Substitute rice starch for gelatin.

Rice starch has by far the smallest particle size of all the commercial starches. The average rice starch granule is between 2 microns and 8 microns in size. A smaller granule translates into a much higher concentration of particles in a specific area and a much greater specific surface.

This quality makes it possible for rice starch granules to absorb more products on their surface, such as flavors and emulsifiers. Rice starch is also known to have the whitest color of all the starches. The very fine white particle produces a smooth, glossy finish when used as a coating for tablets and confections.

A new rice starch is on the market from A&B Ingredients that imitates the functionality of gelatin. Processors are often looking for alternatives to gelatin. The consumption of gelatin, an animal-based ingredient, may be prohibited by religious and other groups. Gelatin can be found in yogurt and whipped desserts, for instance.

The Gelatin Replacement System (GRS), developed at A&B Ingredients and aimed at replacing gelatin in yogurt, binds water as gelatin does. The system must be dispersed well in cold water. Then it can be heated to about 90 F to produce a rigid gel that is able to sustain a large deformation before breaking. It is able to preserve gelatin's sheen.

GRS technology offers many of the same attributes of gelatin in yogurt applications. Providing a plastic structure similar to that of gelatin, GRS breaks down into a creamy gel with minimal stirring. The starch also provides a filmy layer in yogurt, which imparts a dramatic sheen and a fat-like creamy mouthfeel similar to that found in a higher fat product. In addition, the properties of the rice starch aid stability of the yogurt against separation and whey-off.

The system comes closer to matching the typical 50% break deformation of gelatin than any other gelatin replacement, we're told. Once it breaks down in the mouth and loses its structure, it doesn't exhibit any viscous flow or grittiness. It is not as optically clear as gelatin. In a large number of applications, such as yogurt and spreads, this is not a problem. A usage level of two to three times the amount of gelatin employed may be a good starting point for GRS in most applications. Swiss-style yogurt can be produced by incorporating GRS at a 0.75% to 0.90% concentration, and cup-set yogurt can be made by using a concentration of 0.3% to 0.5%. This starch can also be used in a number of other food applications, including mousses and whipped toppings.

A&B's GRS rice starch conforms to the strict label requirements of vegetarian, halal and kosher status. A&B researchers can help tailor a system to each customer's specific requirements, depending on the amount of gelatin that company is using in its system and the amount of mouthfeel or sheen it requires.

Further information. Gil Bakal, Managing Director, A&B Ingredients, 24 Spielman Rd., Fairfield, NJ 07004; phone: [phone]; fax: [phone]; email: [e-mail].