What’s happening in hydrocolloids? F&B’s unsung hero ingredients meet modern consumer demands

27 Mar 2024 --- Hydrocolloids are crucial to food and beverage formulation, but manufacturers must align these ingredients with the demands of the increasingly health-focused and environmentally-conscious consumer. Leading suppliers CP Kelco, Nexira and ADM tell us how they are bringing hydrocolloids “closer to nature” and boosting nutritional profiles without compromising on taste and texture. 

These functional ingredients are used to increase product consistency, control texture, flavor, color and shelf life and improve the gelling effect. Common hydrocolloids for thickening include starch and gums, while alginate and gelatin are among the popular hydrocolloids for gelling.

Innova Market Insights has flagged “star ingredients” as the top industry trend for this year. According to Jack Pearson, customer innovation director at CP Kelco, hydrocolloids are often the hard-working, behind-the-scenes support that enables products to function at their best.

“For example, we know that consumers are seeking products with more protein. Whether plant-based or animal-based, protein can often bring formulation challenges. For consumers to fully enjoy a protein beverage, suspension and stabilization are necessary to ensure consistent texture,” he tells Food Ingredients First.

In low pH formulations, the company’s Genu Pectin and Nutrava Citrus Fiber upcycled ingredients can help achieve consistent texture in protein beverages. For neutral pH protein beverages — either dairy or dairy alternatives — a small amount of Kelcogel Gellan Gum or Genulacta Carrageenan can achieve the same effect. These ingredients also help with mouthfeel modification and control the off-taste of plant proteins.

For Charlotte Wallart, food product manager at Nexira, consumers now seek products that prioritize nutrition but also uphold health standards in gourmet selections. Innova Market Insights research suggests the top factor that makes snacking experiences attractive to consumers is “tasty but healthy” (39%).

“Consumers want the best of both aspects, seeking health benefits through indulgent formats — they are increasingly demanding, and the industry must meet these expectations in all categories, whether they are vegan or not,” she says.

Nexira provides a range of hydrocolloids exclusively crafted from plant-based ingredients — most of which hold organic certification.

Clean label connections
According to Zach Gall, global senior marketing manager for Wholesome Ingredients & Texturants at ADM, the impetus behind hydrocolloid innovation is the desire to support consumer demands for clean product labels with recognizable ingredients that they deem as “closer to nature.”Many consumers are unfamiliar with the term “hydrocolloids,” but educating shoppers on the functionality of texturants can help address this concern (Image credit: ADM).

ADM’s research indicates that just under half of consumers are familiar with specifically named hydrocolloids, pointing to an opportunity for utilizing new hydrocolloid solutions that meet clean label criteria where other ingredients may not.

“For example, as part of our Stabrium texturants line, our hydrocolloid solutions are dry blends of plant-based ingredients that can support products positioned as vegetarian or vegan, as well as kosher and halal. Our Stabrium Hydrocolloid Solutions can further support clean label optimization by mitigating the need for gelatin, monoglycerides and diglycerides,” Gall tells Food Ingredients First.

These solutions help build and maintain the structural integrity of plant-based alternatives by supporting binding or viscosity. The company’s Stabrium Hydrocolloid Solutions 100 and 200 are designed to support the development of plant-based yogurts, frozen desserts and beverages, enhancing the mouthfeel of plant-based dairy through targeted texture.

However, while certain specifically named hydrocolloids may be recognizable to consumers, most shoppers are still largely unfamiliar with the term “hydrocolloids.”

“Unfamiliarity can be concerning to the average consumer, leading to skepticism. Working together across the industry to educate consumers on the functionality of texturants, including hydrocolloids, can help address this concern,” adds Gall.

“Additionally, the use of more familiar named solutions and ingredients can help people feel more positive about their product purchases.”

Affordable health kicks
Consumers want healthier options but must balance this preference with higher product prices driven by inflationary pressures. According to Pearson at CP Kelco, affordability is a common concern for customers and consumers alike.CP Kelco’s Genu Pectin enables formulators to create vegan gummies with a soft, chewy texture.

“Manufacturers face the challenges of rising prices, supply instability and crop fluctuations. Then, there are pressures from governments in the form of health taxes and consumer-led, product health scoring systems, leading to more reformulation than ever before,” he says.

CP Kelco is working with manufacturers to reduce sugar, fat and oil in recipes and helping manufacturers stretch their supply of tomato and fruit pulp to protect against supply chain vulnerability.

At the same time, consumers increasingly demand finished products that fulfill their nutritional needs.

“Innovative, high-fiber fortified products in convenient formats such as bars, shots or powder or supplements for gut comfort or immunity are several good solutions offered by brands and manufacturers,” says Wallart at Nexira.

“Linked to the overall health and wellness trend, fiber is also associated with good gut health. Consuming adequate amounts of soluble, fermentable fiber is very important for optimal health because it optimizes the function of the friendly bacteria in the gut.”

Nexira has developed Inavea Pure Acacia, an organic, prebiotic acacia fiber, to meet the demand for healthy products. FODMAP-friendly certified, the solution delivers high digestive tolerance for fiber enrichment in various applications.

Meanwhile, hydrocolloid suppliers are developing solutions that appeal to increasingly diverse consumer requirements. CP Kelco, for example, offers various ingredient grades to help customers formulate organic, vegan and non-GMO products while all of its manufacturing facilities have undergone halal and kosher certification processes.

“One good example is how we help customers who are looking to answer consumer demands for gelatin-free, nutritional gummies. Genu Pectin enables the formulation of vegan gummies with a soft, chewy texture, plus the additional benefit of heat stability to support e-commerce sales. We also have grades of pectin to help with low-sugar or sugar-free gummies,” says Pearson.

Kind to nature
Innova Market Insights research has shown that, for the first time ever, consumers globally say that planetary health is their top global concern rather than human health. Over 1 in 4 consumers want environmental considerations to be part of new product development.Nexira will add new products to its prebiotic fiber range soon, which already includes acacia fiber.

“We know our products impact the environmental footprint of our customers,” says Pearson. “CP Kelco has conducted cradle-to-gate life cycle assessments (LCAs) on the majority of its portfolio — we must first measure and understand our product’s environmental performance to enable change and innovation.”

This science-based tool delivers insights into where the company could want to focus resource targets and allows it to monitor environmental performance over time while complying with international standards specific to LCAs.

Meanwhile, Nexira has been active in sustainable development in Africa since 2009 with NGO SOS Sahel. Along with Firmenich (now dsm-firmenich) and Danone, the company has supported the Acacia Program to protect gum trees and help local populations.

The company has also launched the first organic-certified and carbon-neutral Acacia Gum.

“This dual certification is the fruit of tireless work with all our supply chain partners. Inavea is an all-natural, organic and Non-GMO Project Verified dietary fiber sourced from carefully selected acacia trees,” Wallart tells Food Ingredients First.

“Existing grades include pure acacia fiber and baobab fiber. New references will be launched shortly to complete the range of prebiotic fibers.”

By Joshua Poole