Xanthan prices continue to be very competitive, guar prices remain steady and cassia prices have escalated owing to a reduced crop in India, according to a hydrocolloids analyst.
Hydrocolloids expert Dennis Seisun has just returned from his third annual visit to Jodhpur in India to check on the guar crop there, and reports “in a nutshell, a huge crop – larger than there’s ever been”.
Gums and modified starch have strong adhesive properties and can therefore replace oil and sugar for powder toppings on crackers, in turn reducing fat content, finds research.
Rousselot is up for sale – but competition laws may preclude other gelatine specialists from buying it…And which ingredients are seeing the biggest price fluctuations? FoodNavigator brings you the latest in the world of hydrocolloids.
Increases in the price of key ingredients, or widely fluctuating prices, are driving reformulation efforts in the industry, with suppliers like Ingredion offering solutions to replace ingredients and cut costs.
Guar gum prices have dropped a long way from peaks of $20 to $25 a kilo – but there is now a standoff between buyers and sellers, according to hydrocolloids industry expert Dennis Seisun.
Guar gum could be relisted on India’s futures market if a positive committee decision is reached next week, according to the country’s commodity markets regulator.
Amid sky-high prices and shortages of guar gum driven by an unprecedented surge in demand, food formulators have renewed focus on finding replacers and DuPont is championing use of alternative hydrocolloids.
Tara gum and locust bean gum are being touted as credible guar gum replacers in light of the high prices and lack of supply for food grade guar, claims a hydrocolloid expert.
Tight supply and high prices in guar gum are set to continue until at least the end of 2012, and probably beyond, claims a leading hydrocolloid industry analyst.
There is no end in sight to the current guar gum shortage and record high prices for the hydrocolloid, which may prompt some manufacturers to consider reformulation, according to Euromonitor International.
The addition of thickeners and stabilisers such as guar gum could help to boost the usage chestnut flour in gluten free breads, according to new research.
There has been no let up in the soaring prices for guar gum, with little hope of a downward trend emerging in the coming months, warns a hydrocolloid expert.
Guar gum prices have continued to soar in early 2011 due to oilfield demand, dashing observers expectations of a downward trend on the back of a bumper crop from India.
Some consumers perceive healthy food ingredients such as garlic more negatively than traditional poorly perceived additives such as GM, according to a top UK food research organisation.
New European Commission import restrictions on Indian guar gum have now been written into Indian regulations, which industry experts hope will speed up the supply process.
Restrictions on guar gum imported from India into the EU have been revised on fears that the risk of dioxin contamination of the product remains too high.
Food makers must be on the alert for contaminated consignments of guar gum after Czech authorities detect unacceptable levels of toxic dioxins in a border batch.
Leatherhead Food International has completed a three-year research project that aimed to improve the performance of hydrocolloids using physical processing – methodology likely to be better-perceived by consumers in the natural-centric era.
The European Commission is proposing to test all guar gum from
India for presence of the contaminant PCP as an interim measure to
ensure ongoing supply of the thickening agent prior to the Indian
authorities implementing tighter controls.
Scientists in Finland suggest that carbohydrates released into
process waters of softwood mills could offer the food industry with
a novel source of mannans to rival guar gum and friends.
Danisco is preparing to introduce a partially depolymerised guar
gum to the market following a positive safety call from EFSA,
tipped to bring new functionalities and a range of texture
possibilities.
With the market for certified organic products continuing to grow,
demand for organic hydrocolloids has also expanded - prompting the
leading supplier of hydrocolloids to the US food industry to launch
an organic version of its guar...
