AFS releases stabilizers to stop pie seepage
The company’s new Actogel-brand stabilizers have been designed to deal with changes in the stability of pie fillings when they are cooked. And for retorted (canned or jarred) vegetables such as peppers, the new stabilizer helps retain bite and texture, AFS said.
Director of technical services at AFS Chris Kelly told FoodNavigator-USA.com: “We worked on pie stabilizers for hand-held bakery items…Peach pies and berry pies boil out. We helped to tie up some of that moisture.”
He said that while there are some stabilizer solutions for pie fillings already on the market, the Actogel stabilizers “tend to work in both arenas, both when it’s extruded and when it’s heated.” Some other stabilizers only work when products are cold, but can liquefy after being heated, he said.
Apart from making hand-held items easier to eat, this also prevents moisture from seeping into pie crusts, which makes them soggy.
“Some companies may just let the customer deal with the problem, but these are easy to use, they give you a good flavor release and they are very process tolerant,” said Kelly.
The company said that that the Actogel systems also enable glazes to stick to raw and partly-cooked meats and prevent run-off during cooking.
The ingredients are supplied as a dry blend which is soluble in cold water and are customized to manufacturers’ needs.
AFS said the stabilizer blends can also be produced in all-natural, clean-label and allergen-free varieties.
“We have seen a lot of this recently over the past several years,” said Kelly. “There has definitely been a big surge in demand for natural and allergen-free.”
