The Grain Processing Company first started showing its Maltrin OR, a hypoallergenic maltodextrin, at the IFT trade show in Chicago last summer, and the launch took place at the beginning of this year. Its other new ingredient in the Maltrin line, an organic rice syrup solid, goes by the name of R230. Both of these are now to be represented in the Western US by ET Horn. They can be used in a broad variety of products, including frozen desserts, healthy snacks, sports beverages and nutrition bars, according to the companies. Since the sources of both ingredients are grown and produced domestically, the products are expected to be popular with food manufacturers who want organic alternatives to complement their conventional products. Chad Christensen of GPC told FoodNavigator-USA.com that the Western US is an important market for these products. "There's a lot of organic products and organic mindset out there," he said. According to the Organic Trade Association's 2007 Manufacturer Survey, 2006 sales of organic products in the US reached $16.7bn - a 21 percent increase on the previous year. GPC's regular Matrin products are, like the bulk of its product line, derived from corn. The company opted to work with rice on this occasion, however, since organic corn is hard to come by in Iowa, where the company is based and has its production facilities. Christensen said the source change did not require a change in processing method. "It's still maltodextrin, so we know how to make it. It's just a different substrate." GPC has other arrangements in place for its Maltrin line covering other parts of the US and Europe. Maltodextrins are easily digestible carbohydrates, which are made from starch. GPC says that its process involves cooking the starch, before adding acid and/or enzymes to break it down into smaller polymers. This process similar to that used by the body to digest carbohydrates. Rice syrup solid is described as similar to a corn syrup solid, but from rice. It is said to bring sweetness and add bulk weight to the finished product - but it is not as sweet as dextrose and other sugars. "ET Horn has represented the entire GPC line of maltodextrin and starches for many years - dating back to the early 1980s," said VP sales of ET Horn's FoodTech division, Lisa Alley-Zarkades. "We have a wonderful and long standing relationship with them."
