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New carrageenan blends from Cargill

Cargill has announced the Satiagel ABN 500 range of sustainable carrageenan blends that it says provide premium performance at a competitive price, offering excellent sensorial properties, consistent quality and security of supply. It is aimed at beverage manufacturers looking to achieve excellent mouthfeel and stability for their protein drinks. Carrageenans are an essential ingredient required […]

Cargill has announced the Satiagel ABN 500 range of sustainable carrageenan blends that it says provide premium performance at a competitive price, offering excellent sensorial properties, consistent quality and security of supply. It is aimed at beverage manufacturers looking to achieve excellent mouthfeel and stability for their protein drinks.

Carrageenans are an essential ingredient required to stabilise all kinds of dairy and non-dairy neutral-flavoured drinks, Cargill notes, thus avoiding sedimentation of insoluble particles and product separation.

“The consumption of protein drinks is at an all-time high in Europe,” said Xavier Martin, global product manager seaweeds for Cargill Texturizing Solutions. “The neutral-flavoured protein drinks market is growing exponentially, and chocolate milk is especially popular. According to the latest research (Innova, March 2015), 14% of all new product launches in the dairy drinks category are dedicated to chocolate-flavoured formulations. This growing demand has a direct impact on the availability of raw materials. The market for wild red seaweeds, from which carrageenans are traditionally derived, has become volatile and unpredictable.”

The Satiagel ABN 500 range is said to be mainly sourced from farmed seaweed. By diversifying sourcing and maintaining close collaboration with suppliers, Cargill claims it is able to reduce sourcing risks and offer a more sustainable carrageenan supply.

“Apart from financing research on seaweed and farming, the direct long-term relationships with farmers enable us to support the improvement of production tools, working and living conditions, education and healthcare,” said Martin. “Transferring knowledge to the farmers is key to enriching their communities and essential to the availability of high-quality seaweed.”

But there are other challenges manufacturers find themselves grappling with, Cargill says.

“Consumers are looking for great taste and a full-bodied drink on top of the nutritional benefits of dairy products,” said Anne-Laure Rouger, dairy technical service project leader at Cargill Texturizing Solutions. “Mouthfeel is especially important and a key element in influencing consumer preference. However, it is difficult to find the sweet spot between technical performance, taste and appearance. The vast majority of stabilisers available on the market have to compromise on one or more of those aspects. This is why we developed the Satiagel ABN range: easy-to-use, versatile ingredients that work well in most formulations and offer ideal mouthfeel properties even at low concentrations, while ensuring consistent stabilization levels.”

Carrageenans are part of Cargill Texturizing Solutions’ portfolio of texturizers and emulsifiers, which includes a range of hydrocolloids, lecithins and starches. This portfolio, coupled with global research and development, and supply chain capabilities, says the company, allows Cargill to help customers manage both the product development and supply chain challenges associated with formulating or reformulating products.