Gums, sweeteners and dough bubbles at Fi Europe

Alumni of the food ingredients world will gather in Paris this November at the FI Europe show, with suppliers demonstrating their wares in a roll call of launches.

French gum arabic firm Colloides Naturels International (CNI) announced it will launch Encapcia, a 100 per cent GMO-free acacia gum, that is " the ultimate in encapsulation" for sensitive and volatile products.

According to the Rouen-based firm, the product has "enhanced emulsifying properties with superior film-forming capacity."

Applications include spray drying citrus oils, mint oil, Omega 3 oils, bacteria, vitamins, and colorants.

CNI claims the product can bring "major cost savings" due to its high level of functionality.

Facing a step up in competition from non-hydrocolloid alternatives on the market, CNI continues to look to extensions of its portfolio to protect its 50 per cent share of the refined gum market.

Encapcia, according to the firm, has been fully purified and pasteurised before drying and agglomeration, to insure the "best physical and microbiological specifications."

Ambitious US agribusiness Cargill will unveil two new global products at the FIE through its starch and sweetener subsidiary Cerestar.

The largest private firm in the US announced it will roll out a texturising starch, developed for UHT and catering application.

C*DeliTex, a modified starch, retains its low viscosity during UHT heating, keeps its starch granules intact during high heat and shear treatment, and develops full viscosity during the second heating step, claims Cerestar.

"The result is reduced fouling, money saved on longer production runs and less cleaning required," said the firm.

The low viscosity at the start allows for more efficient heat penetration, saving energy, and the final stability of the catering product is excellent every time, with no post-thickening event, they add.

Applications for the product include UHT processed soups, sauces, custards and liquid pancakes.

UK designer and manufacturer of materials testing equipment Stable Micro Systems said it will present an "array of instruments to meet food manufacturers' texture analysis requirements" at this year's Food ingredients Europe show from 29 November to 1 December 2005 .

The Surrey-based firm will highlight its 'multiple puncture probe': a tool to quantify the firmness of foods with variable textures, from fruit and vegetables to thick-cut marmalade and chocolate chip ice-cream.

In addition, the 'dough inflation system' that enables the inflation rate of a dough bubble to be altered as its volume changes.

Key factors in the structure and volume of the final product, evaluation of the bubble's large deformation extensional properties "provides vital information on the stability of gas cells and gas retention during proving and baking,"says the firm.

And its 'acoustic envelope detector' records noise at the same time as measuring force, distance and time - "adding a new dimension to texture analysis and quality control."