Tate & Lyle launches fiber line in US
platform to introduce its new line of branded fiber ingredients to
the US market, claiming the ingedients can help food and beverage
manufacturers add fiber to 'everyday' products.
The firm's Promitor line, which was launched in June, currently contains two products: Promitor Resistant Starch and Promitor Soluble Corn Fiber. The resistant starch product is designed to replace flour and can be used in baked products and snacks, including cereal, crackers, cookies, bread and pasta. The corn fiber product replaces sugar in product applications, and can be used in foods and beverages ranging from cereal coatings, soup and sauces to jams, fillings, confectionery and dairy products. The recommended daily intake of fiber in the US is 25g for women and 38g for men. However, most Americans receive only half of that, said Tate & Lyle's Director of marketing, Americas, Harvey Chimoff. "If food and beverage manufacturers are going to help people consume more fiber, the challenge would be to put it into everyday products. Consumers want a better nutritional profile but they want this in products they pick up in the supermarket," he told FoodNavigator-USA.com. The UK-based ingredient giant claims its Promitor Resistant Starch differentiates from other products on the market as it is more process stable. According to the firm, competing products do not survive well in extreme process conditions, meaning that the levels of fiber added through the ingredients are actually diminished during the manufacturing process. Promitor Resistant Starch claims to have "more thermally stable crystals", which are not melted at high temperatures and which therefore allow for the entire amount of fiber added to a product to be retained. "Because our resistant starch is more process friendly it prevents manufacturers from spending excess amounts to source higher levels of ingredients than necessary," said the firm. The product also has a "very low" water holding capacity, which Tate & Lyle says makes it easy to formulate with when substituting for wheat flour in low moisture systems such as crackers and cookies. Another benefit is that the starch claims to reduce oil pick-up in fried foods by 15-20 percent, meaning fewer calories and less fat in the end product. The second product in the line, Promitor Soluble Corn Fiber, can be used to replace traditional sweeteners such as liquid and dry corn sweeteners, sucrose and other sugar alcohols. As a result, the ingredient can help cut calories by almost half, said the firm. The ingredient also claims to be more acid stable than competing products, meaning it does not break down in products with a low pH. The corn fiber comes in both liquid and powder form, and because it is soluble it is efficient and easy to work with, said Tate & Lyle. Launched initially only in the US, Promitor Soluble Corn Fiber claims to allow for fiber fortification in products where people would not normally expect to find fiber, such as sauces, dressings, or clear beverages, said the firm. Both ingredients in the Promitor line are prebiotic fibers and claim to be well-tolerated and have a low glycemic response. Tate & Lyle says its ingredients have no impact on the taste of the end product. According to the firm's research, over two-thirds (67 percent) of US adults (64 percent in Europe) acknowledge that fiber helps to promote digestive health and the immune system, with the majority recognizing fiber's ability to manage hunger and so potentially help in managing body weight. The research also found that 57 percent of parents (54 percent in Europe) believe fiber to be useful in maintaining children's health, however, just 12 percent of US adults and 15 percent in Europe hold the belief that products that help maintain digestive health and the immune system 'taste good'. Tate & Lyle said it is hoping to achieve brand recognition through the use of the Promitor logo. The name, which was designed to be consumer friendly, could eventually be used to indicate to consumers that products are 'made with Promitor'. According to the firm, "branded ingredients will help consumers have a higher level of confidence in products". In terms of its line-extension plans, the company said: "we'll be looking at where the needs are and where the holes are, and we'll aim to meet those".
