TIC Gums used IFT Food Expo to debut a gluten-free product line and showcase innovative agglomerated xanthan products.

The gluten-free line focuses on providing texture and stability solutions for the bakery and snack industry, including sweet goods and bread. Ticaloid® GF 313, designed for use in sweet goods, will be demonstrated through gluten-free cornbread samples.

As manufacturers become new players in the gluten-free market they are faced with formulation challenges and consequent research and development costs. Simply replacing gluten-based ingredients with non-gluten alternatives will yield a dense product with undesirable mouth feel. Incorporating a gum blend combats gluten-free issues such as particulate awareness, rapid breakdown and lack of moisture.

“By engaging TIC Gums and our “Gum Gurus,” manufacturers can bypass the lengthy and expensive trial and error process when deciding which combination and amount of gum is the most effective for their product,” says Steven Baker, a TIC Gums food scientist.

TIC Gums also showcased FASTir® Xanthan EC, an agglomerated xanthan product that thickens and suspends with quick dispersion at low shear. In conjunction, TIC sampled hot sauce formulated with the product.

In other news, Baker joined Dr. Weizhu Yu, TIC Gums’ vice president of R&D,  and Dr. Mar Nieto, TIC Gums’ senior principal scientist in a symposium on a study of commonly-used gum systems in gluten-free bread. Their technical session was titled, “Gluten-Free Bread: Understanding the Science and the Challenges Behind the Replacement of Gluten and Flour.”

–TIC Gums Inc., www.ticgums.com