The texture and stabilisation specialist TIC Gums pushed its hydrocolloid blends at the Tortilla Industry Association last week in the US as a functionally favourable alternative to guar gum.
Its Ticaloid Tortilla blend and another older product (Ticaloid GR 5420) enable 100% guar gum replacement and reproduce the benefits of the gum in bakery items, the firm said.
“For corn and flour tortilla manufacturers and developers, the use of guar gum is important to managing moisture. Proper inclusion of moisture in these and other bakery items allows for proper texture and shelf stability,” TIC Gums said.
“Food scientists at TIC Gums were able to reproduce the benefits of guar without using any,” it added.
Water retention
Ticaloid Tortilla facilitates machinability, moisture control and flexibility for tortilla formulations, TIC Gums said.
Recommended usage is four to eight ounces per 100 pounds of flour, with five parts of water for every one part of gum used. The firm noted that more water used in the formulation will provide the needed moisture for flexible, shelf-stable tortillas.
Ticaloid GR 5420 manages the retention of water in bakery mixes for flatbreads and tortillas to ensure the equivalent dough texture manufactures require. Usage should be two to five ounces for 100 pounds of flour.
Guar gum rollercoaster dip
In June this year guar gum prices remained sky-high at between $13-14 per kg to $18-19 per kg, according to IMR International data.
However, in its latest update Dennis Seisun, IMR consultant, said that while guar gum remains a hot topic, prices have dropped a little. Although Seisun added that “little trading is being done”.
In light of a solid two years of soaring guar gum prices, it seems manufacturers are still eagerly using hydrocolloids instead such as locust bean gum and xanthan gum or blends.