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The globalization of cultures and economies has grown wealth and spread ideas. As a result more people are happy, safe, comfortable and well fed. But as goods and services globalize, the vices of developed nations are also spreading to the worlds growing middle class. With wallets fattening around the globe, so are consumers. The statistics are staggering and the potential consequences are overwhelming, but industry led efforts are beginning to address this problem.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) 1.6 billion people worldwide are now overweight. This means 1.6 billion people have elevated risk for cardio vascular disease, diabetes, strokes, osteoarthritis and many types of cancer. Over the next five years this number is expected to rise by 700 million people to 2.3 billion worldwide. WHO statistics forecast that 74.1% of the United States is overweight, along with 63.8% of the United Kingdom, 60.1% of Saudi Arabia, 68.1% of Mexico, and 60.1% of Germany. Researchers have said the number one cause of weight gain is “a global shift in diet towards increased intake of energy-dense foods that are high in fat and sugars but low in vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients (WHO).”
While customers have struggled to shed weight, rising food costs have put pressure on manufacturers to lighten up in a different way. Everyday food items are quietly shrinking as goods are repackaged to cut costs. It’s a mysterious vanishing act occurring in the jars, bottles, boxes and bags of food at the grocery store. In an effort to reduce costs food manufacturers have made the following inconspicuous reductions since 2008; bags of the two largest chip brands in the world have been reduced by 2.0 oz, a global orange juice powerhouse has reduced its large container by 7.0 oz, the average box of name brand cereal has been reduced by 2.4 oz, one of the world’s largest mayonnaise producers has reduced their 3 pound package to 2 pounds and 13 oz, many candy bars have been reduced by 11%. Standard ice cream packages have been reduced from a half gallon (two quarts), to 1.75 quarts, to 1.5 quarts. By inflating the conical void at the bottom of the jar, one of the world’s largest peanut butter brands has reduced their package size from 18 oz to 16.3 oz. This cost cutting strategy has obvious limitations. How low can they go before food manufacturers golden brands are forever tarnished?
The precipitous rise in weight is a result of consumers’ preference for high fat foods. Manufacturers have met our appetite for these products by offering a wider variety of unhealthy foods. Dominating grocery store shelves and restaurant menus, these high fat foods are not only more available but often cheaper than healthful alternatives. Confronted with the social and economic issues associated with weight gain, food manufacturers are eager to reduce the fat content of their products. The challenge is replacing fat and maintaining the flavors and textures that consumer’s like to buy and love to eat.
The food industry began dramatically reducing portion sizes in an effort to control costs after commodity prices rose in 2008. More recently new demand for food commodities is emerging from the worlds growing middle class and pushing prices up again. This growing middle class is also the 700 million people who are expected to become overweight over the next five years. As economic pressure continues to build, manufacturers will have to find new ways to keep their prices competitive. They will also have to address the nutritional deficiencies of their customer’s favorite foods.
One way to reduce costs for food manufacturers and improve nutrition for consumers is to partially replace the oil or fat in food products. The newest innovation in fat replacement applications is a class of fat mimetics based on plant fibers. These ingredients are incorporated into foods with additional water to partially replace a portion of formula oil or fat. A fat mimetic is designed to bind with extra water to provide volume while mimicking the texture, mouthfeel and flavor delivery of oil or fat. Fiber based fat mimetics are derived from a variety of agricultural sources including oat, wheat, corn and bamboo crops. When a portion of formula oil or fat is replaced with a fat mimetic, the overall energy density of the product is reduced. According to the Mayo Clinic, “Choosing foods that are less concentrated with calories – meaning you get a larger portion size compared to less healthful foods– can help you lose weight and control hunger.” But for this fat reduction strategy to be successful, fat replacers must make authentic tasting reduced fat products. One fiber based product called Citri-Fi®, manufactured by Fiberstar Inc. of River Falls, WI has unique functional properties and physical characteristics that make it perfectly suited for fat replacement applications.
Citri-Fi® is a multi-functional food ingredient made from orange pulp. Citri-Fi is a natural ingredient primarily used to improve the nutrition, quality, profit margins and ingredient declarations of food products. Citri-Fi is GRAS, non-GMO, non-allergenic and gluten free. Citri-Fi is different from other fiber based fat mimetics because of its unique chemical composition and enhanced physical structure. Other fiber products are generally purified to either insoluble or soluble fiber. Citri-Fi is not purified from the citrus pulp ingredient source, but it is left whole, to include both soluble and insoluble fibers, proteins, and sugars. Fiberstar Inc. also uses a patented mechanical process that opens the fiber structure to create a porous fiber matrix with a high internal surface area. These characteristics enable Citri-Fi to employ multiple binding mechanisms, the lipophilic binding of protein to fat, hydrogen bonding of the soluble and insoluble fiber to water, and entrapment and surface tension forces exerted by the expanded fiber matrix. This enables Citri-Fi to bind and retain more water and oil through cooking, baking, freezing and storage than other fibers. By binding with formula oil, Citri-Fi provides the same mouthfeel, texture and flavor delivery as the oil it is replacing.
Citri-Fi is generally used to replace 20% to 50% of formula oil or fat. It can be used as a fat mimetic in a wide variety of food applications including baked goods, dairy products, sauces, dressings and processed meats. Citri-Fi is simply dispersed in oil or fat, or premixed with dry ingredients. Additional water is then added along with water from the original formula.
When addressed with the problems of rising commodity prices and burgeoning waistlines Citri-Fi offers food manufacturers and consumers a solution. Citri-Fi and extra water cost less than the oil or fat they replace. This enables Citri-Fi to reduce costs for food manufacturers while it improves the nutritional profile of food products. Citri-Fi allows consumers to enjoy more healthful products with high, satisfying eating qualities to keep them happy, fit and trim. |
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