FDA Approves Color Additive for Foods, Drinks

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending its color additive regulations to provide for the safe use of LycoMato[r] tomato lycopene extract as a color additive in foods. The ruling, effective August 26, 2005, adds the ingredient to the FDA's listing of Color Additives Exempt from Certification.

LycoMato is a standardized tomato oleoresin that contains a high concentration of lycopene, partially dissolved and mostly dispersed in tomato oil, as well as phytoene, phytofluene, b-carotene, tocopherols and phytosterols--tomato phytonutrients that act synergistically, enhancing the biological activity of the lycopene. The oleoresin is used as a source of lycopene in functional foods, and already is marketed as a food colorant in Europe and Japan. LycoRed Group, www.lycored.com

Innovative Essentials

An essential mineral offers nutritional and functional benefits. Adding the various salt forms of phosphates as an important ingredient to various food applications not only leavens bread, acts as an emulsifier in dairy products, and prevents moisture loss in processed and frozen meats, but contributes to bone growth, repair of bodily tissue and metabolizing carbohydrates. Innophos offers both ingredients, prototype development and technical support to food manufacturers who want the benefits and healthy labeling associated with this essential ingredient. Innophos, 800-243-5052, spcustomerservice@innophos.com

Savory Starters

Great food starts with great beginnings. Get a head start with food bases from Custom Culinary. Whether your signature application requires the savory taste of Gold Label Savory Roasted[tm] Vegetable Base, the authentic meaty flavors of Gold Label Savory Roasted Beef or Chicken Bases, Custom Culinary guarantees consistent results, quality ingredients and simple-to-use formulations and packaging for a great finish. Custom Culinary,www.customculinary.com

Functional Carbo Receives EU Approval

Palatinose[tm], also known under the generic name isomaltulose, is a unique sugar that can help reduce the glycemic and insulin response to foods. The ingredient has been approved by the European Commission for use in the European Union in all foods and beverages, according to the commission decision of July 25. In the U.S., Palatinose has generally-regarded-as-safe (GRAS) status, making it suitable for use in foods and beverages here as well.

Palatinose is exclusively derived from sucrose and can be found as a natural constituent of honey and sugar cane. The ingredient can be used in wellness, sports and functional ready-to-drink and instant formulas; healthy breakfast and dairy drinks; and nutritional bars or meal replacements. Palatinit, palatinose@palatinit.de, www.palatinit.com

Clear Choice

The true taste of popular flavors adds punch to flavored water. Danisco uses the proprietary ingredients in Aura[tm] Flavors and the time-release effects of Commonsense[tm] Flavors to give the company's True Waters beverages natural, clean, fresh fruit taste. Both flavor lines are available to meet the individual demands of application technologists. Danisco USA Inc., 800-255-6837, ext. 2514, flavors.usa@danisco.com,www.danisco.com

Drop Those Carbs!

With the low-carb demands of consumers, processors need to use the most functional carbohydrates available. Grain Processing Corporation offers instant viscosity, stabilized starches ideal for manufacturers who need to reduce the overall carbohydrate levels in their products. Starches from GPC also are used to bind moisture in frozen food products, supply texture to bakery and confectionery and stability to all levels of food formulations. Grain Processing Corporation, 563-264-4265, sales@grainprocessing.com,www.grainprocessing.com

No More Mush

A better alternative to individually quick frozen vegetables offers better nutrition and better flavor while providing better texture to frozen foods! Gilroy Foods' Controlled Moisture Fire Roasted and Grilled Vegetables enhance a wide variety of applications, from sandwiches and pizzas to soups and sauces. A unique process removes 30% to 50% of the water in fresh vegetables, ensuring better definition, more intense flavor and more nutrition pound for pound. Gilroy Foods, ConAgra Food Ingredients, Garth Neuffer, 402-595-5376, garth.neuffer@conagrafoods.com

Natural Resource

A repertoire of more than 500 ingredient offerings makes a leader in food ingredients technology a go-to company for food processors. What makes ADM Resourceful by Nature[tm] is not only their wide range of offerings, from beverages to breads and confectionery to functional foods, but the skills to put them together in unique ways, to fit the individual needs and applications of the innovative manufacturer. ADM, 877-ADM-FOOD, info@admworld.com,www.admworld.com

“No Sweat” Salt

Not all salts are created equal. Problems with using granulated salt in food processing applications include caking, poor solubility and poor adherence. Morton[tm] Star Flake[tm] dendritic salt meets these challenges. The unique crystalline shape of Star Flake offers the best qualities of granulated salt and grainer flake salt without the complications. Star Flake has the highest solubility rate and lowest compaction of most salts, and can adsorb twice the liquid of grainer flake without affecting flowability. Morton Salt, 800-789-SALT, buysalt@mortonsalt.com,www.mortonsalt.com

True Colors

Caramel color is the industry's choice. Inherently stable, with good functionality across a wide range of pH values, Spray Dried Caramel Color from Sethness provides one of the lowest cost coloring options and yet is label-friendly. Highly dispersible, easy to store, Sethness Caramel Color gives food technologists a spectrum of color from pale yellows to the deepest browns. Sethness Products Company, 888-772-1880, mail@sethness.com,www.sethness.com

Committed to Service

Customer service and strictest quality control set an industry leader apart from the competition. Blendex Company's commitment to excellence is reflected in its offerings: no-cost formulation of ingredients, private labeling, just-in-time inventory for freshest ingredients, focus on only food ingredients and use of only equipment designed for food preparation. Complete with 24-hour emergency service, these are just some of the features that make Blendex a good choice for custom blending, packaging and formulation. Blendex Company, 800-BLENDEX,www.blendex.com

Guide to Using Soy Sauce

The Kikkoman Flavor Handbook: A Reference and Product Guide, designed for food scientists and prepared foods manufacturers, is a fresh collaboration of information on the flavor-boosting properties of naturally brewed Kikkoman Soy Sauce, and the company's entire industrial line of premium flavor-building products. The publication provides an extensive list of flavoring constituents in brewed soy sauce; notes on salt, amino acids, sugar, color, acids, aromatic esters and post-fermentation development; as well as product information, usage tips and creative application ideas for all Kikkoman products. Please contact the company for a copy. Kikkoman International Inc., 415-956-7750,www.kikkoman-usa.com

Superior Soy

Add protein while cutting back on meat content. Ultra-Soy[r] Textured Soy Flours and Textured Vegetable Proteins have the fibrous texture of meat, and are available in tan, caramel and dark caramel colors. Ultra-Soy has 50% protein and less than 1% fat, as well as nearly 17% dietary fiber. A rich source of naturally occurring isoflavones, Ultra-Soy may be added directly to the processing flow, and hydrated at a rate of 1.5 to 3.5 times its weight with water. Refrigeration is necessary after hydrating. Prior to hydrating, Ultra-Soy Soy Flours and Vegetable Proteins are shelf stable for at least one year from date of manufacture. Legacy Foods, 800-835-5006,www.legacyfoods.com

Trans-Free Crunch

Unique equipment and expertise kicks the trans out. While partially hydrogenated oils have traditionally been used to improve flavor and mouthfeel in snack seasonings, the harmful effects of these oils and associated trans fats have made consumers more aware than ever of label contents. Using original spray-dried, non-hydrogenated oils for their snack seasonings, Commercial Creamery has been able to remove partially-hydrogenated oils from the labels of a number of large snack food processors. Commercial Creamery Company, 800-541-0850, megan@cheesepowder.com

Vegetable Juices for Innovative Foods

Some additions have been made to a line of full-flavor vegetable products for use in dressings, salsas, marinades, beverages and more. Vegetable Juices Inc.'s (VJI) new products include chile pepper purees and juices, which can be used in innovative, nutritious products. The company demonstrated its products during this year's IFT show in New Orleans. As an added bonus, corporate chef J.D. Duncan demonstrated creative taste treats, utilizing VJI products, throughout the show. Vegetable Juices Inc., 888-776-9752,www.vegetablejuices.com

Mimicking Eggs

Now get the flavor and functional benefits of eggs! Eggstend, from Parmalat, is 100% dairy-based functionally enhanced whey protein concentrate. Eggstend undergoes a unique proprietary process to develop egg-like properties, then is spray-dried into a shelf-stable powder with a 12-month shelflife. With 85% less fat than whole egg powder, and 90% less cholesterol, Eggstend offers clean labeling, consistent pricing, and no special handling or cleanup. Parmalat, 877-891-0811, ingredientsinfo@parmalat.ca

Product, Not Processes

Food scientists need to focus on the product, not on the equipment used to monitor the processes. MicroThermics introduces the new Touch-Screen PLC Control package, with an Interactive On-board Manual and Process Guide, which allows technicians and formulators the ability to simply input the settings, while the automatic controls manage the critical control parameters. MicroThermics Inc., 919-878-8045, info@microthermics.com,www.microthermics.com

Look It Up!

Product development tools help food formulators choose the right ingredients every time. Univar USA Inc. introduces an expanded Food Function Library, now including preservatives and texture modification. The library offers technologists tools for selecting the right combination of Univar's extensive product offerings to create the applications they need. Univar distributes over 200 different performance products. Univar USA Inc., Karen Weber-Millstein, 425-889-3475, karen.webermillstein@univarusa.com

It Seems Like Real Ice Cream

Food formulators working on no-sugar-added ice cream applications have a new tool to help, from Degussa Food Ingredients, Business Line Texturant Systems. The Daritech[tm] FP Series products have an excellent sweetness profile, exhibit many of the same characteristics of regular sugar ice cream, and have the convenience of a single source for all non-dairy ingredients. Degussa offers a complete blend of sugar replacers, bulking agents, and stabilizers/emulsifiers specifically designed to promote the most regular ice cream-like properties from processing to freezing to consumer acceptance. Degussa Food Ingredients, Business Line Texturant Systems, Erin Chavez, 800-241-9485

Liquid Gold

Increase moisture content and extend shelflife without adding trans fats. Fluid Flex, a unique liquid emulsified vegetable shortening from Ventura Foods, outperforms solid or plastic shortenings, and has no trans fat or cholesterol. Kosher certified, Fluid Flex provides better texture, higher volume and consistent results, and is available in convenient, ready-to-use packaging. Ventura Foods LLC, 800-421-6257,www.venturafoods.com

Smoother Smoothies

Stabilize acidified soy, juice or whey beverages and keep them flowing! Avicel-Plus[r] XP 3602 stabilizer from FMC Biopolymer provides excellent immediate and long-term suspension of solids in both low- and high-viscosity drinks. This all-natural ingredient maintains body while keeping a clean mouthfeel and superior flavor release. Other ingredients included in FMC Biopolymer's offerings can reduce fat in desserts without sacrificing texture and flavor, or bind moisture in meats to maintain flavor while processing. FMC Biopolymer, 800-526-3649

Soy Solutions

Reduce carbs and calories while improving yield with dietary soy fiber. FI-1 Soy Fibre[r] from The FibreD Group adds dietary fiber to food products ranging from pasta to processed meats to health foods to nutraceuticals, improving mouthfeel with only a neutral taste and no odor. GMO-Free FI-1 Soy Fibre is GMO-free and certified kosher. The FibreD Group, 800-598-8894,www.fibred.com

S-s-s-smokin'!

Customizable flavors complement vegetables and meats, adding savory and smoky chargrilled notes. Red Arrow's Grillin'[r] Series chargrilled flavors can be modified to fit clients' particular manufacturing needs, resulting in distinctly authentic grilled flavors. Red Arrow Products Company, 920-769-1100, ext. 1162, sales@redarrowusa.com

Guarding the Good Stuff

Recent studies have shown a positive link between the prebiotics inulin and oligofructose and immunity, especially in children, who are prone to fevers and gastrointestinal upsets. Prebiotics increase the numbers and activity of beneficial bacteria, the more so in combination with probiotics, and inulin has been shown to protect probiotic bacteria during both shelflife and digestion. Raftiline[r] inulin and Raftilose[r] oligofructose are offered by ORAFTI Group, and can be included in a wide range of foods, including bakery, confections, dairy products and beverages. ORAFTI Group, 610-889-9828, www.orafti.com

Sidebar 1: Not Your Mother's Cheese

New cheese blends offer chefs irresistible flavors for one-of-a-kind creations. Bistro Blends[tm] Shredded Cheeses from Sargento bring new inspiration with herbs and other garden fresh flavors. Mozzarella with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Basil, Mozzarella and Asiago with Roasted Garlic provide a Mediterranean flair to European and American cuisine, and Cheddar Salsa with Tomato and Jalapeno Pepper sparks up Southwestern fare. Sargento Foods Inc., Barbara Gannon, 920-892-3530, bgannon@sargento.com,www.sargento.com