Cargill has developed a new starch, which can reduce fat in yoghurt by 50%, while retaining taste and texture.
Called C CreamTex 06329, the new modified starch has been created using Cargill's proprietary technology to bolster the texture and rheological feature of the final product.
Cargill Texturizing Solutions EMEA starch product manager Denis Palacioglu was quoted by Foodingredientsfirst.com as saying: "Yoghurt has become an irreplaceable component of the European diet. In particular, fat-reduced yoghurt has grown to become a top seller in the overall dairy health and wellness segment."
"If we look closely at this segment, we can see that fat reduction is by far the most popular option in health and wellness yoghurt. But we also know that, while increasingly looking for healthier options with fewer calories and less sugar, consumers do not want to forsake the sensorial aspects connected with eating dairy, preferring those products that are both good for you and offer a creamy, silky-smooth texture. Certainly not an easy combination to achieve for dairy manufacturers."
The company claimed that most Hydroxypropyl (HP) starches available in the market cannot meet sensorial aptitude of yogurt with complete fat, often it is seen that the yoghurt's flavor is lost when fat is replaced with starch.
However, this patent-pending starch is claimed to balance between technical impact and sensorial aptitude, even after enabling fat reduction of more than 50%.
Cargill Texturizing Solutions senior dairy application specialist Fabien Bouron was quoted by the website as saying: "Through our dairy lab research, done via both rheological tests and sensory panels, we identified a clear gap in terms of creaminess, mouth thickness and shine when using HP starches, with a high degree of undesirable stickiness. So we developed a new technology and created C CreamTex 06329 modified starch to offer our customers the opportunity to fill that gap and achieve a greater level of fat reduction in their recipes. Additionally, being a starch-based solution, it is a reliable, cost-effective and non-animal derived fat replacer."
C CreamTex 06329 modified starch will be showcased at the Food Ingredients Europe event to be held in Paris from 1 to 3 December.
Last month, Cargill developed a next-generation zero-calorie sweetener, called EverSweet, using a fermentation method to separate molecules found in the stevia plant.
The sweetner was launched at the SupplySide West event, which was held between 7 and 8 October, and will be commercially available in the US by 2016.
EverSweet was invented in conjuction with Evolva Holding, a Swiss biotech company.
This development was claimed to to offer a solution to soft drink companies, which have been looking for a calorie-free sweetener that not only tastes good but will also allay the concerns of consumers who are reluctant to consume products containing unnatural ingredients.