IFT: FMC stabilizer targets fruit-rich frozen desserts

The new application, featured this week at the IFT show in Chicago, claims to be ideal for products designed to meet the US Department of Agriculture's School Lunch Program nutritional guidelines. The new application uses the firm's Gelstar IC 3548 stabilizer product, which has been on the market for around four years, to help manufacturers achieve high fruit-concentrate products that maintain the desired body, texture and mouthfeel. Although it does not provide a full serving of fruit, an application can contain up to 62 percent fruit, and would allow products to provide the benefits of both milk and fruit, said FMC's Greg Krawczyk. This combination is often problematic because of competing elements in the formulation, explained Krawczyk, a food scientist in the firm's frozen dessert technology department. For example, one concern is the low pH of the system; but in its testing the company found that adding a small amount of pectin to the formulation helped protect the protein while also providing the desired structure. The new application for Gelstar IC 3548, which had not before been examined by FMC scientists, claims to be ideal for use in products such as smoothies, ice cream and 'frozen novelties' - for example push-up frozen desserts that target children with a 'fun' element. "We wanted to see how the existing Gelstar line would function in applications with very high fruit concentrations,"​ said Krawczyk. "We had tested traditional-type stabilizers and were not satisfied with the mix stability or melt down. We wanted a slow and uniform melt, together with the right texture and a better structure, and that's what we've achieved,"​ he told FoodNavigator-USA.com. Gelstar IC 3548 is primarily made up of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and cellulose gel. MCC and CMC (sodium carboxymethyl cellulose) are activated in an application by sheer force, which opens up a network structure that ultimately controls the physical properties of a product. The prototype featured by the company at the IFT contains 52 percent pear juice concentrate and 10 percent blueberry puree concentrate. Other ingredients, besides the Gelstar stabilizer, are butterfat, non-fat milk solids, sugar, corn syrup solids and HM pectin. According to FMC, the formulation corresponds to USDA School Lunch Program nutritional guidelines for calories, fat, carbohydrates, sugars and protein. The company says the new application also allows for a reduction in butterfat or milk solids, which ultimately means cost savings for producers. FMC is also featuring a beverage application at the IFT that includes the company's Avicel Plus CM 2159 stabilizer and Viscarin SA 359 carrageenan. The 'indulgent chocolate milk' product aims to demonstrate how the firm's ingredients can be used to achieve a thick beverage without the problem of gelation, or solidification. On the other end of the spectrum, the firm is also featuring a calcium-fortified 'light, refreshing vanilla milk', made with Avicel BV 1518, which helps suspend the calcium in the milk while still achieving a thin product. And in light of the current tight supply and price situation for dairy ingredients, FMC is presenting an 'ice cream cost template', which demonstrates to IFT attendees how they can use the company's ingredients to help offset higher dairy costs.