Pea fiber ingredient to extend poultry nuggets
The company cites several benefits of its Swelite fiber ingredient, including increased stability and reduced volume loss, value-added protein replacement at 50 to100 percent, better standardization to allow for variation in poultry, and juicier poultry products.
Managing director of A&B Ingredients Gil Bakal said: "What makes Swelite so special is that it forms a matrix within the poultry paste. It acts as a shape retention agent controlling cooking losses and keeping the product in its original form. In addition, Swelite acts as a meat extender, thus increasing product economy with the same texture and yield."
Bakal added that manufacturers would not need to change their manufacturing process to incorporate the ingredient and that it can be used for fat- and water-binding at one part to five in cold emulsions, or one to six in hot emulsions.
"Simply add Swelite to the poultry meats, shape and coat as usual. Swelite does not impact the processing of the nuggets,” he said.
A&B Ingredients said its pea fiber is a “label-friendly ingredient” derived from yellow peas.
There are several other companies offering fiber ingredients for extending meat products to reduce cost while retaining a juicy texture, based on a variety of cereals. Z-Trim, for example, supplies a corn fiber ingredient that it says can also cut fat and sodium content; Solae offers a soy fiber ingredient intended to increase the yield and fluid retention of processed meat products such as ground and kebab meat; and NutraCea has a rice bran ingredient intended to boost the nutritional and functional properties of meat products.
In addition, meat extenders are typically used in place of meat fat, which is extracted.
