The company’s Purafarin line of binding agents is used in a range of applications such as soups and sauces to deliver the desired viscosity.
A test conducted at the University of Food Technology in Kaiserslautern, Germany, is said to have found that Purafarin delivered better results in a creamy soup compared to two competitive products, which were a cellulose-ether and a starch-based binding agent.
Soup test
“The test was carried out independently by a student at the university as a final project,” explained Olga Schweigert, Purafin product manager at Kampffmeyer Food Innovation.
The three products were tested in a creamy vegetable soup for their impact on mouthfeel, visual appeal and flavour.
The project team found that creaminess was improved and flavour was enhanced with the use of Purafin, said the firm. In addition, there was no skin formation on the soup after “a lengthy time period”.
In contrast, the starch-based binding system is said to have removed the product’s creaminess, also resulting in a gelatinous texture and the formation of a thick skin on the soup. The cellulose ether product showed good solubility in water but gelled during heating.
Clean label
Kampffmeyer says one of the major benefits of its Purafarin range is that it is made from wheat flour, which is the only ingredient declaration necessary.
The range includes about 20 different products tailored for use in different applications. Depending on the end use, the ingredient can be either heat treated or hydro-thermally treated (which also uses water), explained Schweigert.
“Purafarin H151 W is physically refined waxy wheat flour with an amylopectin content of almost 100 per cent. Standard wheat has an amylopectin content of just 75 per cent. Because of its branched molecular structure, amylopectin can physically bind high quantities of water, build stable viscosities and delay retrogradation,” she said.