Cargill unveils additions to its ingredients portfolio

New items shown at Expo West include coating fats and a pink Himalayan salt.

Photo: Alleksana/Pexels

Food solutions provider Cargill showcased some of the newest additions to its ingredient solutions portfolio at the recent Expo West event in Anaheim, CA.

PalmAgility 600 series compound coating fats are a new line of specialty fats designed for a variety of applications, including fillings, drizzling, enrobing, and bottoming for bakery, snacks, and confectionery products. Key benefits of the range include its heightened heat stability and its ability to delay fat bloom development, extending product shelf life and resulting in a more pleasing visual appearance. Fat bloom refers to the appearance of whitish streaks or coatings on the surface and potentially throughout the chocolate. This appears during the shelf life and is unappealing to consumers.) Initially, the line will include five products, differentiated by the final texture or mouthfeel they impart, ranging from a firm, hard bite similar to chocolate to a softer mouthfeel experience. The line is reported suited for use in compound coatings applied to donuts, cookies, snack cakes, and snack/nutrition bars.

Gerkens cocoa powders reportedly continue to bring innovations, leveraging Cargill’s understanding of the flavor nuances of cocoa powders. For example, the company’s Chocolate Engineers recognized that finding optimal cocoa powder pairings for the top plant-based dairy alternative bases could improve the flavor profile of these products. They found Gerkens Floret is a suitable match for the roasted, milky profile of an almond-based drink, while Gerkens Russet partners well with oat-based beverages.

Another relative newcomer to Cargill’s cocoa powder portfolio, Gerkens Sweety range, reportedly enables up to 30% sugar reduction in a simple way, without compromising on great chocolaty taste. Designed for chocolate dairy beverages and similar chocolate-flavored drinks, Gerkens Sweety cocoa powders are said to be low in bitterness but still maintain a well-balanced chocolate flavor with a sweet perception. As a result, less sugar is needed in the final application, enabling sugar reduction without additional sweeteners or artificial ingredients.

As one of the fastest-growing salt categories, Cargill’s Pink Himalayan salt is suitable for food manufacturers who want to play in the premium and better-for-you spaces. Mined from ancient salt deposits, Cargill’s Pink Himalayan salt line includes a broad range of crystal sizes, including Pink Himalayan Salt Extra Coarse Topping, designed for use when a larger crystal size is desired, such as in confectionery applications.

Visitors to Cargill’s booth at Expo West sampled prototypes highlighting the new ingredients, including a decadent Italian butter cookie dipped in a chocolate-flavored coating made with a new PalmAgility 600 series compound coating fat; and a hot cocoa mix crafted with Gerkens Sweety cocoa powder. Other prototypes leaned into prevailing health and wellness trends, including a dark cherry-lime flavored smoothie, which was packed with 22 g of PURIS HiLo pea protein, sweetened with the company’s EverSweet stevia sweetener and topped with Cargill’s new Pink Himalayan salt for the perfect premium finish.

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Jenni Spinner is the chief editor of Snack Food and Wholesale with more than 25 years of experience in business-to-business communications. She has written extensively about food production, safety and packaging; pharmaceutical drug development; concrete and masonry construction; and more. She holds a Bachelor’s in Communications from the University of Illinois. Jenni can be reached at spinnerj@bnpmedia.com.