Fiberstar Blog

The annual International Citrus and Beverage Conference draws industry leaders together to discuss the latest advances and challenges within the citrus and beverage industry. President & CEO, John Haen of Fiberstar provides some insights about its importance to the industry, Fiberstar’s participation and speaking take-aways.     Q1: What is the International Citrus Beverage Conference (ICBC) and who attends this conference? This annual conference https://conference.ifas.ufl.edu/citrus/ discusses key topics relative to global juice and beverage technology. This year, the conference focused on updates in quality and consumer testing, FSMA regulations, processing plant technology and market insights regarding the beverage category. The…

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Natural nut butters entered the market as an alternative to peanut butter. Frequently, the “butter” composition is at risk of separating, which will compromise its perceived quality with consumers. Natural citrus fibers like Citri-Fi can bind oil and water naturally due to its hydrophobic/hydrophilic fibrous composition and high surface area. Author: Dr. Kurt Villwock, Ph.D. Despite its reputation for being nutrient dense, peanut butter is a longtime staple in the marketplace as a good source of plant protein and satiety – not to mention it has a satisfying, cravable flavor.  Childhood allergy awareness has spiked in recent times and peanuts…

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Citri-Fi natural citrus fiber’s ease of use and superior functional benefits within beverages like juices, RTD, plant-based drinks and powdered mixes makes this an ideal solution versus other hydrocolloids and/or stabilizers on the market. Author: Nesha Zalesny, Fiberstar Technical Sales Manager (8/8/18)   Citri-Fi® Benefits versus Other Stabilizers/Texturants Citri-Fi is a natural citrus fiber created from a patented process free from chemicals. The process opens up the fiber to create high surface area which provides high water holding capacity and emulsification properties. In some beverage applications, Citri-Fi is used in conjunction with gellan gum. This natural fiber’s tight oil and…

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The plant-based beverage market escalated due to environmental and health orientated drivers. Hydrocolloids are used to improve the texture and stability of these emerging beverages. However, not all stabilizers are created equal nor hit all the critical success factors in making a high quality product. Author: Nesha Zalesny, Fiberstar Technical Sales Manager (7/31/18) Dairy Alternative Beverage Market Various factors have fueled an explosion of growth in the non-dairy beverage market. One of the primary factors has been the significant amount of research around the environmental and health impact of consuming dairy products.  This research increased the awareness of factory farming…

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This year’s technical meeting took place in Charlotte, North Carolina. One of the key themes for this year’s meeting was clean label formulating. Two clean label presentations really stood out. Clean Label Trends and Market Dynamics The first was Annette Maggi’s talk on clear labeling vs. clean labeling. On one hand, consumers want packaged goods that have recognizable, easy to pronounce ingredients; and on the other hand, they want convenient food that does not spoil. Annette proposed shifting from clean labeling, to clear labeling. She recommended using manufacturers’ websites and other vetted sources to educate consumers about the role the…

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Today, it is the norm to see more consumers flip a food product over and sweep their pointer finger across the labeling section. Sometimes, they look to see if the list contains allergens they avoid. Or at times, the consumers examine the nutritional panel to determine its health value. However, lately, many consumers scan ingredient statements to see what they are actually ingesting. Depending on their personal views, consumers may toss some products back on the shelf. Today, many consumers look for declarations that contain a limited number of recognizable, natural ingredients. This clean label phenomena affects most of the…

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