Jon Arzberger, fibres specialist at Ulrick & Short, says: “Manufacturers focused on reducing or even avoiding allergens face a challenge when it comes to new product development. This is where a bamboo-based fibre comes in. It’s extracted from the plant’s shoots rather than the cane, so it’s a very unusual solution, but invaluable to food processing facilities that don’t use wheat products. It’s especially useful for the gluten-free market, which is growing at a consistent rate thanks to both lifestyle and medical demand.”
Fibres provide a natural alternative to phosphates and, especially when used with clean-label starches, can improve the succulence of meats and mouthfeel of sauces, extend the shelf-life of baked goods and, ultimately, increase manufacturers’ profit margins, according to Ulrick & Short.
More robust
Bamboo fibres are said to be easier to handle, less fragile and can provide a softer dough or a more robust baked snack depending on the formulation and production process. Fibres are also used to create drier and crispier coatings on nuggets and coated potato products.
Bamboo fibres can bind more water or oil than wheat and so fortify and facilitate increased yields by enabling more liquid to be added. More oil can be bound, which helps to minimise separation issues, and fibres can also help to increase freeze storage capability as they help to limit the formation of large ice crystals in a product.