Tomato availability continues to be tight due to reduced acreage, continuous drought, rotation to more profitable crops and last year’s COVID hoarding. Though extending tomato with modified starches and food gums help bridge the shortage, the market offers more natural fibers like Citri-Fi® citrus fiber which closely simulates tomato functionality. As a result, at low usage levels, Citri-Fi extends tomato solids while still creating more natural textures, colors and flavors in sauces, pastes, dressings and soups.
The tomato shortage story begins with “once a upon a time” when tomatoes were a key staple crop in the California central valley. But over the years, the market and the environment took its toll on this once flourishing agriculture. This saga talks about how the tomato crop fell out of favor in export due to stronger domestic currency. As a result, this drove farmers to reduce their crop size and/or sow their fields with other profitable foods like almonds, pistachio and grapes. And then compounded with drought and last year’s COVID hoarding spree, tomato supplies struggled to rebound. Now tomato extension enters the storyline.
Quick Fixes for Tomato Extension
Despite the tomato’s dramatic saga over the years, the food industry offered several solutions including extending tomato pulp. Some extension methods included hydrocolloids like modified starches and food gums. These commodity ingredients bridged the tomato availability at times. Like quick fixes, these come with limitations. For instance, starches tend to produce more gel-like and pasty textures. On the other hand, certain food gums create sliminess and gumminess. Despite the textural drawbacks, customers settled with these options not knowing that the market offers other ingredients that function similar to tomato.
More Natural Ingredient Solutions
For example, another way to approach tomato extension is by using Citri-Fi® citrus fiber. This natural upcycled ingredient is created by a process free from chemical modifications. Due to its concentration of fibers and native intact pectin, this citrus fiber simulates tomato composition. As a result, at low usage levels (<0.5%), Citri-Fi creates more natural textures, color and flavors when replacing a portion of the tomato solids.
In addition to the textural and extension benefits, Citri-Fi also is heat, pH and freeze-thaw stable. Because of this, sauces, dressings and pastes remain uniform and inseparable during harsh food processing conditions. Citri-Fi’s labeling options include citrus fiber, dried citrus pulp or citrus flour which resonate well in the natural markets. And this functional ingredient contributes fiber which benefits the nutritional statement. Citri-Fi is also Non-GMO Project Certified, E number-free, allergen-free, and gluten-free.
To learn more about tomato extension using natural fibers like Citri-Fi, please contact us!
