Xanthan prices continue to be very competitive, guar prices remain steady and cassia prices have escalated owing to a reduced crop in India, according to a hydrocolloids analyst.
Increases in the price of key ingredients, or widely fluctuating prices, are driving reformulation efforts in the industry, with suppliers like Ingredion offering solutions to replace ingredients and cut costs.
Guar gum prices have dropped a long way from peaks of $20 to $25 a kilo – but there is now a standoff between buyers and sellers, according to hydrocolloids industry expert Dennis Seisun.
Guar gum could be relisted on India’s futures market if a positive committee decision is reached next week, according to the country’s commodity markets regulator.
US ingredients firm Glanbia Nutritionals has added a new flax-based guar gum replacer to its hydrocolloid range that will save bakery manufacturers up to 40% on costs amid continued soaring guar prices.
Tara gum and locust bean gum are being touted as credible guar gum replacers in light of the high prices and lack of supply for food grade guar, claims a hydrocolloid expert.
There is no end in sight to the current guar gum shortage and record high prices for the hydrocolloid, which may prompt some manufacturers to consider reformulation, according to Euromonitor International.
There has been no let up in the soaring prices for guar gum, with little hope of a downward trend emerging in the coming months, warns a hydrocolloid expert.
Hydrocolloids can be added to tortilla formulations containing bean
flour to extend the product's shelf life and improve texture while
increasing its nutritional content, say researchers.
The European Commission is proposing to test all guar gum from
India for presence of the contaminant PCP as an interim measure to
ensure ongoing supply of the thickening agent prior to the Indian
authorities implementing tighter controls.
A draft report on India's guar gum industry following dioxin
contamination issues earlier this year recommends a separation of
food- and industrial-grade gum during manufacture and processing,
say media sources.
Scientists in Finland suggest that carbohydrates released into
process waters of softwood mills could offer the food industry with
a novel source of mannans to rival guar gum and friends.
Danisco is preparing to introduce a partially depolymerised guar
gum to the market following a positive safety call from EFSA,
tipped to bring new functionalities and a range of texture
possibilities.
EU member states are taking action over the possibility of food
products contaminated by guar gum containing high dioxin levels,
but the full extent of the problem is not yet known.
Guar gum, extensively used as an emulsifier, thickener and
stabiliser, may also have potential as a health ingredient for
lowering cholesterol levels, suggests new research.
With the market for certified organic products continuing to grow,
demand for organic hydrocolloids has also expanded - prompting the
leading supplier of hydrocolloids to the US food industry to launch
an organic version of its guar...
