Tabasco helps reduce, replace sodium
“Salt to taste” may have a new meaning as New York City’s sodium warnings have hit menus. Restaurants with 15 or more units nationwide need to add salt shaker emblems on menu items that exceed the recommended daily limit of 2,300 mg of sodium.
To avoid sodium warnings on menus, chefs may reduce salt gradually by replacing with naturally flavorful ingredients like fresh herbs, citrus, vinegar, chili peppers, ginger, garlic and spices. According to McIlhenny Co., Avery Island, La., fermented foods have become increasingly popular due to their subtle, salty umami flavor. Common flavor enhancers like ketchup, soy sauce, miso, Worcestershire sauce and the company’s Tabasco brand Original Red Sauce have umami characteristics.
Tabasco brand Original Red Sauce provides flavor enhancement to many foods. The flavor comes from a three-year aging process. During the process, fermentation takes place and gives the sauce its umami characteristics that may draw out flavor and piquancy in food while adding a savory quality.
The sauce contains only three ingredients: distilled vinegar, red peppers and a small amount of salt.
Bay State Milling Co. expands BeneGrain line
Quincy, Mass.-based Bay State Milling Co. is expanding its BeneGrain line of sprouted ingredients to include ancient grains and seeds. The offerings now include sprouted amaranth, millet, quinoa, chia and brown flax in addition to sprouted wheat and brown rice.
The sprouted ancient grains and seeds are available in both whole and milled forms, conventional and organic certified. The sprouted wheat flour is milled from hard red spring wheat and is available in whole wheat flour and steel cut varieties, conventional and organic certified. Cuts and cracks are offered for inclusions and customized blends.
The line provides product developers with ingredients that improve nutrition and performance while providing a slightly sweeter taste compared to conventional whole grains and seeds. Developed for use in a range of applications, including gluten-free, the sprouted ancient grains and seeds are carefully germinated to activate enzymes that result in the increased availability and digestibility of key nutrients.
Coperion receives Innovations Award from I.D.F.A.
Sewell, N.J.-based Coperion was awarded the Food Safety Innovations Award for its clean-in-place (C.I.P.) design WYK Diverter Valve at the 2015 International Dairy Show, which was held this past September. The patent-pending design of the valve incorporates a retractable rotor assembly and is designed in accordance with European Hygienic Engineering and Design Group guidelines. This design permits the automatic cleaning of the pneumatic conveying pipes.
It is suited for in-line material handling of such hygienic and difficult to handle powders as whey powder, lactose, dried milk powders and infant formula. The valve may be used in pneumatic conveying systems, in order to divert transfer of the powder to different locations, and often is used in return lines in spray drying applications.
The fully automatic C.I.P. cleaning design permits complete purging of all product residues after the automatic cleaning process. The rotor assembly allows it to be pulled slightly out of the housing toward the rear of the valve, thus allowing the cleaning solution to rinse all product contact surfaces within the valve. Additionally, specialty purge openings in the actuator plate enable an intense rinsing flow and complete discharge of the rinsing effluent.
Renaissance Ingredients test shows acrylamide reduction
Renaissance Ingredients, Inc., Vancouver, B.C., has released the results of an in-house, laboratory-scale analysis of the efficacy of its non-G.M.O. acrylamide-reducing baker’s yeast for applications in the global potato products market. The results showed an average 70% reduction in the presence in the carcinogen acrylamide in fried potato products after a simple application of the acrylamide-reducing yeast in a water solution during the raw potato processing phase.
With refinement, the company believes it may reach up to a 95% reduction in potato chips, fries and crisps, and other foods, such as bread, snacks, cereals and coffee.
In this test, a “wash” of acrylamide — reducing yeast in water was used to treat cut raw potatoes to remove the acrylamide precursor asparagine on the surface prior to deep-frying. In the test, raw russet potatoes were peeled and rinsed before being chopped into fries and blanched. The pre-cooked fries were soaked in a solution of acrylamide-reducing yeast and water, rinsed in fresh water to remove the yeast and then deep-fried. After five minutes of soaking, the fries from the solution had substantially less acrylamide (27%) post-frying than the fries soaked in water. After 10 minutes of soaking before deep-frying, acrylamide-reducing yeast-treated fries contained 68% to 71% less acrylamide, but were otherwise indistinguishable from the fries soaked in water.
“Our results confirm that our AR yeast soaking process works quickly to consistently deliver exceptional reductions of acrylamide in french fries and other fried processed potato products,” said Matthew Dahabieh, president of Renaissance Ingredients. “Additionally, our process maintains the quality and sensory attributes of the product and can be easily adapted to current industrial potato processing practices.”
The company’s yeast strains are traditional baker’s yeast with an accelerated ability to consume the amino acid sparagines, the precursor to acrylamide.
Sweet Green Fields receives Reb D Stevia patent
Bellingham, Wash.-based Sweet Green Fields Co., Ltd. has been granted a patent pertaining to Reb D stevia glycosides combinations — which offers customers an improved tasting stevia, particularly when combined with other steviol glycosides.
With the new patent completing its entire Reb D patent portfolio, the company holds the right to blend Reb D at specific ratios with all sweeteners, not limited to steviol glycosides. In particular, the patent honors the uniqueness of its premium alternative sugar sweeteners optimized with steviol glycoside containing Reb D — including SGF Dual and SGF Omega — and additional products currently in the development stage. Reb D helps the company develop sweeteners with a 10% sugar equivalence that offers a quick onset of sweetness without compromising taste.
Hormel Foods announces promotion
In late November, Austin, Minn.-based Hormel Foods Corp. announced Chad A. Randick, vice-president, food service division, Jennie-O Turkey Store, will advance to the position of president of Burke Marketing Corp., Nevada, Iowa. Mr. Randick replaces David F. Weber, who was recently named vice-president of marketing, food service, Hormel Foods.
New c.e.o. for Finlay Extracts & Ingredients
Lincoln, R.I.-based Finlay Extracts &
Ingredients USA, Inc. has promoted
Stephen Olyha to chief executive officer. He most recently was chief operating officer.
Mr. Olyha will serve as an active member of the global management team developing strategy for global growth of the company’s tea and coffee extract business.
