Email Us info@fiberstar.net
Call Us +1 (715) 425-7550
ORDER SAMPLE
Menu

Bakery Fillings

Bakery fillings - pectin extension, thickener, starch replacement, natural texture
July 13, 2022
No Comments
Bakery Fillings

Bakery Fillings: Converting to Clean Label

Limited ingredient supply and clean label trends triggered bakers to reconsider their bakery filling stabilizer strategy. Today, there are alternative options including Citri-Fi® citrus fiber which provides high water holding and emulsification. As a result, this food ingredient improves stability, natural texture and food labeling at low usage levels (<1%) in bakery fillings.

What is more decadent than biting into a warm donut with filling oozing over your lips? This fond memory stems back from childhood days and forward into adulthood. Bakery fillings come in a variety of flavors and textures including cream, chocolate, fruit and nut-based. This gives bakers a palette of options which make the combinations endless. However, bakers also use stabilizers to improve the filling’s stability and texture.

For instance, fruit fillings typically contain added pectin to thicken and gel. Also, bakers incorporate modified starches which provide viscosity, heat tolerance and freeze/thaw stability. For years, bakers leaned on these hydrocolloids to solve their texture and stability challenges. However, some market trends such as limited food ingredient supply, clean label and more natural textures are driving the need for new solutions.

Trends Shaping the Fill

The aftermath of COVID is still playing out in the global supply chains. Because of this, some food ingredients are limited in availability including modified starches. Larger food companies’ buying power may protect them from these shortages. On the other hand, medium to smaller players have no choice but to seek alternative ingredients.

Another market trend predominant today involves natural and clean labeling. Consumers read food declarations more than before. And their decision-making is based on what sounds familiar and safe to them. Initially, consumers frowned on food ingredient names that were not typical pantry staples. Now, this includes other ingredients including modified starches. Any words associated with chemicals fall suspect. And in other parts of the world, consumers veer away from E-number ingredients like pectins, modified starches and food gums. As a result, the market demands more natural ingredients for bakery fillings.

Citrus Fiber Functionality in Clean Label Bakery Fillings

One natural solution for bakery foods entails using citrus fiber. However, not all citrus fibers are created the same. Some citrus fibers are byproduct of the pectin extraction process which produces less functionality. Others are upcycled material from the juicing industry. Citri-Fi is a natural citrus fiber created from the citrus juicing process. The mechanical process, which is free from chemical modifications, produces a fiber that contains both soluble and insoluble fiber. The soluble fiber portion consists of high amounts of intact native pectin. As a result, this natural food ingredient provides high water holding and emulsification properties.

At low usage levels (<1%), Citri-Fi provides thickness and heat stability. It binds the water to prevent separation and blow-outs in enrobed baked goods. Also, this upcycled ingredient creates more natural textures in cream, fruit and chocolate-based bakery fillings. Another key benefit is freeze/thaw stability. Citri-Fi binds the water tightly. As a result, minimal water migrates during frozen storage.

In fruit fillings, Citri-Fi can be used up to 2% to produce the gelling texture in low pH and high Brix processing conditions. Citri-Fi not only improves the texture and stability, but also, this citrus fiber creates clean label bakery fillings. Citri-Fi’s labeling options include citrus fiber, dried citrus pulp or citrus flour.

Benefits in Other Baked Goods

Because of the dual functionality, Citri-Fi also benefits other baked goods such as breads, muffins, cakes and cookies. The water binding retains moisture so that the bakery item remains fresh over longer time. Additionally, Citri-Fi’s emulsification properties help it to partially replace egg and/or oil content without comprising quality.

Citri-Fi is non-allergenic and gluten-free which is ideal for gluten-free baking. Also, this natural ingredient is non-GMO project certified and has no E-number. These attributes make this citrus fiber an ideal clean label ingredient for bakery fillings and other baked goods.

If you need more information, please contact us.

Read more →

Egg replacement in dressing, sauces, bakery fillings and dips
April 20, 2022
No Comments
Bakery, Bakery Fillings, Dressings, Soups & Sauces

Egg Replacement: The Good Egg – Citrus Fiber

The market demands egg replacement options due to price and availability fluctuations, plant-based lifestyle trends and allergen-free food requirements. Though many solutions exist today, Citri-Fi® citrus fiber is one clean label option available to partially replace egg depending on the food product. Due to the citrus fiber’s high water holding and emulsification properties, Citri-Fi works synergistically with other food ingredients such as starches, gums and plant fibers to remove egg entirely.

Real eggs are the workhorse ingredients in the food world. They have so many functions in baked goods including aeration, browning color, binding, humectancy and leavening to improve the texture over shelf-life. Moreover, eggs provide coagulation, coatings, crystallization control and richness to a variety of other foods. Besides the functional benefits, eggs also fortify foods with protein content. So, why would the market demand egg replacement options?

Eggs experience pricing fluctuations like any other food staple. Temporary anomalies such as the current Avian flu create price hikes and supply constraints that affect companies that are not locked into contracts or lack buying power. On the other hand, there are other market dynamics at play that drive the need for egg replacers. For instance, there is a wave of consumers shifting toward a plant-based diet. Because of this, people are looking for animal-free including egg-free foods. Another segment steers away from egg products due to allergen concerns. Typically, if one allergen is avoided such as gluten, other allergens are added to the elimination list. For example, many restaurants are converting over to vegan mayonnaise for food safety and allergen reasons.

A Nest Full of Egg Replacement Options

There have been egg replacers on the market for over 10 years now or more. And they vary amongst different ingredients such as food gums, dairy and wheat proteins, starches, plant fibers and blends of these ingredients. Other types of ingredients also include leaveners, enzymes and emulsifiers. The type of ingredients used highly depends on the food product that the egg is used in. And each ingredient has both pros and cons. For instance, some ingredients are chemically modified, some are considered allergens and some lack nutritional contributions. In the end, egg replacement requires multiple ingredients or a systems approach. Dialing into that exact system is a challenge especially to reach 100% egg replacement.

Citrus Fiber as an Egg Replacer Formulation Tool

As mentioned, some plant fibers provide some of the lost functionality in an eggless food. For example, Citri-Fi citrus fiber is a potential solution. This natural ingredient provides high water holding and emulsification properties similar to eggs. As a result, product developers can reduce the amount of egg in the formulation. And when used with other hydrocolloids, 100% egg replacement may be possible especially in bakery products.

Citri-Fi can partially replace eggs in baked goods including pancakes, cookies, layer cakes and muffins. This citrus fiber extends eggs in bakery fillings like custards too. In both instances, less than 1% will create high quality bakery products. In addition, these baked goods tend to maintain freshness over time improving shelf-life. This natural citrus fiber is added in with the dry ingredients such as flour and sugar before the liquid phase.

This natural ingredient is allergen-free and ideal as a gluten-free bakery ingredient. Many gluten-free products avoid ingredients such as egg, soy, wheat and dairy. These ingredients tend to provide water holding, binding, structure and emulsification to the food. Without using one or more of these food ingredients, the bakery product tends to lose quality. However, Citri-Fi, at <1% usage level, provides moisture retention and oil and water binding to improve the structure and freshness over time.

Yet, Citri-Fi also shines in egg-free spreads such as vegan mayonnaise. This citrus fiber’s high intact pectin content creates an emulsion with the other food ingredients which does not break over time. As a result, the mayonnaise remains uniform and creamy.

If you have additional questions about citrus fiber as a potential egg replacement ingredient, please contact us.

Read more →