Starch Pros

June 28th 2017

Starch-Based ‘Super Food’ May Protect Against Variety of Diseases

A chemically-modified starch used to increase fiber content in foods may serve as a prophylaxis of type 1 diabetes (T1D).

High-amylose maize starch — often found in nutrition bars and gluten-free snacks — with chemically linked acetate or butyrate has shown in mouse studies to be capable of helping subjects protect against autoimmune diseases including T1D.

A team of researchers — lead by senior author Charles Mackay, PhD, professor of immunology at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia — fed nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice the modified starch in combination diets with high levels of acetate and butyrate.

Mackay reported the mice’s gut bacteria fermented the modified starch in the mice’s colons, producing higher levels of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) acetate and butyrate than the process would with nonmodified starch.

The modified starch improved the mice’s colon lining, reduced proinflammatory factors, and promoted immune tolerance. None of the mice on a combination diet developed T1D — which is developed by T cells mistaking insulin-producing pancreas beta cells as foreign invaders and destroy them.

The positive results suggest there are different actions taken by acetate and butyrate, with the former reducing the rate of autoreactive T cells in the NOD mice, and the latter serving as an energy source for the colon lining cells.

Mackay called the discovery “the beginning of an era of the use of medicinal foods to treat human disease.”

Though Mackay and researchers theorized shaping the gut microbiota with a substantial production of SCFAs could prevent and treat human diseases, there is a significant leap in testing its efficacy on mice to humans.

Julia Greenstein, PhD, vice president of discovery research at the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation — a funding source for the mice study — noted the NOD mouse model is different than human T1D diagnoses.

Nearly every mouse of the NOD strain develops T1D, while only 50-60% of genetically predisposed humans develop T1D, Greenstein said.

“We don’t know what would happen if we gave the SCFA-enriched starch to people,” Greeinstein said. “Acetate- and butyrate-enriched starch has a big impact on these animals. No question.”

There is also expressed concern as to whether the starch prevents diabetes from ever occurring, or if it simply serves as a delaying factor in its progression. Long-term clinical studies on its effects would be necessary to know, Greenstein said.

Mackay has expressed interest in beginning clinical trials within a year to test whether the modified starch helps prevent T1D development in at-risk patients — or, those related to T1D patients and with an above-average risk of development, according to screening.

Study coauthor Julie Clarke, PhD, described the chemically-modified treatment as “sort of halfway between being a medicine and being a food,” with capsules unavailable for human patient consumption. She suggested patients would be treated to a tasty combination therapy.

“It’s a research product,” she said. “We recommend to our participants that they mix it with something like chocolate milk.”

Source: http://www.nature.com/ni/journal/v18/n5/full/ni.3713.html

June 20^th 2017

Tate & Lyle celebrates 150 year anniversary of Koog, the plant that revolutionised the starch production industry. 

This year marks the 150-year anniversary of Tate & Lyle’s oldest starch production facility, known as “Koog”, located along the Dutch River Zaan. Continuously looking to make the next steps toward meeting market demands for specialty food ingredients, Tate & Lyle is currently expanding Koog with an eye on further ramping up production of its clean label solutions, and these added facilities are slated to be completed before the end of the year.

The plant has traditionally been an important part of the local community’s development in terms of production and export, bringing jobs, innovation and investments into the area. The facility began producing starch in 1867 and has been expanded over the years with numerous investments to establish new product lines, with the most recent additions mainly targeting consumer demands for clean label, high fiber content and sugar reduction.

“You can clearly see a shift to clean label and sugar reduction in terms of consumer preferences. And we see these two aspects at our site,” says Paul Clarijs, Koog Plant Manager.

Prompted by consumer demand for clean label solutions, the facility began production of Claria Functional Clean Label Starches in 2014, followed two years later by the production of Multivantage Syrup, a low sugar, low viscosity sweetener that can be used to reduce sugar content, while maintaining calorie levels in applications such as breakfast foods.

Recent ingredient innovation includes the Claria Bliss clean label starch product line, which delivers a whiter color than other functional clean label tapioca starches, is GM-free and can be labeled as “tapioca starch.”

“We are the only producer of Claria clean label starch. In addition, we also produce Claria Bliss, which doesn’t use corn as a source, but tapioca. We already launched that product and we can clearly see an expanding market for this,” Clarijs adds.

In 2010, Tate & Lyle commissioned a new Sta-Lite Polydextrose line, the first and only of its kind in Europe. Sta-Lite Polydextrose, a soluble fiber, is a premium, low-calorie bulking agent used to provide body and texture in reduced-calorie, no-added-sugar foods or beverages and/or fiber to a broad range of products including cereals, drinking yogurt/fermented beverages and biscuits. Promitor Soluble Fiber, a transparent premium fiber, has been produced at the facility since 2012 and is used in products such as energy and snack bars.

Speaking on the challenges of adjusting the plant to meet clean label specifications, Clarijs states that: “The major challenge for our plant is that we need to change our philosophy of producing in a way that we comply with new product introductions, so people need to adapt their way of working and be open to a changing environment, that’s the human aspect.”

Moreover, other aspects of particular importance are: “Good alignment with research, changing specifications, a lot of testing, and of course making sure the installations are ready.”

Located just 11km northwest of Amsterdam, the facility receives delivery of non-GMO corn by barge. It operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and spans an area of 25 acres, the equivalent of almost 19 football fields. Located near the Netherlands’ most densely populated areas, Koog’s expansion plans may seem surprising, yet Clarijs says that there are good explanations for the facility’s staying power.

“We source from Europe, as all our products are non-GMO. We have advantages in terms of getting it here, over water, and another advantage is our close proximity to Rotterdam Harbor,” Clarijs explains. “The education level is relatively high here; everyone here is capable of speaking English, and this goes all the way to operator level. So in terms of new product introductions, or having to deal with the research laboratories, language is not an issue.”

For a video interview featuring Paul Clarijs see: https://vimeo.com/222287265

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

June 15^th 2017

GPC Announce Launch of Allergen Free and Non-GMO Tapioca-Based Product Line

MALTRIN tapioca maltodextrin and tapioca syrup solids (MALTRIN T-Series) are the newest additions to Grain Processing Corporation’s marketed MALTRIN line of ingredients.

The products are sourced from 100% tapioca, making them Non-GM by origin, and are
manufactured with an all-enzyme, demineralized process. MALTRIN tapioca maltodextrins and tapioca syrup solids are allergen free and Cronobacter free, which makes them ideal for infant nutrition formulations among numerous other applications. These new tapioca-based products can also help with clean label requirements for many customers.

High-quality MALTRIN tapioca maltodextrins and tapioca syrup solids can be used in a wide array of applications to add body and improve mouthfeel, aid in plating or spray drying and even help stabilize product formulations. With our broad product line, the application opportunities are nearly endless.

Confections
MALTRIN tapioca maltodextrins and tapioca syrup solids inhibit sugar crystallization, improve the chewiness of soft candies and gummies and lengthen the shelf life of hard candies by inhibiting cold flow. They are also effective binders in direct compression candy tablet applications.

Frozen Applications
MALTRIN T-Series products are effective cryoprotectants that control ice crystal formation in a number of frozen food applications, from desserts to savory meals. They add body and mouthfeel without excessive sweetness or freezing point depression and help stabilize texture.

Nutritional Formulations
MALTRIN T-Series products provide a clean-label source of soluble carbohydrate with a neutral flavor profile and low osmolality. They are a great fit for nutritional beverages, bars and, since they are Cronobacter free, even infant formulas. They add body to improve mouthfeel, moderate sweetness and demonstrate clarity in both prepared and dry mix beverages. In bars and snacks, they provide and maintain a chewy texture over the product’s shelf life.

Spray Drying Aids and Carriers
Low hygroscopicity, neutral flavor, high solubility and ease of drying make T-Series products ideal for spray drying almost anything from flavors to dairy products to colors and fruit juices. They are also extremely effective carriers for high-intensity sweeteners, gums, spices and seasonings.

Source: https://www.grainprocessing.com/spotlights.html

June 08^th 2017

The research for peas with higher protein and higher starch levels.

Farmers in Montana, and other parts of the Northern Great Plains, are shifting from cereal mono-cropping to a cereal-dry pea cropping system; however, this transition is not without its share of unknowns.

Yield and performance of pea crops depend on their genetics and the environment. Environmental factors such as temperature and rainfall can vary greatly. Farmers in different parts of the Plains need to know which pea varieties will do well in the area they are farming.

Chengci Chen of Montana State University is working to generate that information. He has been studying how pea genetics interact with the environment to affect crop yields, and pea protein and starch content.

“Ultimately, I hope to be able to recommend which pea varieties to cultivate to growers in various environments,” says Chen.

To do that, Chen and his colleagues tested how nine different varieties of pea performed when grown in five locations across Montana. These locations were spread across the state and had different soils and climatic conditions.

Chen examined yield and protein and starch content of the different pea varieties. “These are characteristics that are important to growers and end users,” he says. Pea varieties that have higher yield can bring more profits to producers. Varieties that have higher protein or starch contents interest different end users.

For example, “dry yellow peas are fractionated into protein, starch and fiber. These components are widely used in food ingredients, especially by health-food businesses,” Chen explains. “The market for pea protein is growing rapidly because it is non-dairy and allergen-friendly.”

When the researchers evaluated the nine pea varieties grown in different environments, they found that “pea yield is affected by both genetics and environment, but environment has the larger effect,” Chen says.

Pea protein content is largely affected by environment as well. However, one kind of starch — resistant starch — content is mainly controlled by genetics.

“Resistant starch is important because it is beneficial to human health,” says Chen. It’s a type of starch that escapes digestion in the small intestine. Instead, it is fermented by intestinal bacteria in the large intestine into short-chain fatty acids.

“These short-chain fatty acids can be absorbed by the colon or used by bacteria as energy, which provides many benefits to the colon and to the body.”

Also, since resistant starch does not release glucose within the small intestine, it helps balance the body’s blood sugars. That helps everyone, especially individuals with diabetes.

Growing pea crops benefit the environment as well. “Pea is an excellent rotation crop for wheat,” says Chen. “It helps control weeds, diseases, and insects. It also fixes nitrogen from the atmosphere.”

Pea crops require very little nitrogen fertilizer as a result, which reduces energy cost and greenhouse emissions.

Finally, “pea-wheat rotations produce higher yield,” says Chen. “They provide farmers with more net returns than traditional cereal mono-cropping in the Northern Great Plains.”

Chen hopes his research will help guide growers on which varieties of peas will grow best in different environments.

“Our findings will help farmers identify site-specific varieties of pea or select general varieties for a broader area,” says Chen. “Also, growers will be able to choose pea varieties with a specific trait, such as higher resistant starch content, and grow them for different end users.”

Chen continues to work with plant breeders to develop new varieties of pea with higher protein or resistant starch content. He also aims to overcome limiting factors to help peas thrive for optimum yield.

Source: http://agresearch.montana.edu/carc/news.html

June 08^th 2017

Ingredion researchers develop first highly process-stable waxy rice flours.

HOMECRAFT® Create multi-functional rice flours will help food manufacturers in the U.S., Canada and the Asia Pacific region deliver clean labels and homemade appeal, without compromising process tolerance or stability.

Researchers at Ingredion’s Idea Labs™ have developed a line of HOMECRAFT^® Create multi-functional rice flours that help food manufacturers respond to consumer demand for smooth, silky textures in clean label and gluten-free products.

The development marks the first time manufacturers will be able to convert to a highly desirable “rice flour” label while at the same time achieving the robust functionality, stability and shelf life previously associated with the use of hydrocolloids, modified starches and other ingredients not considered clean label. The new range of ingredients first will be available to food manufacturers in the United States, Canada and Asia-Pacific following the IFT17 Annual Meeting and Food Expo.

The solution adds to a clean and simple ingredient solutions portfolio that started to develop more than 20 years ago. Ingredion has invested in growing this portfolio as consumer demand for clean and simple labels has grown.

Proprietary research conducted to understand the labeling preferences of consumers in North America and the Asia Pacific region found “rice flour” to be one of the most accepted common ingredients used in the food and beverage industry. Researchers found a significantly higher proportion of U.S. and APAC consumers preferred “rice flour” over other ingredients.

“Ingredion has been a pioneer in the clean label movement and in understanding consumer attitudes and preferences towards specific ingredients and claims,” said Daniel Haley, director of the global Wholesome Springboard at Ingredion. “The exciting development of HOMECRAFT Create multi-functional rice flours, leveraging our recent investments in Asia-Pacific, reflects the continued commitment of researchers working in this area at our global network of Ingredion Idea Labs innovation centers.”

The ingredient first will be introduced in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, at IFT17, which runs from June 24-28.

“The demand for clean and simple labels continues to climb in North America, and consumers are expecting front-of-box claims to be supported by ingredient statements,” said Angelina De Castro, senior marketing manager of Ingredion’s Wholesome Springboard in North America. “Providing highly functional rice flours with added stability and enhanced texture allows our customers to design new products that are as close as possible to what consumers would expect in an authentic recipe.”

Source: http://www.ingredion.us/MeetIngredion/News/waxy_riceflours_PR.html

May 30^th 2017

ADM makes mandatory tender offer for sweetener and starch-maker NCMP.

Archer Daniels Midland (ADM)’s Swiss unit has made a mandatory tender offer for controlling interest in Egyptian sweetener- and starch-maker National Company for Maize Products (NCMP).

ADM is looking to acquire anywhere between 51-100% of NCMP at EGP 35 per share. ADM has filed a request for approval from the Egyptian Financial Supervisory Authority, which confirmed it is looking into the transaction.

NCMP has been one of the most hotly-contested M&A transactions of the year so far: ADM has seen stiff competition to acquire Misr Capital Investment’s 42.96% share in NCMP after Al Mona Misr (the local affiliate of global commodities giant Louis Dreyfus) and Cairo Three A Group presented competing bids and a subsidiary of EK Holding subsequently threw its hat into the ring.

Pharos Holding drummed up the interest from bidders as sell-side advisor to Misr Capital Investments, while EFG Hermes is reportedly advising ADM. Misr Capital is a subsidiary of state-owned bank Banque Misr

Source: https://www.arabfinance.com/2015/Pages/news/newsdetails.aspx?Id=399327&lang=en

May 18^th 2017

Tate & Lyle expands portfolio of texturants with 17 non-GMO starches.

Tate & Lyle PLC have introduced 17 new non-GMO starches with the same functionality as their traditional counterparts. This is part of an ongoing program of non-GMO ingredient expansions across Tate & Lyle’s texturants, fiber enrichment and sugar and calorie reduction portfolios.

Commenting on the expansion, Werner Barbosa, Global Platform Leader, Texturants at Tate & Lyle said: “In the past three years, non-GMO product sales in the US have grown by 270%. At Tate & Lyle, we are committed to providing manufacturers with solutions which respond to consumer demands. Therefore, we are delighted to be able to provide our customers with a range of nonGMO options, alongside our existing starches, to help them deliver extraordinary food with great taste and texture.”

Barbosa said: “Non-GMO labeling of food and beverage products is increasing due to changing consumer preferences. In fact, over the past three years, non-GMO product sales have grown by 270% (IRi, 2017). To meet this growing consumer demand, Tate & Lyle offers non-GMO options across the company’s fibers, sweeteners and texturants portfolios to assist food and beverage manufacturers with developing products that align with the market needs.”

“However, with increased demand comes increased need,” continues Barbosa. “Currently Tate & Lyle provides manufacturers a wide range of non-GMO products and will continue to expand to meet the needs of consumers. Our team of experts is dedicated to delivering extraordinary results as consumer demands and regulatory dynamics impact the food and beverage industry.”

According to Barbosa: “The launch of 17 non-GMO starches with the same functionality as their GMO counterparts to help customers create extraordinary food textures – all while delivering label-friendly options to consumers.”

He also adds: “We have also expanded the CLARIA Functional Clean-Label Starches line with the introduction of CLARIA Bliss Tapioca-Based Starches. CLARIA Bliss enables manufacturers around the globe to formulate products with cleaner labels while maintaining excellent taste, texture, color and performance.”

“Instead of focusing on specific products outside of our portfolio, we prefer to concentrate on the wide range of highly functional, non-GMO starch solutions we offer to manufacturers to address a number of their clean-label formulation challenges,” he explains. “We are committed to working side by side with our customers to help them create the most extraordinary eating experiences.”

Whether it’s creating sugar-free cakes that don’t crumble or low-fat yoghurts with indulgent texture, manufacturers need starches to deliver the food experiences consumers demand. Using starches to deliver the right balance of taste and texture is often one of the most complex formulating challenges in yoghurts, soups, sauces and dressings. The combination of Tate & Lyle’s deep formulation expertise and ingredient portfolio is tailor-made to provide food manufacturers with the right solutions.

Examples of the non-GMO starches being introduced are: – REZISTA NG cook-up starch, which provides superior process stability and smooth texture, making it ideal for puddings, dairy products, condiments, sauces and dressings. – X-PAND’R NG instant starch gives baking and snack manufacturers dough machinability and crispy, crunchy textures in their crackers, chips and snacks. – MAXI-GEL NG cook-up starch can help with moisture management by creating smooth textures in yoghurts, soups, sauces and dressings, and superior freeze-thaw stability in frozen meals.

As Tate & Lyle continues to introduce more non-GMO offerings, maintaining the highest standards of certification from farm to factory is a key priority. For this purpose, Tate & Lyle uses a combination of two of the most reputable third-party certification bodies: SGS International and Eurofins.

Source: https://www.tateandlyle.com/news/tate-lyle-expands-portfolio-texturants-17-non-gmo-starches

May 14^th 2017

Rockefeller Foundation develops solution for increasing cassava shelf life.

The development is part of YieldWise, Rockefeller Foundation’s $130m initiative launched in January 2016, aimed at reducing food loss by at least 50 per cent by 2030 in representative value chains.

The Rockefeller Foundation, Dalberg and International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) have announced the results of the Cassava Innovation Challenge, launched in 2016 to uncover novel solutions for increasing cassava shelf life in Nigeria and the world.

At the first All Africa Post-Harvest Congress, held last month in Nairobi, the organisers awarded the Natural Resources Institute (NRI), based at the University of Greenwich, United Kingdom, in partnership with the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), with a grant of up to $500,000, along with technical assistance, to test and market a bag with a built-in curing technology that will keep cassava fresh for at least eight days post harvest.

Known as the main source of nutrition for an estimated half of the continent’s population, or 500 million people, cassava has a very short shelf life, and if unprocessed it will spoil within 24-72 hours after harvesting less if it is damaged during harvesting or transport.

As the world’s largest cassava producer, accounting for more than 20 per cent of global production, with more than 50 million tons annually, grown by nearly 30 million farmers, most of them with less than an acre of land, approximately 40 per cent of the country’s cassava is lost due to spoilage, a tremendous problem that limits farmer incomes and rural economic development.

Managing Director for Africa at The Rockefeller Foundation, Mamadou Biteye OBE, said the foundation was encouraged when it received more than 600 applications from 32 countries with ideas on how to solve the problem of a short shelf life for cassava. “Clearly a lot of people care about food security and ensuring that a vital staple crop is not lost due to lack of preservation technology.

“Upon the recommendation of our expert judges, we are investing in NRI’s bagging technology in part because we see farmers using bags with great success to store other perishable crops. Now is the time to try this for cassava. We know that when farmers win, we all win.”

The development is part of YieldWise, Rockefeller Foundation’s $130m initiative launched in January 2016, aimed at reducing food loss by at least 50 per cent by 2030 in representative value chains.

Research has found that post-harvest loss reduction solutions exist, but they are not reaching the farmers who need them. With the farmer in mind, the Foundation is promoting a variety of interventions in the areas of education, technologies, financing and market solutions to ensure production is linked to demand, and so improving livelihoods, creating less vulnerable ecosystems and natural resources, and increasing food availability.

According to Partner and co-Lead, Agriculture & Food Security Practice at Dalberg Global Development Advisors, Nneka Eze; “Over the past five years, we have led numerous projects on the cassava value chain and designed facilities to invest in cassava across Africa. We have kept running into the number one constraint in cassava – its short shelf life.

“Over the past year, Dalberg designed the challenge in partnership with IITA and The Rockefeller Foundation, reviewed over 600 applications, and coordinated inputs from our diverse group of expert judges. We are excited about the potential of NRI’s simple bagging solution to impact lives in Nigeria and in Africa, where more than half the world’s cassava is produced.”

Source: https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/cassavachallenge/

May 12^th 2017

China international starch and starch derivatives exhibition.

The annual Starch Expo is the only professional starch trade fair in Asia. It was launched in 2006 and has grown with the development of the starch industry in China since then. 11 years of continuous success in China the show has developed into the most important event in Asian starch industry.

The prosperous year of 2017 is going to embrace the 12th anniversary of Starch Expo during June 20th -22th in Shanghai, China. The show will be concurrently held with leading events Potato Expo, CPhI China and Food Ingredients Asia, totally covering 200,000 square meters, attracting more than 4,000 exhibitors and 70,000 visits. Through this partnership, we will offer a one-stop sourcing event for all related industries including starch, food ingredients, pharmaceutical, food facility etc.

The exhibition will be held coming June 20-22 in Shanghai, China at the Shanghai New Int’l Expo Centre.

For more information, see the Starch Expo brochure at http://www.cisie.cn/Portals/24/Templates/2017Starch_Expo_Brochure.pdf .

Source: http://www.cisie.cn/en-us/conference

April 19^th 2017

European research collaboration to prove feasibility of using starch in energy storage and green catalysis.

Scientists at the University of York have teamed up with industry partners to turn renewable plant-based resources such as potato starch into a potential energy source for electric cars.

The team, which includes scientists from York’s Biorenewables Development Centre (BDC), will be trialling different methods for converting three bio-based starting materials into a porous carbon: potato starch, alginic acid and fruit pectin.

Scientists say the resulting material could be used for energy storage for electric vehicles and as a green catalyst for the chemicals industry.

Duncan Macquarrie, of the University of York’s Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence, said: “The first step in our conversion uses expansion technologies, then we freeze dry the material before converting it into a carbon material using a furnace.

“We are investigating using this as a catalyst for chemical processes and to make batteries for electric vehicles.”

Peter Hurst, Senior Technologist at the BDC, added: “We are using the porosity offered by nature to engineer a stable material with controlled pores, like changing the hole sizes in a sponge.

“By manipulating these and studying how they interact with other materials, like metals, we can change how the material performs; ultimately improving its effectiveness for different uses.”

David Amantia, Principal Investigator for the project from Leitat, Spain, added: “Fundamentally, this project is about replacing a fossil resource, with a more sustainable, biorenewable alternative.

“What is exciting, is that by bringing together the nine partners, we are able to hone the technology from research level right through to a scaled-up production process for industrial testing.”

The team at the BDC will take the process from a lab scale of 100g, and scale it up to develop a pilot line capable of producing up to 20kg/day of the material.

This will provide enough sample material for the industry partners to test and analyse.

If successful, one of the project outcomes will be a pilot-scale production plant for producing this material, based at the BDC in York, UK.

The four-year project is funded by the EU’s Horizon2020 programme.

Source: https://www.york.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/2017/research/starch-energy-storage/