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Citrus Fibre - natural ingredient that contributes fibre to the nutritional label
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Monday, 22 August, 2022, 13 : 00 PM [IST]
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Dr Ayushi Verma
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What is citrus fibre - Derived from by product of the citrus juicing industry? A mechanical process converts them into citrus fibre, which may be used in a range of applications. The mechanical process is free from chemical modifications and keeps the fibrous structure intact like nature intended. The composition includes both soluble and insoluble fibre.
Citrus fibre is natural and clean label that can be used to improve nutrition, product texture, labelling and costs. Citrus fibre is also non-GMO project certified, gluten-free, allergen-free and has no E-number. Additionally, this natural ingredient contributes fibre to the nutritional label. Citrus fibre has a neutral taste. The high water holding and emulsification properties of citrus fibre benefit a variety of applications including bakery, beverages, dairy, dressings, frozen foods, process meats, pet foods, meat substitutes and dairy alternatives. Citrus fibre also replaces ingredients like gums, starches or chemical stabilisers. Besides the textural benefits, citrus fibre also improves the labelling.
Natural Emulsification Stability and Clean Labels
This citrus fibre binds water and oil to create natural emulsification stability in food products like condiments, gravies, dips and relishes. For instance, at low usage levels (<1%), this natural citrus fibre improves the quality over shelf-life.
How do you use citrus fibre in foods?
Though we recommend adding citrus fibre to dry ingredients before hydrating in water, you do have the option to prehydrate directly in water. In addition, this natural food ingredient needs to be added using strong agitation to avoid clumping and “fish eyes”. Some recommended agitation options include blender, rotor stator homogeniser, mechanical mixer or a magnetic stirrer.
Some industrial applications of citrus fibre:
• Pulp Replacement Ingredients Go Fruity
During market fluctuations, beverage processors look for cost saving strategies such as using pulp replacement beverage ingredients. Citrus fibre, due to its intact insoluble and soluble fibre, mirrors pulp texture and enhances body of a variety of beverages including smoothies, juices, fruit nectars, instant drinks and meal replacements. Fruit pulp, a natural texturiser, gives juice beverages the mouthfeel and body that consumers expect.
• Citrus Fibre in Dairy Alternatives
Citrus fibre improves the texture of various milk bases such as rice, almond, oat, coconut and soy. Also, this natural plant-based stabiliser acts as emulsifier which can bind to water and oil in vegan dairy products. As a result, citrus fibre maintains stability over time to reduce water and oil separation in dairy alternatives.
• Better-for- Dairy Products: Health and Wellness
Another key benefit of citrus fibre is that it improves texture of fat and/or sugar reduced dairy items. For instance, this natural ingredient builds thickness and back body of low sugar or low fat dairy products. Due to the small particle size, this natural citrus fibre creates a velvety and smooth mouthfeel that consumers desire.
• Freeze/thaw Stability: Creamy Textures in Frozen Dairy Citrus Fibre also decreases the formation of ice crystals in frozen dairy products by holding water tightly. As a result, the food products maintain the creamy and smooth mouthfeel over time.
• Citrus Fibre - Improved Freshness over Time in Bakery and Fillings
Citrus fibre contains high surface area. As a result, this citrus fibre powder provides high water holding capacity which is key in baked goods. As a result, the bakery products retain moisture longer. For this reason, consumers enjoy a fresher product over time. For instance, this citrus fibre binds and holds water even during freeze/thaw cycles. This natural ingredient improves the quality of gluten-free baked goods especially those that are stored frozen. Citrus fibre contains native pectin content as nature intended. It can replace or reduce the amount of pectin in bakery fruit fillings to create more natural textures. For instance, in low pH and high Brix conditions, the gelling properties are activated. Because of this, citrus fibre creates high quality filling textures.
• Citrus Fibre Benefits in Dressings and Sauces
Citrus fibre provides high water and oil binding in dressings and sauces. As a result, these key natural functionalities set themselves apart from other stabilisers in the market.
• Excellent Freeze/thaw Stability in Sauces and Soups
For instance, this natural citrus fibre can extend tomato solids in sauces and condiments while maintaining superior eating qualities. Citrus fibre creates more natural textures in tomato-based foods. And in addition to the texture, citrus fibre provides cost savings too in certain markets. Due to citrus fibre’s high water holding and oil binding power, this natural ingredient provides the stability during freeze/thaw cycles. As a result, the food products taste and texture are preserved. Because of citrus fibre’s native composition and particle size, this citrus fibre creates natural textures that consumers expect in dressings and sauces.
• Citrus Fibre Turns Liquids into Free-Flowing Powders
Citrus fibre contains high surface area which makes it an excellent plating agent to create free-flowing powders. Now, difficult-to-use liquids like oils and semi-solid fats convert into easy-to-use powders. This natural citrus fibre’s high surface area allows large amounts of oil to get trapped inside its fibrous matrix. Citrus fibre turns liquids such as bioactives, essential oils and other viscous plant extracts into flowable powders. The free-flowing powders can be used in a variety of applications including beverages, sauces, bakery and meats. For instance, this natural citrus fibre stabilises the oil and provides mouthfeel and clouding in beverages.
• Superior Food Quality After Reheating This natural citrus fibre maintains the food’s high quality during and after heat reconstitution. As a result, frozen or refrigerated foods preserve the great eating experience that consumers expect after re-heat. Another benefit includes minimising blow-out in wrapped or enrobed frozen foods. When used in the filling, citrus fibre binds the water and oil tightly. For this reason, the filling is less likely to blow out of the food during the re-heating or cooking process.
• Citrus Fibre in Plant-based Meats
Citrus fibre ingredients provide high water holding and oil binding and added texture in meat substitutes like veggie hotdogs, vegetarian sausage links, meat-free patties, fish analogues and faux chicken nuggets.
• Clean Label Solutions for Meat Alternatives
Citrus fibre is a new, larger granule citrus fibre texturiser that provides a variety of benefits to meat alternatives including meat-like texture and appearance, firmness and binding. For instance, citrus fibre keeps the meat substitutes formulation bound during food processing, handling and storage. As a result, this natural citrus fibre texturiser can replace other binders such as gluten. In addition to the cold binding, citrus fibre creates a meatier texture simulating animal meat which consumers expect.
• Hybrid Meats & Animal Meats
Because of the meaty texture, citrus fibre also improves hybrid meat products as well as animal-based meat products. Hybrid meats is a hot new growing area in the food industry. They include both animal meat and plant-based ingredients to create these mixed foods. Citrus fibre increases the plant-based meat’s juiciness, succulence, texture, and overall eating experience.
• Citrus Fibre Benefits in Pet Food & Treats
Citrus fibre provides emulsification properties and high water holding capacity which are crucial in creating high quality pet food and treats such as injection moulded bones, biscuits, and kibble. For instance, citrus fibre forms stronger biscuits to decrease breakage during transport and processing. Also, in injection moulded bones, this natural ingredient not only enhances strength but also improves mould release.
• Natural Emulsification Power of Citrus Fibre
Also, this natural ingredient provides emulsification properties which are ideal in canned food and semi-moist treats. For example, citrus fibre binds oil and water to prevent separation in fresh chub foods.
(The author is product development manager at Duke Thomson's India Pvt. Ltd. She can be reached at ayushi.verma@duketoms.com)
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