New clean-label corn starches at IFT 2019

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Clean-label starches are always a focal point at the Institute of Food Technologists’ (IFT) Annual Meeting and Food Expo. At the IFT show this June, ingredient suppliers did not disappoint, rolling out their latest round of next-level clean-label starches to help formulators mimic performance of modified starches.

Cargill’s SimPure Waxy Corn Starches

In 2017, Cargill (Minneapolis) debuted its SimPure portfolio of functional native starches. The first starches introduced under SimPure were SimPure 995 potato-based native starches to replace modified starches. But the company said it wouldn’t stop there. It said it would be exploring a wide range of botanical sources from which to develop future clean-label starches.

At the IFT 2019 show this June, Cargill introduced its newest addition to the SimPure line: SimPure 994 starches derived from waxy corn. These ingredients, the company says, can label as “starch” or “corn starch”-terms that consumers are familiar with and find label friendly.

The 994 starches stay stable under moderate to high processing conditions, including pasteurization, homogenization, ultra-high-temperature (UHT) processing, and retort sterilization used for products such as culinary/convenience foods, dairy/dairy alternatives, desserts and fillings, and soups and sauces. In fact, the company says, it is ideal for culinary/convenience foods and dairy applications. (By contrast, the SimPure 995 potato-based starches are ideal for mild-to-moderate processing, including for culinary/convenience foods and meat applications.)

The waxy corn starches provide other benefits, including, Cargill says, 100% sustainability per the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative Platform (SAI) and achievable thanks to strong partnerships with farmers and co-ops.

At IFT, Shiva Elayedath, senior technical services manager, Cargill Texturizers & Specialties, added: “In some applications, it’s a straightforward one-to-one replacement [for modified starches], and in other applications, you have to make some changes to your process, and that’s where we can step in. Thanks to our applications expertise, we can help the customer really figure out which is the best solution so they don’t just give up trying to switch one starch for the other.”

Looking forward, Elayedath said, “we are spending money on R&D, and we have some things in the pipeline, such as additional botanical sources. We stand behind both the potato and corn, but sometimes people want something different on a label, so we’re exploring.”
 

Ingredion’s New Novation Lumina for “Delicate” Food Applications

At IFT 2019, Ingredion (Westchester, IL) introduced the latest addition to its clean-label texturizers: the Novation Lumina line of functional native starches that label simply as “corn starch.” The neutral-colored starches are especially well suited to “delicate food applications that demand mild flavors and colors, enabling formulators to develop creamy, smooth textures without impacting light colors or delicate flavors of finished products,” the company says. Applications include yogurts, desserts and custards, dairy drinks, white sauces, soups, and more.

Comparable to modified starches, the Novation Lumina starches maintain viscosity and gel strength and provide excellent freeze/thaw and shelf-life stability, as well as tolerate high-processing conditions, the company says.

“Novation Lumina functional native starches are specifically designed for light-colored applications with subtle flavors,” the company said in a press release. “The texturizers’ neutral color and flavor profile give manufacturers the ability to maintain the most appealing qualities of their products-even in the most delicate food applications.”