Tate & Lyle launches fat reducing starch for dairy

11-Oct-2009 - Last updated on 12-Oct-2009 at 10:59 GMT

Tate & Lyle is introducing a modified starch that can be used to reduce fat levels in yoghurt by 30 per cent while still delivering a creamy texture – and can help keep costs down.

The ingredients company unveiled its new Optimize product development platform last month, which is intended to help manufacturers develop lower cost products that still have the high quality and sensory attributes.

The new starch, called Creamiz, is the first new texturant launched for use in this platform. Clothilde Feuillade, product manager for texturants, told FoodNavigator.com that the cook-up starch is being introduced initially for dairy products, as this is a “major category for sales development”.

Trials have shown that it can be used to make a product with 30 per cent less fat than a full fat version. As for cost savings, these could reach €40 per metric tonne of yoghurt – but Feuillade agreed that fluctuations in dairy prices mean the level of savings could vary.

The company is also finalising trials on using it in a wider range of product categories, including soups, sauces and dressings. It says it does not affect a product’s creaminess per se, but “will complement and enhance their existing texture, creating a rich and full bodied flavour”.

Derived from non-GM waxy maize grown in the Alsace areas of France, the starch is manufactured at Tate & Lyle’s plant in Koog aan de Zaan near Amsterdam.

The ingredient is not clean label since it is a modified starch, and has the E-number 1412.

But Feuillade said this is not seen as barrier to its take up, since creaminess and cost savings are seen as important drivers. Moreover, modified starch is already used in many products, so use of Creamiz will not require an additional label declaration.

She also tipped that more ingredients in the texture area are expected to be launched in the coming months, and may also contribute to the Optimize platform.