A Rapid Path to Production Success

As the pace of business moves ever-so-swiftly these days, quicker solutions to production challenges and enhanced overall capabilities are high on the priority list of food and beverage manufacturers. With that in mind, TIC Gums, Inc., recently worked with a longtime customer to create more efficient, consistent formulations.

E.D. Smith USA, Inc., North East, PA, a producer of salad dressings, marinades and sauces, approached TIC Gums nearly two years ago for help in improving the incorporation of xanthan gum into its batch production. “We were looking for an agglomerated gum that was readily dispersible and hydrated quickly,” says Eric Esterline, director of product development, E.D. Smith, adding that the existing gum system was working—but not quite up to the company’s ideal goals.

Over the course of the next several months, food scientists and technical experts at TIC Gums traveled to E.D. Smith for on-site trials. A range of xanthan gum systems were evaluated, according to Greg Andon, national sales manager, TIC Gums. “They were so excited to make their process more efficient that they saw a huge value in letting us work closely with them in their plant. We tried things that didn’t work, but we learned along the way,” he recalls.

An entirely new xanthan gum system emerged along the way. A unique process without chemical additives resulted in TIC Pretested® Pre- Hydrated® Ticaxan® Rapid-3 Powder, the solution that ultimately worked for E.D. Smith’s emulsified dressings. According to Andon, it is effective because it saves on time while increasing performance. “You can put Rapid-3 in at the beginning of the batch and not worry about having extended batch times or having lumps,” he notes.

Esterline estimates that hydration time for Ticaxan Rapid-3, compared to an earlier version of the gum system, is about 30% to 40% quicker, averaging between five to seven minutes a batch. There is potential to shave another three minutes off that time. “It’s also very consistent,” he adds. “I know every time it will give me the exact same finished product.”

Ticaxan Rapid-3 is also a versatile ingredient. On E.D. Smith’s production line, for instance, the ingredient is used in oil-based, creamy and reduced- sugar and reduced-fat dressings, as well as in marinades and sauces, at usage levels ranging from 0.10 to 0.25%. “We saw particular increase in performance in low-sugar applications, because the viscosity was higher,” says Esterline.

Pre-Hydrated Ticaxan Rapid-3 is now available to the general food and beverage marketplace. Esterline, for his part, already has spread the word about the gum system’s applications to others in the industry. “We have had success in our case, and we have recommended it to several companies that we co-pack for,” he says.

TIC Gums, Inc.
4609 Richlynn Drive 
Belcamp, MD 21017 
Phone: 800/899-3953 
Fax: 410/273-6469 
E-mail: [email protected] 
Website: www.ticgums.com