Multiple Applications
One company offers rice bran extracts for the food and cosmetic industries with quality ingredients that provide a positive impact on the consistency of finished products. RIBUS Inc.’s Nu-RICE™, Nu-BAKE™ and Oryza-MUL™ are the perfect solution for extrusion/emulsion, bakery and personal care applications, respectively. RIBUS offers both conventional/natural and certified organic product types, with applications in the food, cosmetics, supplements, beverages, nutraceuticals and pet food markets. RIBUS Inc., 314-727-4287, www.ribus.com

Balancing Act
A new, concentrated source of barley beta-glucan soluble fiber is now available. A natural and sustainable process produces Barley Balance™, from SunOpta Ingredients Group. Starting with North American waxy, hull-less barley, Barley Balance is made using a proprietary dry milling and separation process that is solvent-free and ideal for clean-label products. Barley Balance is a fine, light flour that has at least 25% beta-glucan and over 35% total dietary fiber, adding superb nutritional benefits and functional performance to food and beverage products. It is an ideal fiber ingredient for a wide array of healthy products. SunOpta Ingredients Group, 800-353-6782, www.sunopta.com/ingredients

Exceed Expectations
A new, patented dairy flavor offers a clean, mild flavor that heightens the creamy, buttery notes in cheese and/or dairy applications. Kraft Food Ingredients Corp.’s (KFIC) Creamery Exceed® Plus, developed by KFIC’s flavor scientists, provides a cost-effective, versatile option that will improve the impact of cheese and dairy flavors in new or existing formulations, and it will offset undesirable notes that can sometimes occur in cost-reduced dairy formulations, according to the company. Available in powder form, Creamery Exceed Plus functions well in a variety of applications, including sauces, fillings and seasonings, and can be used in all manufacturing processes, such as freezing, coating, batter/breading, retorting and baking. Kraft Food Ingredients Corp., 901-381-6545, www.kraftfoodingredients.com

Fruit for Thought
Now, there is an economical way to add fruit to products. Drum-dried Fruits, from Van Drunen Farms (VDF), are made from high-quality raw materials, and the pureed fruit is dried in a high-capacity drum dryer that removes the water and produces a thin, flaky dried fruit product that can be milled to different flake or powder sizes. Drum-dried Fruit products reconstitute immediately and retain much of their flavor, color and nutritional value. Van Drunen Farms, 815-472-3100, www.vandrunenfarms.com

Seeing Stevia
The February 16, 2009 issue ofE-dition,Prepared Foods’ electronic newsletter, reported on the results of a Clear Seas Research investigation that focused on the food industry’s knowledge and attitudes toward rebiana, the stevia extract. Most respondents believe that no-calorie sweetener options are appealing to consumers (86%) and that such products satisfy a consumer demand (77%). However, a majority (58%) also believe that taste trumps source for such products. Only 22% of those surveyed responded “a lot” or “a great deal” when asked, “How much do you personally know about rebiana-based sweeteners?”

For more information, contact Sarah Corp, Clear Seas Research, at corps@clearseasresearch.com or 248-786-1625.

To see more on the survey results, type in “Rebiana Reaction” in the search field at www.PreparedFoods.com. To subscribe toE-dition, go to www.PreparedFoods.com/enews.