The firm will later this year introduce its expanded URC High Performance Fruit range to food manufacturers in China at the Food Ingredients Asia 2010 event.
The fruit range, which includes fruit pieces and flakes, is already used in Europe and North America to add fruit to baked goods such as biscuits and cookies. The new extensions to the range include products with Kosher, Halal and vegetarian certification and flavour profiles to suit the Asian palate, said Taura.
The fruit pieces are said to be preservative free and have low water activity (0.3 - 0.4 Aw), which the firm says matches that of cookies, crackers and bread crusts with 3-5 per cent moisture.
“Traditional dried fruits measure 0.6(Aw) are high in sulphates and preservatives, and typically have a high water activity level (0.6Aw) which results in moisture migration and product spoilage,” explained Amy Wright, the company’s marketing manager.
Rapid concentration process
Taura manufactures the fruit range using its Ultra Rapid Concentration process technology, developed in 1991 and said to concentrate blends of heat sensitive, viscous fruit or vegetable purees and juices to less than 10 per cent moisture in 60 seconds.
“The continuous processing provides consistent product quality and ensures the raw ingredients retain their primary flavour, colour and nutritional characteristics. The second benefit of the process is that Taura’s in-house team of food technologist are able to match water activity, bake stability to a variety of end product applications such as cereals, breakfast biscuits and cookies,” Wright told FoodNavigator.com.
Fruit inclusions
URC High Performance pieces are currently available in strawberry, cranberry, orange, apple and apricot for Asia. However, the firm said that other fruit variants and product formats – including pastes – can be formulated to suit customer applications.
Taura also markets its fruit range for use in hot and cold cereals, snack bars and chocolate, and other baked, low moisture applications.
The firm says its technology allows the fruit pieces to remain soft, whole and visible, rather than disappearing or being absorbed into the baked application when exposed to heat.