Stick With Me

A new, oil-dispersible caramel color blend provides sticking power for snack and confectionery applications. It helps seasonings, such as barbecue-flavored seasoning, stick better to chips and other snacks. By coating the salt in the seasoning, the blend forms a protective layer, which provides better adhesion to the chip. The blend also can enhance cinnamon sugar for toppings and fillings in confectionery products. It coats the sugar crystals, resulting in better cinnamon adhesion and a more uniform product appearance.

The innovative ingredient blend from D.D. Williamson, Louisville, Ken., helps to minimize uneven color distribution in a dry or crystal mixture. Caramel color alone is water-soluble; hence, this blend represents a breakthrough for applications requiring a brown color that is dispersible in oil or fat systems where the final food product is solid. D.D. Williamson, Campbell Barnum, 502-895-2438, campbell.barnum@ddwmson.com

Soy Isolates That Don't Offend

The cardiovascular health advantages of soy protein are well-known, but consumers have not necessarily liked the taste of soy bean isolates in foods and beverages. To address this problem, Cargill, Minneapolis, has introduced Prolíse, a line of soy isolates that have a bland flavor and high protein content. The product allows manufacturers to add enough soy protein in their products to meet the FDA's soy protein health claim for cardiovascular health.

Created using a patented proprietary processing technology, the Prolíse isolate exhibits superior taste, solubility and mouthfeel, say company officials. It works well in a variety of foods and beverages including dairy-like products, infant formulas, processed meat and poultry products, meat alternatives, baked goods and other prepared foods. Cargill, Pat Godfrey, 952-742-5920, pat_godfrey@cargill.com

Website Wise

Red Arrow Products Company's website address is:www.redarrowusa.com. The company manufactures a wide array of natural smoke flavors for meat and food applications, as well as grill and roast flavors, and specialty browning and flavor-enhancing agents. Additionally, the company manufactures and designs application equipment to meet specific processing needs.

Fiber for Beverages

Litesse® polydextrose is a highly-soluble specialty carbohydrate and functional ingredient that is 90% fiber. It can be used in non-carbonated beverages that are low-calorie, sugar-free and fiber-enriched. The ingredient is well-tolerated, has a clean flavor profile, a neutral taste, and is stable over a broad pH range and under a variety of processing and storage conditions. Litesse Ultra™ is clear and can be used in developing transparent beverages. Other benefits are its low viscosity, ability to improve mouthfeel, and taste-masking properties. Danisco Sweeteners, Donna Brooks, 800-255-6837, ext. 2521

A Sugar Substitute

SPI Polyols has introduced Maltisweet™ M95, Maltitol Solution, a product for the food and confectionery markets. With a 95% typical maltitol assay, the ingredient has the highest maltitol content of any commercially-available maltitol solution, making it 90% as sweet as sucrose. It can be used to supplement or replace crystalline maltitol in a wide range of bakery, confectionery, frozen dairy and nutritional bar applications. This may allow formulators to reduce or eliminate high-intensity sweeteners, resulting in cost savings. SPI Polyols, 800-789-9755,sales@spipolyols.com

Better-Behaved Dough

A line of wheat protein isolates for frozen dough, frozen par-baked and freshly-baked goods, under the Arise™ brand, can help improve dough machinability, resulting in less downtime and wasted product. Arise™ 5000 and Arise™ 6000 blend into bakery product formulas during final preparation to increase functionality. The film-forming properties of these products help control water migration while improving product softness, freshness and shelf life. Additionally, they enhance extensibility and improve freeze/thaw stability. Midwest Grain Write in 216

Pilot Plant Services

Clextral's Evolum 53 twin screw extruder, located at the company's pilot plant in Tampa, Florida, is now available for testing. The extruders are capable of operating at a higher torque and pressure than comparable models and offer increased throughput and advanced temperature regulation, which helps to ensure a more precise production. The Evolum operates at up to 1200 rpm with a 350-hp motor. It is equipped with the company's hydraulic barrel opening feature, which helps facilitate rapid screw reconfiguration and sanitation, and handles from 200 to 2,000 pounds per hour.

The pilot plant is fully equipped with additional extrusion equipment and can produce a wide range of foods, animal feeds and food-related products. Clextral Inc. Write in 217