Industry guide / Food and formulation
Food Ingredients and Nutrition
Select ingredients for the finished food, process and sales market. Compare texture, taste and stability after processing as well as in the initial bench sample.
Process guide
Acidity, texture, shelf life and nutrition
Explore 6 processes and 42 distinct materials. Choose a process to compare candidates, operating conditions and trial methods.
Beverage tartness or pH varies between batches
Establish the conditions
Confirm the food category, sales market, target pH and sensory profile before selecting food-grade acids or buffers.
Materials and their roles
Trial and comparison. Use one food base to compare pH, buffering capacity and perceived sourness. Record both acid concentration and the form of any buffer salt.
Fruit pulp settles while the beverage is in storage
Establish the conditions
Record heat treatment, shear, sugar, salt and pH. Evaluate stability in the finished food.
Materials and their roles
Trial and comparison. Track hydration time, heating, mixing and separation after storage. Evaluate flow and mouthfeel together at the intended serving temperature.
Baked volume or emulsion stability falls short
Establish the conditions
For emulsifiers, specify the oil and water phases. For leavening, specify the acid–base balance and required gas-release profile.
Materials and their roles
Trial and comparison. For an emulsion, compare oil-to-water ratio and heat stability. For bakery leavening, record gas release, finished volume and any residual taste.
Sugar reduction changes sweetness, mouthfeel or bulk
Establish the conditions
Define the sweetness profile, processing temperature and fibre measurement method. Check the grade for the intended market.
Materials and their roles
Trial and comparison. Compare blind samples at the target solids and processing temperature. Record sweetness onset and persistence, mouthfeel and the contribution to bulk.
Mold growth or lipid oxidation shortens shelf life
Establish the conditions
Confirm the food category, destination market, formulation pH and intended conditions of use.
Materials and their roles
Trial and comparison. Use the finished formulation and packaging. Set separate control samples for microbial stability and oxidation according to the purpose of the ingredient.
Nutrient enrichment or flavor enhancement changes the taste
Establish the conditions
For mineral fortification, specify the elemental basis and dispersion. Assess flavours in the actual food base.
Materials and their roles
Trial and comparison. Compare minerals by their available specification for the element and their behaviour in the product. For flavour, use a triangle test in one base and record changes after heating.
Documentation and purchasing
Prepare for a technical discussion
Share your current material or specification, process conditions, trial acceptance criteria, estimated quantity and destination. For regulated uses, identify the finished product and intended market.