Light bite delights

By Sarah Britton

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Flavor Tate & lyle

Ingredients manufacturers are put to the test as snack processors demand salt and sugar substitutes to transform their naughty nibbles into tasty, but healthy treats. Sarah Britton looks at the latest developments designed to make mouths water

Red or dead - tomato powder prevents disease

Lyc-o-mato Powder is a cost effective tomato based ingredient, which can be used to enrich food and is claimed to help prevent life threatening degenerative diseases. Heart benefits, prostate health and protection of skin from solar radiation and environmental damage, are just some of the health claims made for the powder.

Lycopen and beta-carotene are cartenoids, which occur naturally in the human blood and tissues and they are also present in Lyc-o-mato Powder. Carotenoids are anti-oxidants, which work to minimise the oxidative harm caused by: pollution, smoking and other detrimental effects of environmental exposure. The latter has been linked to the onset of many degenerative diseases such as cancer, atherosclerosis, cataracts, and age-related macular degeneration.

Lyco-o-mato powder is available in three grades: 0.8%, 0.9% and 1%, which refer to the lycopene content. The powder is a natural red colour, which is often used in food colouring. It has a low sugar content and low acidity. Lyc-o-mato has a mild tomato flavour, but unlike conventional tomato powder, its use is not limited to tomato products. It can be used in a wide range of products including crackers and cereal bars and has a high fibre content.

Contact: Lycored Natural Products Industries,Tel: 00972 8 629 6630

Snacking solutions

Cereal bars can be given a sugar detox with Tate & Lyle's two new binding mediums: Rebalance Systems 001 and 002.

Rebalance System 001 is a liquid blend of low calorie bulking agents combined with low calorie sweeteners such as polydextrose and Splenda Sucralose.

Rebalance System 002 is a liquid blend of low calorie bulking agents and fructose. Tate & Lyle claims that both solutions reduce the calorific and total sugar content of cereal bars. They also provide manufacturers with the opportunity to control the nutrient composition of their products and reduce carbohydrate content.

The ingredients provide cereal bars with a six month shelf-life, maintaining a soft, yet stable structure without crystallisation. The firm says that there is no compromise with regard to taste, flavour or texture.

Contact: Tate & Lyle,Tel: 020 7977 6143

Simple sausage blend is on a roll

Bakels claims that its sausage roll blend is easy to prepare and allows continuous production because it runs smoothly through machinery. The company promises 'excellent volume', with no shrink back at the sausage roll ends during baking.

A concentrated blend of rusk, onion, potato, herbs and flavours make up the mix. Either pork or beef minced meat can be added to the concentrate, together with cold water.

The ingredients must be left to coagulate for 10 minutes, before the substance can be placed onto prepared pastry. Afterwards, the sausage roll can be finished with a savoury glaze, or sprinkled with grated cheese and baked.

Once made up, the concentrate is freeze thaw stable and can be made in large batches. The concentrate is available in 12.5kg bags.

Contact: Bakels,Tel: 01869 322 440

Salt supplement shakes up the ingredients market

Synergy claims that its Saltmate range is an ideal salt substitute for snacks, cutting salt levels by up to 30%.

Saltmate Dairy and Saltmate Savoury are both derived from yeast extracts. This permits clean label declarations, which is a major issue for manufacturers.

Reducing salt can have a devastating effect on the taste and aroma of salt products, but Synergy's new ingredient provides a palatable product, without the health-threatening salt levels. Saltmate can be used in the same way and in the same proportions as salt, to replace sodium chloride at a ratio of 1:1.

While salt reduction is easy in stronger snack flavours, claims Synergy, Saltmate Dairy is also suitable for more delicate flavours such as cheese and onion, or sour cream and chive.

Contact: Synergy,Tel: 01494 492 222

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