Cargill Introduces New “Super Load” Starch Carrier for Liquids and Oils

Produced in Cargill’s Sas van Gent plant in The Netherlands, Starrier starch is a milled, pre-gelatinised, native maize starch that converts liquids and oils into free-flowing, non-sticky, dry powders, to be used easily across a broad range of applications.

01/06/09 Turning liquid flavours and oils into easily manageable dry powders has become significantly more efficient for manufacturers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) with the launch of Starrier starch, a clean label, high-loading starch carrier from Cargill that overcomes the inefficiencies of traditional lower-load bearing carriers and the expense and complexity of spray-drying.

The unique flake-shaped particle structure (patent-pending) has a high surface area which provides excellent absorption capacity for all liquids using conventional plating methods, which consist in depositing a liquid on a solid carrier material. Compared with traditional carriers, such as salt and maltodextrin, which suffer from low liquid loading capacity (maximum 10 percent), Starrier starch has a ground-breaking loading capacity of up to 60 percent without stickiness. And with cost efficiency being a primary driver for manufacturers, Starrier starch has a lower cost-in-use than maltodextrin.

Starrier starch also overcomes the need for expensive and complex spray-drying, the process used instead of plating when intense flavouring requirements demand a flavour loading greater than 10 percent. In turn, this eliminates additional associated cost and quality implications, such as energy use, the risk of thermal degradation and the loss of volatile components potentially resulting in flavour changes and even off-taste. Starrier starch itself is neutral-flavoured.

Derived from identity-preserved non-GMO maize, Starrier starch is clean label and can be declared as simply “starch,” “maize starch” or “corn flour”.

Mike Jones, EMEA category manager for convenience, Cargill Texturizing Solutions, said: “This is a convenient and cost-effective solution for flavour houses as well as for functional foods producers. Starrier starch helps turn oils and liquid flavours into manageable and user-friendly powders, without damaging delicate and complex final tastes. Upon eating, flavours carried by Starrier starch are rapidly released, meaning a satisfying experience for the consumer, as well as the manufacturer.”

Starrier starch is part of Cargill’s unmatched portfolio of texturizing offerings, ranging from single ingredients, such as xanthan gum, pectins, carrageenans, alginates, guar and locust bean gums, soy flours, starches, lecithins, cultures and enzymes, to multi-component functional systems. Of further benefit to manufacturers is Cargill’s extensive expertise in application, supported by continuing development work carried out in its R&D centres across the world.