Ashland Inc. Presents Innovative Solutions for Better Foods in China

At the Ashland Aqualon Functional Ingredients booth, visitors will experience a wide range of product and service demonstrations that help food and beverage formulators meet their product needs for flavor, texture and health.

3/21/2011 --- Innovative cellulosic food solutions will be showcased by Ashland Aqualon Functional Ingredients, a commercial unit of Ashland Inc., at Food Ingredients China (FIC) 2011, the largest and most authoritative international show in food additives and ingredients in Asia, from March 23 - 25.

“We have been providing innovative products for the food industry for more than 65 years, and we are proud to have joined the economic growth of China over the past decade,” said Nandu Dhekne, vice president, Asia Pacific, Ashland Aqualon Functional Ingredients. “With investment in our world-class plant in Jiangmen in 1997 and, more recently, a new state-of-the-art technical center in Nanjing, we are well positioned to introduce advanced solutions and serve the fast-growing food industry, especially in China.”

At the Ashland Aqualon Functional Ingredients booth, visitors will experience a wide range of product and service demonstrations that help food and beverage formulators meet their product needs for flavor, texture and health. Many of these products help formulators create satisfying foods with longer shelf life. Ashland products being highlighted at the show include those listed below.

• Benecel methylcellulose (MC) and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) promote reduced oil uptake in fried foods.
• Bondwell cellulose gum (CMC) features both 99.5 percent and 95 percent purity grades for enhanced mouth feel and improved protein stabilization in dairy products.
• Aquasorb cellulose gum (CMC) provides increased moisture control in bakery applications.
• Klucel and AeroWhip hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC) deliver properties to formulators who wish to develop healthier dairy whipped toppings with reduced milk fat but yet retain a creamy mouth feel.

“Food tastes and preferences may be regional, but the desire for improved health and wellness is global,” said Laurie Kronenberg, new product leader, Food and Pharmaceutical, Ashland Aqualon Functional Ingredients. “For this reason, Ashland is leveraging its global presence and food expertise to partner with its customers in China to develop regional solutions. Being able to use less sugar, less oil, and reduced milk fat are examples of some of the benefits formulators who use our products can enjoy as they strive to offer their customers opportunities for improved health.”

In particular, Ashland will present a technical seminar on strategies for healthier fried foods. Fried foods enjoy popularity in all regions of the world, yet consumers are looking for reduced-fat foods that deliver good taste and texture. Reducing fat uptake in fried foods can lead to healthier foods and decreased manufacturing costs. Ashland’s technical experts will demonstrate how formulating fried foods with BenecelTM MC and HPMC can minimize cooking oil pickup during frying and reduce oil penetration during cooling, resulting in reduced overall fat content.