Gums and Starches

Securing steady supplies of ingredients is an ongoing concern for food manufacturers. One ingredient that perennially falls into the sourcing spotlight—as a result of both periodic shortages and ongoing high demand—is gum arabic, also known as gum acacia. The risk of not having a suitable replacement in the event of a gum arabic supply shortfall can sometimes prove a deal ...

Although fat is the source of much delight in decadent dairy creations, it can harm our health. Thankfully, growing consumer demand for reduced-fat versions of our favorites is being met with rapidly expanding options to lower fat without losing flavor and mouthfeel. At 9 calories per gram, fat more than doubles the 4 calories per gram of protein and carbohydrates. ...

First you smell, then you see, then you eat. That’s a saying you hear a lot around tables and kitchens in Asia. But, during my childhood in Sibu, Malaysia, it was less an idle maxim than a way of life. It seemed an almost daily occurrence that before I even got my shoes off or set down my backpack, the ...

Natural, native gums are highly functional ingredients that contribute to the texture, stability and other physical attributes of processed foods. However, sometimes, they need physical or chemical modifications to extend functionality, or enable them to overcome various processing and shelf-life challenges. For example, a few gums naturally have a small affinity for fat; however, modification improves this attribute, enabling them ...

Widespread agreement on the health benefits of vegetarian and semi-vegetarian diets are reminding Americans that eating meat need not be an all-or-nothing proposition, giving rise to a whole new species of “-tarian”—the flexitarian. Inside the flexitarian mind A flexitarian is a part-time vegetarian who deliberately eats less—or almost no—meat. In choosing flexitarianism, health trumps ideology. “It’s more focus on personal ...