The seeds of innovation: Gum solution may cut bakery and snack topping waste, says TIC Gums

A new solution to improve the adherence of seeds and other toppings to bakery and snacks could cut waste by 70%, according to TIC Gums.

The texture and stabilization solutions company launched Add-Here CSA at the recent IFT Annual Meeting and Expo, offering cost-savings and improved quality for bakery and snack manufacturers.

The solution improves particulate retention during manufacturing and shipping, as manufacturers increasingly turn to toppings that are healthy and/or globally influenced as a source of innovation, said the company.

Michael Flemmens, Applications Manager at TIC Gums, told FoodNavigator-USA that adding seed coverings to bakery products is “one of the most expensive processes” because seeds fall off. “There is massive seed loss and therefore money loss.”

By using Add-Here CSA manufacturers can apply less product, and also have fewer market concerns, consumer complaints about seed or topping loss, he said. It’s a film-forming system, he explained, that locks into the bagel or pretzel and also the seed.

Tests have shown that the water-soluble, hydrocolloid system can reduce waste by 70%, said Flemmens, and companies will get a return of their investment within months. It also results in less hauling of seeds into the plant and less after-waste.

While the solution does not work for salt, he said, it does work for freeze-dried veggies, olive pieces, and so on.

For manufacturers concerned about labels, the company also offers Add-Here 4300P, which is considered the natural version of Add-Here CSA.

Dip

The company also launched a hydrocolloid system for dressing, sauces and dips, which Flemmens described as, “better than anything on the market”.

Saladizer Max is reported to emulsify, and improve texture in full fat, reduced fat, and fat-free formulations, while Saladizer FB-50 has been optimized to match the thickness of full-fat versions and overcome deficiencies normally associated with single ingredient solutions.

Having been launched in Chicago, several manufacturers are performing their first production runs with the solutions, said Flemmens, and there are “maybe some smaller manufacturers that could produce something commercially by the end of 2013”.