Cabot Launches Fumed Silicas for the Food Industry

17 Oct 2013 --- Cabot Corporation has announced the launch of CAB-O-SIL M-5F and CAB-O-SIL EH-5F premium fumed silica additives for food applications that require high purity, regulatory compliance and performance. These products are designed to act as carriers, flavor masking, anti-settling, thickening, anti-caking and oil substitution agents.

In addition, they positively impact process efficiency, final product texture, storage stability and caloric content.

CAB-O-SIL M-5F and EH-5F fumed silicas are colorless, odorless, and tasteless high purity food additives (E551). These grades are in compliance with applicable European and United States regulations regarding food additives, and are Kosher and Halal certified.

These products improve efficiency standards for particular processes such as mixing, microencapsulation and spray drying. For example, CAB-O-SIL M-5F fumed silica facilitates better mixing of liquids and powders by adsorbing liquids and forming dry flowing powders that can be easily mixed with other solids. It can also be used to microencapsulate flavors with high evaporation rates, reducing costly ingredient losses and final product variability.

Using CAB-O-SIL EH-5F fumed silica can improve the spray-drying process efficiency by up to 10%. Use of this additive helps prevent clogs in the atomizer, which enables longer operation times without shut-down. It also delivers higher powder recovery by reducing caking of dried product on the equipment walls, and can increase throughput by enabling lower outlet temperatures.

Additionally, Cabot’s food grade silicas facilitate the formulation of lower calorie foods by providing a more homogeneous lipid distribution to enhance the fat’s effectiveness, as well as, acting as effective stabilizers of Pickering emulsions that replace fat fractions. In both cases, the organoleptic properties of the final product can be preserved, while the fat content can be lowered by up to 40%. For example, CAB-O-SIL EH-5F fumed silica enabled the formulation of soft cookies with lower oil content (from 16% to 10% wt. oil), while preserving the softness level, reducing lipid oxidation, and providing stabilization against staling. A second example is the formulation of low-fat ice-cream, where CAB-O-SIL EH-5F fumed silica kept the milk protein molecules (casein, albumin and globulin) in a colloidal suspension, facilitating the reduction of the butter fat content from 10% to 8% wt., while preserving the same organoleptic characteristics and freezing point of the control.

“Consumers are increasingly interested in more health conscious products, and formulators are struggling to find additives that are safe, cost-effective, and perform well in different temperature and pH conditions,” said Miriam Bisso, Life Sciences Segment marketing manager, Cabot Corporation. “We are continually looking for ways to supply the market with innovative solutions that address current and future market needs. These fumed silica food grades facilitate the substitution of a fraction of the fat contained in foods, while improving texture and maintaining flavor. This represents not only a cost savings opportunity for the industry, but a more health-conscious choice for the consumer.”

Cabot serves the life sciences industry by producing fumed silicas for the pharmaceutical, food and personal care industries, aerogel and fumed silica products for the cosmetic and personal care markets, and activated carbons that are used as catalysts and purification aids in food and pharmaceutical applications.