Since interest in reduced-sugar foods is on the rise, there is a need for ingredients that help deliver a desirable “gelling/thickening” texture in jams and jellies that, with reduced sugar, have reduced levels of soluble solids. One answer is provided by GENU® LM pectin from CP Kelco, an ingredient which won gold in Food Ingredients Europe's “Most Innovative Food Ingredient Awards” competition in 2005.
This new line of pectins allows manufacturers to create low-sugar jams and jellies while maintaining all the sensory quality of full-sugar fruit spreads. “Low use levels of these pectins ensure an excellent flavor sensation and release, which is contrary to the flavor masking that is usually the result of thickening with starch, carrageenan, locust bean and guar gums in these applications,” says Ria Van Hoef, food marketing manager at CP Kelco.