waste, referred to as lignocellulosic biomass, to create chemicals for producing biodegradable plastics, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and biofuels, biorefineries have struggled with finding steady supplies and with high processing costs.

Although wood chips and corn cobs may sound like simple, inexpensive materials, they are hard to break down chemically.

“The lignin that makes their cell walls so tough and sturdy acts like superglue, holding tightly to the sugars,” Saha said.

Industry currently separates out the sugars from the lignin through a two-step process using harsh chemicals and reaction conditions in the first step, and an expensive enzyme in the second step. This process makes the resulting sugars expensive and the end products, though renewable, less competitive than those produced with petroleum.

The process invented at UD, however, is just one step. It doesn’t require a separate pretreatment step commonly used in biorefineries to disintegrate the lignin from the sugar polymers cellulose and hemicellulose. UD’s one-step technology integrates the pretreatment step and the hydrolysis of cellulose and hemicellulose in one pot and operates at considerably low temperature (85°C) and short reaction time (one hour), which makes the method energy efficient. It’s water efficient, too.

The key to the technology, which has been filed as an international patent application by UD, is the use of a concentrated solution of an inorganic salt in the presence of a small amount of mineral acid. The concentrated salt solution requires a minimal amount of water. The solution swells the particles of wood or other biomass, allowing the solution to interact with the fibers, much like a newspaper swells when water spills on it.

The unique properties of the salt solution make the method very efficient, Saha said, with up to a 95 percent theoretical yield of sugars.

What’s more, the team has integrated the process with another step, called the dehydration reaction, which converts the sugars to furans in the same pot and enables the salt solution to be recycled. Furans are highly versatile compounds used as starting materials for making specialty chemicals.

The UD innovation employs process intensification, the performing of several steps in an integrated fashion, resulting in the use of less energy and water. This concept, implemented on a large scale, is the focus of RAPID, a Manufacturing USA Institute being led by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, which also involves UD as a key player.

Saha says: “Our process enables — for the first time — the economical production of feed streams that could profoundly improve the economics of cellulosic bioproducts manufactured downstream, not to mention the environmental benefits of replacing petroleum. More than 10,000 million metric tons of carbon emissions were reported in 2010 from conventional fossil fuels and chemicals, which has a long-term catastrophic effect on our environment.”

The study’s co-authors included postdoctoral researcher Sunitha Sadula and research associate Weiqing Zheng from UD, and Prof. Marianthi Ierapetritou, chair of the Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, and graduate student Abhay Athaley from Rutgers.

Source: http://www.udel.edu/udaily/2017/september/extracting-sugars-wood-novel-process/

September 12th 2017

Ingredion introduces breakthrough tapioca flours that contribute to a clean label.

Ingredion has announced the launch of Homecraft Create multifunctional tapioca
flours. The new range of ingredients emerges as a milestone in more than two decades of research dedicated to understanding the role tapioca can play in clean label applications.

Homecraft Create multi-functional tapioca flours couple a clean “tapioca flour” label with the functionality of a modified starch. The full range of flours is adapted to suit a variety of production processes, offering tolerance and stability advantages, while at the same time helping manufacturers achieve indulgent dairy products and smooth sauces, puddings and custards.

The flours, which will be introduced in phases globally, provide exceptional flavor release and enhanced, creamy textures that allow food manufacturers to reduce fat content and improve nutrition profiles. At the same time, the range of ingredients delivers higher viscosity than clean label starches in some applications, offering opportunities for cost savings.

Homecraft Create multi-functional tapioca flours support non-GMO and gluten-free claims, aligning with consumer-driven trends reshaping labels around the globe.

Ingredion conducted proprietary consumer research in 26 countries, assessing consumer
preferences regarding functional texturizers and stabilizers. Consumers across all regions prefer a “flour” label, presenting an opportunity for tapioca flour.

“Flours are highly recognized and also have a superior degree of acceptance, given their
association with minimal processing, which consumers perceive to be healthy,” says Dan Haley, director of the global Wholesome Springboard at Ingredion.

“The challenge for food manufacturers has been to formulate with flour without compromising flavor, texture, appearance and a gluten-free positioning. Homecraft Create tapioca flours help manufacturers overcome this challenge in a wide array of applications.”

Manufacturers frequently inquire about functional ingredients that meet consumer’s clean-label expectations, says Angelina De Castro, senior marketing manager, North America. “In the US and Canada, consumer research shows that tapioca flour consistently ranks very high in ‘natural’ perception and acceptability. With our new Homecraft Create multi-functional tapioca flours, food developers now have the ability to use a widely accepted texturizer that offers breakthrough functionality and helps to create a superior eating experience.”

Tapioca is a versatile ingredient, suitable for formulations from yogurts to soups and cooking sauces, says Chong Hui Cheng, marketing manager, APAC. “Tapioca is a familiar and staple food ingredient in Asia Pacific. Our proprietary research shows that two out of three consumers in the region accept tapioca flour as a food ingredient.”

Consumer research in EMEA also reveals a preference for “flour” labels. “Our recent study shows that flours are recognized, trusted and preferred by consumers,” explains Davy Luyten, marketing manager in the region. “Acting on this insight could give manufacturers the competitive edge they need to differentiate their dairy, meat, bread, snacks and baby food products. With 76 percent of European consumers placing importance on recognizable ingredients, we anticipate strong interest in our new Homecraft Create multifunctional tapioca flours.”

Source: https://www.naturalproductsinsider.com/news/2017/09/ingredion-introduces-breakthrough-tapioca-flours-that-contribute-to-a-clean-label.aspx & http://www.ingredion.us/Ingredients/ProductPages/tapiocaflour.html

September 09^th 2017

For a better batter: Kröner-Stärke launches native starches for fried foods.

Kröner-Stärke has launched a range of native wheat-based starches, including organic and gluten-free, for clean label battered and breaded products.

The supplier said the starches could help manufacturers clean up the unhealthy image of breaded or battered foodstuffs and to formulate products that are rich texture and taste but contain no chemicals.
“Our starches offer the same functionality as traditional modified starches but without the negative health perceptions,” said Kröner-Stärke’s product development technician, Maren Wiese.
Sanostar is the gluten-free, organic starch that is hot swelling, that is additive and enzyme-free while Coastar is a wheatbased ready batter that is also free from egg and dairy proteins.
The starches can be used for meat, seafood and vegetables and are as functional in terms of adhesion, crispiness and coating stability as conventional starches.
“When used in a coating, they produce a protective film around the food which also inhibits the fat uptake when the
product is fried – meaning food processors can offer a healthier overall product to the convenience market,” the supplier said.
A spokesperson for the company said in order to ‘clean up’ the ingredient list, it removed E-numbers such as guar gum, a hydrocolloid, and chemically modified starches.
Gluten is removed from the gluten-free wheat starch using a physical, additive-free cleaning process that involves washing and separation.
The firm sells its clean label starches with a 40% mark-up compared to its standard wheat starch depending on the project and quantity purchased.
The Germany-based supplier said it was launching the product worldwide but with a particular commercial focus on Europe.

Source: http://www.bryan-nash.co.uk/products/starches.html

September 01^st 2017

Ingredion launches nature-based plating agent that carries more liquid than traditional carriers.

Turning thick honey or chocolate syrup into a flowable powder can be done cheaply and easily thanks to a highly porous plating agent that can replace spray drying, says Ingredion.

Food scientists at Ingredion’s Idea Labs have unveiled N-ZORBIT 2144 DG plating agent, a high-capacity carrier that allows manufacturers to economically transform a wide variety of both oil and water-soluble liquids into powdered ingredients.

The ingredient, derived from waxy maize, is a next-generation plating agent with a unique, porous structure that increases the surface area exposed to liquids, facilitating absorption.

A plating agent is a solid carrier which absorbs a liquid and transforms it into a powder, while ‘plating capacity’ refers to the amount of material the carrier can absorb.

Due to the non-gelatinised and unique granular structure of the ingredient, it can be used to carry high-flavour concentrations that flow freely through processing equipment and mix evenly into food and beverage recipes.

The unique structure and composition of N-ZORBIT 2144 DG contributes to an optimal particle size and low bulk density that can deliver a plating capacity as high as 40 percent. This means 100 grams of N-ZORBIT 2144 DG can plate up to 70 grams of liquid, delivering far more than traditional carriers such as maltodextrin.

“Creating today’s on-trend foods and beverages means using a wide assortment of spices, seasonings, flavours and actives,” said Donna Brooks, director of global business development – Delivery Systems at Ingredion.

“N-ZORBIT 2144 DG allows product developers and manufacturers to economically increase that variety, transforming a multitude of liquids into a powdered form.”

High plating capacity brings cost-in-use benefits while delivering the same amount of flavour with less use of carrier.

N-ZORBIT 2144 DG can be used to deliver powdered versions of oil and water-based flavours and seasonings. It also adds thick honey, chocolate syrup and other viscous fluids to the range of ingredients that can be made into powders without the added expense of spray drying.

“We are excited about the launch of N-ZORBIT 2144 DG in EMEA,” said Helen Cray, Ingredion’s marketing manager for delivery systems in EMEA.

“It enables manufacturers to plate a wider range of actives more easily and more cost effectively than traditional carriers. And with no E number, it also provides a label declaration which is recognised and accepted by consumers.”

Source: http://www.ingredion.us/MeetIngredion/News/n-zorbit2144.html

August 16^th 2017

Tate & Lyle launches CLARIA^® instant functional clean label starches.

Tate & Lyle PLC has announced further expansion on its line of CLARIA Functional Clean-Label Starches with the introduction of two new instant starch products: CLARIA Instant 340 and 360. As claims such as “smooth”, “luscious” and “velvet” continue to grow, manufacturers are eager to develop textures consumers love. In addition, almost one-third of products launched in 2016 carried one or more clean-label claim.

“While consumers are demanding simpler ingredient labels, they are not willing to sacrifice the eating experience,” says Vicky Stencel, Global Category Marketing Director, Tate & Lyle. “That is why Tate & Lyle has introduced CLARIA Instant Functional Clean-Label Starches, to help food manufacturers meet consumer demands for ‘cleaner labels’ without having to make trade-offs in taste, texture, color and performance.”

Like every starch in the CLARIA line of clean label starches, these new instant starches are versatile enough to help solve formulation challenges in a broad range of applications and processes.

“We developed the CLARIA Instant line of starches to deliver on several attributes, including process tolerance for use in demanding applications, rapid viscosity build for soups and gravies, and boil-out prevention characteristics for fillings,” said Jim Smoot, Senior Manager Texturants R&D, Tate & Lyle. “It also had to be as easy to use as comparable modified starches, while possessing the required white color and clean flavor profile consistent with our other CLARIA starches. We are excited to say that our new CLARIA Instant starches deliver on that promise.”

The CLARIA Instant line is ideal for applications such as salad dressings, instant gravies and soups, and pastry fillings and creams. It provides process tolerance suitable for various temperatures, acidity, and shear, harsh processing conditions. CLARIA Instant also provides immediate viscosity in high-solids systems such as fruit fillings and easily builds texture in coldprocessed applications such as salad dressings. In addition, it offers excellent bake stability control compared to traditional modified food starch.

Like the other CLARIA Functional Clean-Label Starches, CLARIA Instant line delivers a clean taste and neutral color. It’s unmatched sensory attributes make it easier to formulate clean-label foods as they closely match the attributes of traditional instant modified food starches.

In 2016, one in every five new clean label launches was in the bakery category making it a top category for clean label innovation across all regions. CLARIA Instant is well positioned to help address manufacturers’ clean label bakery formulation needs resulting from this trend.

In addition to these new instant functional clean-label starches, the CLARIA line features CLARIA Bliss, a tapioca based clean label functional starch, and three corn-based, clean label functional starches including CLARIA Essential, CLARIA Plus and CLARIA Elite. Launched globally in October 2014, these starches leverage the same proprietary technology as CLARIA Instant Functional Clean-Label Starches – enabling functionality and sensory attributes similar to modified starches while allowing for simpler ingredient lists.

Source: https://www.tateandlyle.com/articles/4

August 09^th 2017

Domestic Vimal will increase its production capacities 13 times.

Domestic Vimal, manufacturer of starch products, announced the opening of its new plant in Chernigiv region of Ukraine in late October this year. The projected capacity of the plant will be 600tons of starch a day. It is a significant increase within the company compared to the present day manufacturing of 45tons of starch per day at the Vimal facilities. Notably, the plant is being built by the very company division Vimal-Spetsstroi. Larsen equipment will be mounted for the use at the new plant. Vimal will produce starch according to the European standards of quality and safety. The company will file for certification from the top world quality and safety management systems.

The shareholders of the company have plans to increase exports including shipments to the EU countries. As of present, Vimal exports to the CIS countries and China.

Over and above, the company intends to increase the assortment of production after the launch of the starch plant. The development strategy concerns protein, organic fertilizers and other products of potato processing. The latter plans will be undertaken in 2018-2020, told Sergey Samonenko the CEO of Vimal.

Source: https://inventure.com.ua/en/news/ukraine/ukrainskij-proizvoditel-krahmala-otkryvaet-novyj-zavod