Dairyblend 701-SC is the latest in TIC Gums' patented Dairyblend series of gums, designed to enable food makers to diversify their product range and tap new sectors.
Comprised of synergistic, protein-reactive hydrocolloids including guar gum, locust bean gum and carrageenan, Dairyblend 701-SC can be used primarily for sour cream as a thickener, water binder, and stabilizer.
"This product also allows for a softer set for dips and culinary applications," said Greg Andon, business manager for TIC Gums.
"Like other Dairyblend gum systems, Dairyblend 701-SC is a flexibleproduct that can be incorporated into other dairy-based products such as cheesecakes and sauces and gravies to aid in suspension and stabilization."
With raw material price rises across the board and increasing sectoral competition, dairy firms are desperate to ensure that their products avoid commodification. TIC Gums believes that Dairyblend 701-SC can help ensure product differentiation and open up new opportunities.
The firm said that the typical usage rate for Dairyblend 701-SC isbetween 0.1 and 0.5 percent, with hydration achieved after a solution is heated to 180 degrees F.
The use of functional ingredients for dairy applications has grown rapidly in industrialized countries. Consumption of carrageenan for example has increased by at least 5 to 7 per cent per year, largely on the back of growing demand for convenience foods.
However the cost of ingredients such ingredients has shot up in recent months. Carrageenan is extracted from seaweed, largely sourced from the Philippines and Indonesia, and in recent months a strong pull in global carrageenan stocks, impacted by an increase in demand from China's booming processed food industry, has led to price spikes.
"Costs of critical raw materials, including seaweed and pulp, have also risen dramatically during the same period," said supplier FMC BioPolymer recently.
Major suppliers FMC BioPolymer and CP Kelco, for example, recently raised prices for their food-grade carrageenan portfolio, some by as much as 7 to 8 per cent.