TIC Gums revealed Ticaloid GR 5420 and Ticaloid Tortilla; two new products for the tortilla and flatbread manufacturing industry at the Tortilla Industry Association (TIA) 2012. Both are blends of hydrocolloids that reproduce the benefits of guar gum in bakery items like tortillas but contain no guar. TIA is among the most important trade events of the year for the tortilla industry. It was held this year is at Caesars’ Palace in Las Vegas, NV.
For corn and flour tortilla manufacturers and developers, the use of guar gum is important to managing moisture. Proper inclusion of moisture in these and other bakery items is important for proper texture and shelf stability. Food scientists at TIC Gums were able to reproduce the benefits of guar but without using any.
Ticaloid GR 5420 is a 100% replacement for guar gum in bakery mixes including those for tortillas and flatbreads. With no guar gum in the hydrocolloid blend, the gums that are used manage the retention of water, providing the equivalent dough texture food manufacturers need. Usage of Ticaloid GR 5420 is two to five ounces for 100 pounds of flour.
Another guar replacement, Ticaloid Tortilla facilitates machinability, moisture control and flexibility. The standard usage for Ticaloid Tortilla is for four to eight ounces per 100 pounds of flour. TIC Gums recommends five parts of water for every one part of gum used. More water will provide the needed moisture for flexible, shelf stable tortillas.
The increased demand for guar gum stems from the energy industry’s use of it for horizontal drilling and well fracturing or “fracking.” As overall demand for guar gum rose from 250,000 metric tons per year to 480,000 metric tons per year (350,000 metric tons for the energy industry alone) over the past 24 months, food manufacturers and developers are interested in finding substitutes for what was once a relatively inexpensive and readily available hydrocolloid. It was this need that was the catalyst for this and other similar inventions from TIC Gums.
