IFT First 2025 live: Jungbunzlauer strengthens texturants portfolio with low-acyl gellan gum debut

Global ingredient manufacturer Jungbunzlauer is advancing its texturants portfolio with the launch of TayaGel LA, a naturally occurring, low-acyl gelling, suspending, and stabilizing agent. The company is presenting applications in a vegan panna cotta and fruit purée at the ongoing IFT First show in Chicago, US (July 14-16).

Food Ingredients First speaks with Iliana Nava, market development manager customer solutions, Americas at Jungbunzlauer, on the show floor about how TayaGel addresses the demand for plant-based and label-friendly ingredients.

“TayaGel is our fermentation-derived ingredient. It is a gelling gum. The specific properties of gellan gum in beverages, for instance, are the great suspension properties it can provide, and particularly in plant-based beverages, it is the ingredient of choice to suspend hard-to-solubilize proteins, such as plant-based proteins.”

“It is also perceived very well by consumers; it is considered a label-friendly ingredient, non-GMO, vegan, so it fits very well in these categories.”

The company notes that the ingredient creates a smooth mouthfeel with a clear appearance, which is crucial in applications where clean taste and appearance matter.

“The obtention of this material is from fermentation, so the label friendliness is always there. It provides various functionalities in various applications, so it’s important to understand where and how to use it depending on the product. We can recommend the best usage level and the best grade of gelling gum,” says Nava.

Advancing investment and R&D

Last year, Jungbunzlauer acquired the France-based blending company Alliance Gums & Industries (AGI), expanding its biogum capacities at its Port Colborne, Canada site.

Nava comments on how this sharpens the company’s focus on texturants: “If you think about the company’s history, back in 1986, we started with xanthan gum. In 2021, we launched the high-acyl version of TayaGel, gellan gum high acyl. We are continuing now with the low-acyl version, which complements the portfolio.”

“Additionally, we are putting together a more focused team on the texturants space. With our technical resources, we continue to align with the quality we can provide in our ingredients. So it just makes a solid approach to the market.”

Nava adds that the company’s texturants portfolio can help customers integrate or switch textures in their formulations, from beverages to confectionery.

“The combination of TayaGel, high-acyl and low-acyl, can provide a variety of textures. If you’re thinking about making a fluid gel or making a firm gel, you can achieve that. And one of the benefits of using low-acyl or gellan gel and gum in general in products is that it only requires a little bit to go a long way.”

“Depending on what the product is like, let’s say a bakery filling, a beverage, or a confectionary product, we have various options for customers to look into and obtain the texture they’re looking for.”

As industry demands evolve and consumer trends around sensory pleasure and health converge, F&B innovation is increasingly expected to score on multiple parameters.

“The TayaGel LA comes as a complement to what we currently offer in our hydrocolloids portfolio. Now with xanthan gum, high-and low-acyl gellan gum, we can offer a wider variety of options that address market needs, in combination with our R&D,” Nava concludes.