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Fiberstar Blog

February 9, 2021
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Fiberstar Blog

Turn Oil into Powder: A Medicinal Dilemma

Medicinal oils though used “as-is” tend to be more user-friendly in oil powder form. However, to turn oil into powder comes with challenges. Citri-Fi® citrus fiber’s high surface area binds large amounts of oil. As a result, this natural clean label ingredient converts liquid oils into flowable powders. Additionally, Citri-Fi can be used in finished food products to improve quality, texture and nutrition.

Dry or powdered foods existed since prehistoric eras. Drying foods extended the availability for longer periods of time which became an essential survival technique. Not only did it preserve foods like meats but it also eased travel with less weight to carry. Today, a variety of foods come in powder form for similar reasons such as beverages, soups and sauces. Drying off the water to convert the food into powder was a commonality among all these foods. At the same time, a growing need emerged to turn oil into free flowing powder.

A rising demand to create oil powder stemmed from various reasons including increased shelf stability, economic benefits, safety and/or ease-of-use. Because of this, the medicinal oil market began to investigate how to deliver their product in a more efficient form. The challenge was finding a clean label or natural way to do this.

Dual Purpose Citrus Fiber: Dry Plating and Functional Fiber

Citri-Fi citrus fiber is byproduct of the citrus juicing process. This upcycled food ingredient contains high surface area, pore volume and an amphiphilic chemical composition making it suitable as both a carrier and emulsifier for converting liquid or viscous medicinal oils into dry free flowing powders. As a result, this can be either used in a dry form or hydrated to form stable emulsions. For example, Citri-Fi binds CBD oil at 50/50 ratio and remains a flowable powder, However, in a hydrated form, Citri-Fi binds 8 times its weight in oil and maintains a stable emulsion. Besides acting as a carrier, this natural citrus fiber improves the quality, texture and nutrition of finished foods.

Using Citrus Fiber in Medicinal Foods

Many medicinal oils are incorporated into food products such as baked goods, beverages and confections. As mentioned, Citri-Fi not only binds oil, but also water. As a result, this natural citrus fiber improves freshness over time and can replace unfavorable ingredients such as egg or chemical emulsifiers in bakery items. In beverages, Citri-Fi sustains mouthfeel, texture and clouding. Lastly, this natural ingredient enhances texture in confections like gummies. Ultimately, this clean label ingredient can not only create oil powders, but also, provide additional functional benefits in finished food products.

Citri-Fi is non-allergenic, gluten free and Non-GMO Project certified. Also, Citri-Fi contributes fiber. Labeling options include citrus fiber, dried citrus pulp or citrus flour which all resonate well in the natural and clean label markets.

To learn more about turning oil into powder using Citri-Fi citrus fiber, please contact us. Application sheets are available upon request.

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January 28, 2021
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Fiberstar Blog

Plant Sauces: Dressing up Stability and Emulsification

Creating plant sauces containing no animal-derived ingredients separate over time and lack full body mouthfeel. Natural ingredients like Citri-Fi® citrus fiber provide high water holding and emulsification which improve stability and texture in products like vegan ranch dressings.

The market whirled their attention around meat substitutes for the past year. At the same time, dairy alternative foods such as plant milks and dairy-free cheeses continued to grab market share. Yet, one food category remains amiss in this plant-based phenomena – plant sauces. For centuries, sauces and dressings were and still are food’s beloved canopy of flavor and texture. And since some of these products use animal-derived ingredients, they too face challenges converting into vegan versions.

Plant Sauce Challenges

Some sauces and dressings use egg and/or milk proteins to provide texture, stability and flavor. When eliminated, food products suffer from oil and water separation, lack of creaminess and thin textures. However, food developers replace these animal-derived ingredients with modified starches, gums and chemical emulsifiers. As a result, food label declarations turn into lengthy lists full of questionable ingredients in the consumers’ eyes.

Today, the market offers a few natural ingredient options. One natural option, Citri-Fi citrus fiber, provides high water holding and emulsification properties. This citrus fiber’s insoluble and soluble fiber containing intact pectin uses a physical and surface activity mechanism to create the natural emulsification. The oil and water bind tightly to improve stability over time. Moreover, the citrus fiber improves the texture by creating a smooth and full body mouthfeel.

Citrus Fiber Improves Vegan Ranch Dressing

For example, food products such as ranch dressing typically uses mayonnaise, yogurt and buttermilk. Each component contains animal-derived ingredients such as egg and milk protein. However, at very low usage levels (0.2% to 2.0%), Citri-Fi can be used to replace egg in mayonnaise and to improve the texture of plant-based cultured products like dairy-free yogurts. So when the two are combined to make the vegan sauce, it performs like its animal-derived counterpart.

Citri-Fi is non-GMO Project Certified, non-allergenic and gluten-free. It has no E-number. Labeling options include citrus fiber, dried citrus pulp or citrus flour which all resonate well in the clean label markets. Fiberstar, Inc. is a proud member of the Plant-based Foods Association (PBFA).

To learn more about how to create vegan mayo, plant-based cultured products like non-dairy yogurt or plant sauces like vegan ranch dressing, please contact us. Formulation sheets and technical support are available.

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January 19, 2021
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Fiberstar Blog

Top 5 Blog Topics in 2020 about Citrus Fiber in Plant Foods

The year 2020 spurred natural ingredients like citrus fiber to play a more instrumental role in creating high quality plant-based foods. This is highlighted in the top read articles involving dry plating oils, clean label pectin replacement and meat substitutes.

The year 2020 was a year full of change and evolution. For instance, the food industry lived through the most radical shifts in consumption behavior which affected all spectrum of the supply chain. Despite the disruption, many food businesses thrived. And some perished. But for a natural food ingredient company, this year drove innovation in specific areas including clean label and plant-based foods. Much of this was due to consumers reflection on their ability to stay healthy.

Citrus Fiber in Clean Label and Plant-based Foods

The clean label trend took hold of the market several years ago. And now the plant-based food trend joined the limelight and in many instance they go hand-in-hand. Because of this, ingredients like citrus fiber grew in popularity. Not only is the labeling clean, but this natural ingredient provides multiple functionalities that improve a variety of foods. For example, Citri-Fi® citrus fiber provides water holding and emulsification properties that improves stability over time, texture and nutritional profiles. Citrus fiber creates juicy, succulent and meat-like texture in meat substitutes. Also, Citri-Fi improves stability and full body mouthfeel in plant milk beverages and dairy-free yogurts and ice creams. Since Citri-Fi can be labeled as citrus fiber, dried citrus pulp or citrus flour, this natural ingredient resonates well in the clean label markets.

The popularity of clean label ingredients like citrus fiber made its debut via several frequently read blogs in 2020. For instance, citrus fiber’s key high surface area lends itself to turning liquid oils into flowable powders. This is an ideal benefit when working with flavor, nutritional and medicinal oils. Citrus fiber, like Citri-Fi, plays an instrumental role in creating meat alternatives similar to their animal-containing counterparts. Regardless, below are the top 5 blogs read in 2020. Each one defines the superiority of citrus fiber in key plant-based food applications.

Top 5 Blogs Read in 2020: Citrus Fiber in Plant-based Foods

1) The Magic of Turning Liquid Oils into Natural Flowable Powders
2) Citri-Fi 100, Natural Citrus Fiber’s Clean Label Gelling Pectin Replacement
3) Citrus Fiber/Fibre: Fiber Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
4) New Texturizing Citrus Fiber: Citri-Fi TX for Meat Alternatives
5) Meat Alternatives and Citrus Fiber FAQ

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January 12, 2021
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Fiberstar Blog

Top 5 Videos in 2020: Natural Plant-based Foods

The year 2020 shifted consumers purchasing behaviors such as food choices due to the COVID pandemic. Many consumers looked at their diets as a way to preserve their health especially with natural plant-based foods. This reverberates in the top 5 citrus fiber videos watched in 2020.

In 2020, the COVID pandemic sent a shock wave through the consumer markets especially when it related to food. In the beginning, consumers panicked and cleaned out pasta shelves, frozen food bins and stacks of canned goods. Aisles were left bear with oscillating signs hanging on single screws. Food service venues shut down in several parts of the U.S. to minimize the spread. However, despite the short-term erratic behavior, there is one consistency that evolved from the crisis – consumers shifted gears in food consumption. As a result, plant-based foods emerged in the spotlight.

With the COVID pandemic lingering in the air, consumers searched for options to preserve their health. Besides fogging their homesteads with anti-viral sprays and building arsenals of toilet paper, they also reflected on their diets. As a result, food manufacturers sensed the shift to healthier options especially in natural plant-based foods like meat substitutes and dairy alternatives. This echoed loud and clear in the top 5 videos watched in 2020.

Since Citri-Fi® citrus fiber provides high water holding and emulsification properties, it improves plant-based foods texture, stability and food labeling. Because of this, Citri-Fi took center stage as a clean label option when creating healthy vegan and vegetarian foods.

Top 5 Citri-Fi Citrus Fiber Videos Watched in 2020

  1. Methyl Cellulose Replacement in Meat Alternatives
  2. Citri-Fi Natural Citrus Fiber Emulsification Demonstration
  3. Citrus Fiber in Vegetarian Meat Products
  4. Citri-Fi Citrus Fiber Overview
  5. Citrus Fiber in Plant Milk Drinks

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January 5, 2021
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Fiberstar Blog

Fiberstar, Inc. Joins the Plant-based Foods Association (PBFA)

Fiberstar’s superior line of highly functional citrus fibers which are used to improve the quality of plant-based products drives Fiberstar, Inc. to join the Plant-based Foods Association.

Fiberstar, Inc. joined the Plant-based Foods Association. This organization supports plant-based companies so that they succeed and thrive in the food industry. Since Fiberstar offers a portfolio of nature-based citrus fibers, this organization fits the company's vision. “We look forward to playing a bigger role in the plant-based foods industry.” says President and CEO, John Haen. “The Company’s superior line of highly functional citrus fibers are key to creating quality plant-based products.”

Citrus Fiber in Meat Substitutes & Dairy Alternatives

Fiberstar manufactures Citri-Fi® citrus fiber which is produced from byproduct of the citrus juicing process. Because the patented process is free from chemical modifications, Citri-Fi stays holistic in form. For instance, this ingredient contains both soluble and insoluble fiber. This composition also has high levels of intact pectin which is vital in providing multiple functionalities including water holding and emulsification.

Due to Citri-Fi’s plant-based origin and high functionality, this natural ingredient benefits various plant-based foods. For instance, in meat substitutions, the 100 series, (0.5% -1.0%), creates natural emulsions to improve the juiciness and succulence. In addition, the TX10 citrus fiber line, (0.5% - 2.0%), creates meatier appearance and texture. When using both citrus fiber products together, developers produce high quality meat alternatives that closely resemble their animal counter parts.

Another area of emphasis includes dairy alternative foods such as plant milks, ice creams, yogurts and cheeses. Citri-Fi citrus fiber, at low usage levels (0.2% - 1.0%), creates stable and full body plant milks. Because of its composition, this natural ingredient’s functionality increases in high shear conditions which helps replace other stabilizers. As a result, plant milks have shorter and cleaner label declarations. This natural citrus fiber also improves stability and texture of vegan ice cream and yogurts. Again, Citri-Fi has the potential to replace other stabilizers to clean up labels. Lastly in plant-based cheeses, this natural ingredients provides high emulsification and smooth texture which improves the stability over time.

High Performing Clean Label Food Ingredient

Citri-Fi's labeling options include citrus fiber, dried citrus pulp or citrus flour which resonate well in the natural and clean label markets. This citrus fiber is also non-allergenic, Non-GMO project certified and has no E-number which benefit plant-based foods.

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December 1, 2020
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Fiberstar Blog

Making Oat Milk using Clean Label Citrus Fiber

Oat milk is a rising star in the plant-based milk world. Making oat milk clean label can be challenging. Yet, clean label Citri-Fi® citrus fiber provides enhanced mouthfeel and stability when additional functionality is needed.

You know the saying, “there is a flavor for everyone”. This also applies to plant-based milks too. Today, the market offers a plant-based milk for everyone. Though almond milk remains the top contender in the plant milk world, other bases are making strides. For instance, oat milk continues to rise like a star due to its versatility, healthy halo reputation and creamy texture.

Some oat milks rely on stabilizers such as gellan gum to improve the texture and stability. However, many oat milks on the market depend on the beta-glucan innately tucked away in the oat itself to create high quality drinks. And that beta-glucan gives oats its heart healthy reputation.

Improving the Oat Texture with Citrus Fiber

Although the oat base creates desirable plant milk attributes, some milks require additional stability. However, at the same time, adding ingredients to oat milk while maintaining a clean label poses challenges. Like oats, Citri-Fi® citrus fiber contains native soluble fibers that provide high functionality at very low usage levels (0.1 to 0.4%). This citrus fiber’s intact pectin content contributes improved mouthfeel and additional stability.

Because Citri-Fi’s fiber expands in shear conditions, a single or double homogenization step will create thicker and smoother textures. From this, plant-based milk producers can optimize the oat and citrus fiber usage level to improve the texture and nutritional contributions. These superior characteristics sets this citrus fiber apart from others on the market.

For instance, this natural upcycled ingredient is created from byproduct of the citrus juicing industry. And because it is one of few citrus fibers that use a patented process free from chemical modifications, producers prefer its superior functionality. Its green existence complements any brand’s sustainable story. Additionally, Citri-Fi’s labeling options include citrus fiber, citrus flour or dried citrus pulp which all resonate well in the natural markets. As a result, producers making oat milk benefit from a clean label.

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November 10, 2020
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Fiberstar Blog

Improve Your Nutri-Score using Citrus Fiber in Foods

Citri-Fi® functional citrus fiber provides high water holding and emulsification properties. As result, this natural ingredient improves the Nutri-Score by reducing calories, fat, sugar and salt while contributing fiber. In the end, Citri-Fi not only enhances food and beverage quality but also improves the nutrition label which gives consumers healthier choices.

The Nutri-Score is a type of traffic light system which helps consumers in the EU to choose “healthier” foods. For instance, this scoring system classifies foods and beverages into five groups starting with A (green) to E (red). Food ingredients are ranked from 1 to 10 which is then summed up to calculate a letter grade. It is this letter grade that highlights whether the food is healthy or not. For example, ingredients like sugar, saturated fats and sodium worsens the score. On the other hand ingredients like protein and dietary fiber improves the score. From this nutrition label, consumers quickly discern the nutritional value of the product. Ultimately, this system encourages consumers to pick healthier choices and puts more emphasis on their diet.

Citri-Fi Citrus Fiber Positively Affects the Nutri-score

Citri-Fi citrus fiber is produced from upcycled bio-material or byproduct of the citrus juicing process. The patented process which is free from chemical modifications opens up the fiber to provide high water holding and emulsification properties. As a result, these functionalities improve food and beverage products quality and Nutri-score. For instance, at small usage levels (0.2% to 1.0%), Citri-Fi improves the score by reducing calories and fats in addition to creating better textures in salt and/or sugar reduced food products. Additionally, Citri-Fi improves the score by increasing the fiber content of the food and beverage.

Food Products and Improved Nutrition Labels

This citrus fiber benefits various food products. For example, in bakery foods, Citri-Fi’s high water holding and emulsification properties helps reduce fat, oil and/or egg while contributing fiber. Other functional benefits include improved structure and perceived freshness over time. In dairy, ice cream, sauces and dressings, this natural citrus fiber reduces fat and improves texture of sugar-reduced products. While in beverages Citri-Fi improves mouthfeel while contributing fiber. And in meats, this natural food ingredient reduces fat and salt while providing emulsification for good oils.

In the end, removing the unhealthy ingredients from food and beverages at times reduces the product quality. Depending on the formulation, these ingredients provide also functional benefits in addition to their organoleptic contributions. Using natural highly functional fibers like Citri-Fi allows product developers to either replace or reduce those negatively perceived ingredients without compromising product integrity. Moreover, Citri-Fi cleans up the food nutrition label and statement since its labeling options include citrus fiber, dried citrus pulp or citrus flour.

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October 27, 2020
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Fiberstar Blog

Plant-based Yogurts: Top Facts to Know

Today, plant-based yogurts are the next hot dairy alternative trend. However, at the same time, these products encounter many formulation issues. Citri-Fi® citrus fiber's high water holding and emulsification properties help create high quality dairy-free yogurts including minimizing syneresis, thickening texture and improving food labels.

Plant-based Yogurts Bases – Old and New

Years ago, the only non-dairy yogurts found on the grocery shelves ranged from soy to rice based. However, today, this expanded into a variety of options. Other dairy-free bases moving up in rank include: almond, coconut, hemp, cashew and oat. Moreover, plant-based yogurts now reside next to their animal-based counterparts in the grocery store. As a result, this gives consumers an opportunity to try something new or use these products as a gateway to a plant-based lifestyle. In the end, plant milks will provide the segway into dairy-free yogurts. As a result, new plant milk bases such as lupin, flaxseed or sesame seed will cross over into this category.

Typical Issues in Creating Non-Dairy Yogurts

If you make your own yogurt at home, you know that dairy yogurts are relatively easy to make due to the dairy-based proteins innately present in milk. However, making dairy-free yogurts turns into a whole new adventure. The easy part involves fermenting the base but the resulting product typically produces thin and watery textures.

Some issues that arise in creating vegan type yogurts include: poor texture, syneresis or lack of a full-fat mouthfeel. As a result, product developers seek out highly functional natural ingredients to counter quality issues. At the same time, developers resort to using additives to compensate for not having dairy proteins in the food matrix. Due to this, their food label declarations evolve into less consumer friendly versions.

Common Stabilizers used in Dairy-free Yogurts

To create a thicker texture and minimize syneresis, developers typically reach for stabilizers. For instance, in vegan style yogurts, modified starches, pectin, locust bean gum, agar and other gums are added to plant-based yogurts to improve texture and stability. However, each stabilizing system presents its own limitations.

For example, modified starches are excellent in minimizing syneresis but at the same time they create pasty textures. On other hand, developers tend to add stabilizers like food gums. This adds viscosity and smooths out the pastiness but at the same time cause the texture to become snotty and unnatural. As a result, multiple stabilizing ingredients are used which makes the ingredient declaration long and cumbersome. In the end, syneresis remains to be a challenging issue in these type of applications.

Citri-Fi Citrus Fiber Benefits in Plant-based Yogurts

Citri-Fi is produced from byproduct or upcycled material of the citrus juicing process which aligns with dairy alternatives' sustainable and environmental goals. This citrus fiber is created using a patented process which opens up the fiber to provide high water holding and emulsification properties. Because of the intact native pectin, Citri-Fi provides multiple benefits in non-dairy yogurts. These superior features sets this citrus fiber apart from others in the market.

For instance, this natural ingredient between 0.01% and 0.60% contributes to smoother and thicker textures which simulates a full-fat mouthfeel. And, due to the water and oil holding power, this natural citrus fiber minimizes syneresis to create more stable products. Citri-Fi is recommended to be used with starches and/or gums to create high quality plant-based yogurts. And because Citri-Fi’s labeling options include citrus fiber, dried citrus pulp or citrus flour, this natural ingredient resonates well in the natural and clean label markets. Lastly, Citri-Fi is non-allergenic, non-GMO project certified and has no E-number.

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October 6, 2020
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Fiberstar Blog

Sauces & Meat Substitutes: Citrus Fiber Successes

Food sauces and meat alternative products have one functional need in common – emulsification. Citri-Fi® citrus fiber provides the oil and water binding to create stable and high quality sauces and meat substitutes. At the same time, this natural citrus fiber cleans up labels by replacing starch, gums and other stabilizers while improving texture and stability.

Citri-Fi® citrus fiber provides multiple functionalities which benefits various food products. For instance, in September, 2020 despite the numerous citrus fiber wins, two categories stood out – sauces and meat substitutes. So, what do these three foods have in common? All require emulsification in order to create stability. At the same time, finding a natural emulsifier is an even bigger challenge.

Creamy and Emulsified Stable Sauces

In sauces, Citri-Fi citrus fiber provides several benefits. For example, in dressings and condiments like vegan mayonnaise, Citri-Fi 100M40 (0.25% to 1.50%) emulsifies the oil and water to create a creamy texture. This emulsion remains stable for a long time which is one of the reasons why product developers prefer Citri-Fi citrus fiber in this type of application. Also, Citri-Fi does not contain an E-number which appeals to the European markets.

Another popular sauce of the season is cheese-based sauces. Once again, emulsification plays an important role in creating creamy and stable textures. However, due to the clean label initiatives, product developers now seek out natural ingredients. This strategy not only creates labels with recognizable components but also simplifies the label using less. Citri-Fi citrus fiber binds oil and water in cheese-based sauces to provide long-term stability as a natural emulsifier. At the same time, this natural ingredient replaces gums and starches which make labels more consumer friendly.

 Clean Label Meat-like and Succulent Meat Alternatives

One hot area is meat alternatives. The market exploded with numerous meat alternative foods ranging from meat substitute beef patties to seafood analogs. Fiberstar led the charge offering not only highly functional citrus fibers, but also solutions sets. For instance, Citri-Fi 100 citrus fiber series provides high water holding and emulsification properties due to its high level of intact native pectin. As result, meat substitutes containing this citrus fiber produce juicy and succulent textures.

On the other hand, Citri-Fi TX10, a texturized citrus fiber, creates meat substitutes with more meat-like texture. In addition, TX10 improves cold binding and in some instances replaces wheat gluten – a common binder. Both the Citri-Fi 100 series and the TX10 are recommended to create high quality meat substitutes.

Moreover, to create clean label meat alternatives, Fiberstar introduced three different solution sets using citrus fiber. As a result, all three solutions can replace methyl cellulose. The three solutions include using both the 100 series and TX10 in addition to other natural ingredients. For example, the natural ingredients include enzyme, native starch, alginate or gellan gum. A video series and technical bulletins are available to you. Please contact us for more information.

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