Fiberstar: Upcycled citrus fiber for a cleaner label
Fiberstar’s upcycled citrus fibers, sourced from byproducts of the juicing industry, have myriad applications as firms seek to rid product labels of phosphates, carrageenan, gums, starches, mono- and di-glycerides and other substances gracing food marketers’ ‘unacceptable ingredients’ lists said VP global sales Nick Kovalenko.
The products contain soluble and insoluble fiber but are typically used in small quantities for their technical properties rather than to help companies make fiber claims, he said, and are now widely used to replace phosphates, enhance yield and maintain moistness in meat products, or to replace eggs, fat, mono and diglycerides or various gums and hydrocolloids in bakery products.
“Initially our target was fat replacement in bakery applications because it binds water very effectively," he said, "but we’ve since moved into multiple applications.”
In plant-based milks, citrus fibers can help firms develop more consumer-friendly labels, for example replacing cellulose (for suspension) and carrageenan (for mouthfeel) with gellan gum and citrus fiber.
He added: “We have a strong pipeline in plant-based dairy and meat, but we are also doing a lot of projects are in phosphate replacement in [conventional] meat applications and replacing starches and gums in bakery products.”
Image credit: Elaine Watson
