Necessity of R&D Work in Food Ingredients

January 2022

Necessity of R&D Work in Food Ingredients

Gıda 2000 Magazine Article

Food additives are used to improve the appearance, aroma, and flavor of foods, preserve nutrient content, extend shelf life, and enhance food diversity.

Dr. Aslı Toptaş TAĞ / UBC Chemical A.Ş. R&D and P&D Manager

With rapid population growth and industrialization, people have turned to practical solutions in various aspects, including nutrition. This has led to an increase in the consumption of food additives in parallel with the demand for convenience foods. Food additives, such as emulsifiers, play a crucial role in various sectors of the food industry, including margarine, chocolate, confectionery, bakery products, and dairy-based products.

UBC Chemical produces a range of emulsifiers, including PGPR, GMS (Monodiglyceride), PGE, LACTEM, CITREM, ACETEM, DATEM, STS, and SMS, which are specifically used in the food industry, particularly in margarine, chocolate, confectionery, bakery products, and dairy-based items

PGPR (Poligliserol-polirisinolat E476): PGPR is a viscous and strongly lipophilic substance soluble in fats. It is primarily used in the chocolate industry. The addition of PGPR facilitates the processing of chocolate, making it easier to process at lower temperatures.

In the bakery industry, it is used as a flour additive to prevent baked goods from sticking to the surface during baking. It is used in cocoa-based candies, sauces, spreads and ice creams.

GMS (Glycerol monostearate E471): is an effective additive in extending the shelf life of foods. It improves the spreadability properties of margarine type products. It provides good oil dispersion in chocolate products even at high temperatures, reduces stickiness and separation during production and storage, reduces crystallization of sugar, prevents caramel-derived products from sticking to the teeth, and is used as a plasticizer in chewing gums.

In bread and bakery products, it improves the quality of the dough, provides the formation of a soft, spongy product with a good pore structure, and adds shine and volume to the products.

It is used as an emulsifier in ice cream, ensuring the formation of stable emulsions that do not break down during freezing.

PGE (Polyglycerol ester E475): is a food additive which has an improving effect on dough performance when used as a ventilation agent in cakes and cakes. It is used in margarines due to its anti-foam and anti-splash properties in oil emulsions.

It is also widely used in bread making to prevent staling and to extend shelf life. It has emulsifier and stabilizer properties. It is in the form of a yellowish waxy powder substance.

ACETEM: They are acetic acid esters of mono and diglycerides of fatty acids, known with the code E472a. It is used as an aeration agent in cakes and cakes, to ensure foam formation in whipped creams and creams, and as an emulsifier in ice creams.

It is used to retard fat oxidation and prevent moisture loss in sausages, and to increase volume and extend shelf life in breads.

LACTEM: Known with the code E472b, they are lactic acid esters of mono and diglycerides of fatty acids. It is used as a volume enhancer in bakery products, an improver of fluidity and formability in chocolates, a thickener in dairy products, and a foam enhancer in whipped powders and creams.

CITREM: They are citric acid esters of mono and diglycerides of fatty acids, known with the code E472c. It is used as an emulsifier and stabilizer in salad dressings, margarine and mayonnaise. When used in flour has properties that increase dough performance. It can also be used as a meat binder in sausages.

DATEM: They are tartaric acid esters of mono and diglycerides of fatty acids, known with the code E472e. It is used as a volume enhancer in breads and to strengthen flour. It can also be used in coffee creamers and sauces.

STS (Sorbitan tristearate E492 ):is a food additive with non-ionic surfactant properties.

It is included in formulations as an emulsifier, dispersing agent and stabilizer. Sorbitan tristearate is used to prevent oil bleed in chocolate formulations.

It is also used to delay oil ripening and to preserve color and brightness. It is used in many food products such as the pastry industry, ice cream, chocolate and confectionery, food supplements and baker's yeast.

SMS (Sorbitan monostearate E491): These are surfactants and commonly used as an emulsifier in combination with polysorbates to mix water and oil in many food products.

In addition to being used in the production of baker's yeast to protect the yeast, it is also used in bread and pastry products as a volume increaser and improver of product texture, and in ice creams to prevent ice crystallization, fat emulsions, candies, chocolates and desserts.

We can use the process effectively

During the product verification phase of these products for which we have the production capability, we can use the process effectively by having an idea of how much the production process affects the characteristic quality features of the product.

In the optimization of production parameters and the improvement of product quality, we take customer tests into account alongside laboratory tests.

In the competitive food sector, where strong competition exists, we prioritize creating a trust environment in customer relationships. We consider customer feedback, track changes and trends in the competition, and implement a flexible design-production model by offering multiple options to current and potential customers. Our priorities include "Meeting customer expectations and needs at the highest level" and "Sustainable production

In the near future, we will also invest in foreign markets.

Recent challenges in raw material supply have directed us towards the design and production of innovative products. The success achieved through the effective, efficient, and results-oriented work of our team, which is open to new ideas, change, and development, further excites us in the field of new product design. It motivates us in line with our goal of "achieving perfection."

With our products maintaining a competitive quality level, we plan to carry out investments in foreign markets soon, aligning with our vision to be the architect of products that serve as references to the universal standards of industries, especially in the emulsifier production sector where we compete with globally recognized manufacturers.

While the food additives sector in Turkey is experiencing significant growth, the increasing market value each year emphasizes the necessity for more R&D work in the field of food additives in our country. It is crucial for local producers to prioritize developing high-value-added products, aiming to substitute imported goods, increase our export capacity, reduce dependency on external sources, and contribute to the national economy.

Sources :

1- Chocolate and confectionery fats, Woodhead Publishing Series in Food Science, Technology and Nutrition 2006, Pages 488-516.

2- Using emulsifiers to improve foodtexture, Woodhead Publishing Series in Food Science, Technology and Nutrition, 2003, Pages 216-250.

3- Food Additives: Classification, Uses and Regulation, Encyclopedia of Food and Health, 2016, Pages 731-736.

4- Influence of lecithin-PGPR blends on the rheological properties of chocolate. LWT Food Science and Technology, 38: 41-45.

5- Chocolate-controlling the flow. Benefits of polyglycerol polyricinoleic acid. The Manufacturing Confectioner, 80(5): 63-70.

6- Anonim (2013) Türk Gıda Kodeksi Gıda Katkı Maddeleri Ek1 http://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2013/06/20130630-4.htm

7- www.gidabilgi.com

8- www.foodadditives.net

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