Drought and instability in Africa are having a big impact on the global soft drinks industry by causing problems in the supply and quality of gum arabic, a beverage emulsifier. Shortages have sparked price increases of up to 30%.
But National Starch claims that speciality starch offers a solution to this crisis. It claims modified starch ingredients are a viable and effective alternative to gum arabic to stabilise beverage emulsions.
Not only does speciality starch offer consistent quality and supply, it can also match gum arabic in all areas of functionality while offering significant cost savings, it claims.
Traditionally, amphilic, fat-loving gum arabic is used to stabilise beverage emulsions such as orange sodas, colas, lemonades and chilled juice drinks. Starch in its native form is hydrophilic - it has no affinity towards hydrophobic substances such as fats and oils. To overcome this, National Starch Food Innovation applied its natural polymer technology and expertise to adapt the molecular structures of starch to create the amphilic range of waxy-maize based Purity Gum speciality starches.
For beverages, oil-in-water emulsions are usually made in a concentrated form and then diluted into finished products. Long-term stability is vital for both the concentrated and diluted forms of the emulsion, as the beverages may need to be stored for long periods.
The Purity Gum range of starches is suitable where emulsions need to be refrigerated at 4°C for an extended period - up to 24 months - without compromising stability.