Adaptive Hydrocolloid Technology

Six years ago, Gum Technology Corporation, Tucson, AZ, answered a call for help and, in the process, developed a new product. A food manufacturer developing a vegetarian hot dog was having trouble maintaining the products firm texture when heating; it crumbled on the grill and turned to mush in the microwave. The solution was Coyote Brand Stabilizer VPB-1.

The stabilizer is a blend of two different hydrocolloids: carrageenan and konjac, says Joshua Brooks, vice president sales and marketing. Each component has different functionality on its own. Combined, however, they react synergistically to create a system which can be used in a variety of applications. He notes, for example, that the konjac controls syneresis and provides more freeze/thaw stability than the carrageenan would by itself.

Veggie hot dogs are not the products only application, however. VPB-1 acts as an effective replacement for agar in many applications. We have found that our VPB-1 is not a 1-to-1 replacement for agar, but it can replace up to 50% of agar in icings, for example, says Brooks.

Compared to agar, which melts at approximately 85°C to 90°C, VPB-1 melts at 60°C. Carrageenan alone melts at 45°C.

Our gel is elastic like agar, but it is also transparent. Certain agar seaweeds form a cloudy gel at times, Brooks says. The VPB-1 also does not have an off-odor, which might be associated with a variety of agars. And, like agar, which comes from red seaweed, the VPB-1 is all-natural; its carrageenan comes from seaweed, and its konjac from a tuber grown in Asia.

Further, the cost per pound of VPB-1 is considerably less expensive than straight agar, and the supply is more reliable. Brooks notes that, in the past year, due to a number of conditions such as poor crops, the liquidation of smaller suppliers, fluctuations in the dollar and an increased demand from a growing Asian market agar can be difficult to obtain and has become more expensive.

Gum Technology can adjust the levels of carrageenan and konjac in VPB-1 to form a gel that is more brittle or more elastic, depending on a manufacturers needs. This technology, Brooks says, is reflected in the companys name.

Many people ask us what the significance of the coyote is, he says. Well, were in Tucson where coyotes are abundant and are a part of our way of life. Theyre very good survivors, because they are extremely adaptive to their environment.

In the same way, we have always partnered with our customers and helped them adapt to ever-changing markets over the past 26 years, Brooks continues. Whether it be protecting them against hydrocolloid shortages and supplying alternatives, such as our VPB-1, Gum Technologys coyote has always come through.

Gum Technology Corporation
509 W. Wetmore Road
Tucson, AZ 85705-1521
Phone: 800/369-4867
Fax: 520/888-5585
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.gumtech.com