Texture Without the Calories

De-lite-ful dressings

The mouthfeel of fats in dressings is substantial—and it provides other qualities, too. All of these can be supplied by hydrocolloid systems.

“In low-calorie dressings, gums will provide silky and creamy mouthfeel,” says Prenzno. “They will also add cling and suspension and improve the overall appearance of the system.” She describes a proprietary stabilizer blend of gum arabic, xanthan gum and carrageenan as providing “excellent texture in non-oil, low-sugar dressings,” at use levels from 0.1% to 0.5%.

A next-generation emulsifier makes use of TIC Gums’ patented modified gum acacia technology to replace (on a one-to-one basis) more-expensive propylene glycol alginate (PGA) in a variety of applications, including salad dressings and marinades. Like PGA, it “will impart a creamy texture that mimics fat in low-fat dressings,” says Higley.

Beyond effectiveness, availability and cost, the ingredient “allows for easy dispersion and rapid hydration, because it has been agglomerated using our Pre-Hydrated process,” says Maureen Akins, lead food scientist, TIC Gums. On its own or in combination with other ingredients, it can eliminate extra processing steps like slurry-in-oil methods.

Higley says there are three grades of the emulsifier: one for full-fat formulations, another for reduced-fat and fat-free systems and one for highly viscous systems such as spoonable dressings and mayonnaise. “In reduced-fat dressings, the emulsifier provides creaminess, smooth mouthfeel and particle suspension,” he says. Further, it “keeps calories low and herbs and spices in suspension. When poured onto lettuce leaves, it provides for excellent cling.”

Cellulose gel is also effective when it comes to replacing fat and lowering calories in cream-style dressings, explains Donna Pechillo, senior research chemist, FMC BioPolymer. “The cellulose gel creates a colloidal dispersion that structures water and imparts physical stabilization in aqueous systems,” she says. “The dispersion stimulates the rheological properties of fat, imparting body and creamy mouthfeel to water-based dressings.

“Varying the level of cellulose gel, or using it in combination with other ingredients, allows for the development of different textures and mouthfeel,” Pechillo continues. “Levels also vary based on the degree of fat reduction. For example, a creamy dressing can drop from 140 calories and 14 grams of fat per serving to being ‘light’ at 38 calories and 4 grams of fat with the addition of 1.25%” of the cellulose gel, she says. “The dressing can be fat free when the usage level is 2.0%.”

If the dressing is clear, such as vinaigrette, iota carrageenan assists with replacing oil and keeping herbs and spices in suspension. “It is also considered all-natural and has application in refrigerated, spoonable dressings and dips,” says Pechillo. “Iota carrageenan provides lubricity as it replaces fat and reduces calories. It maintains that cut consumers expect from spoonable, premium dressings.”

Stay sweet sans sugar

Replacing fat is one hurdle, but multifunctional sugar is another challenge, since besides the obvious—providing a sweet flavor profile—sugar has many and varied roles in food and beverage applications. When sweet is the primary role of sugar, as in soft drinks, replacement is not as challenging as in other applications where sugar performs other critical functions.

“In baked goods, yeast needs sugar to regulate the fermentation process causing bread to rise,” says Gurkin. “Sugar adds a smooth bulk to ice cream and imparts body to beverages. In nonsweet foods, such as salad dressings, sugar enhances the flavor and balances some of the natural acidity present.”

Sugar replacers are grouped into two categories: no- and low-calorie. Replacement or reduction with no-calorie sweeteners is more challenging in some applications than others. For example, consider the use of neotame in sweet baked goods. At about 8,000 times sweeter than sugar, neotame is the sweetest high-intensity sweetener approved for food and beverage use in the United States. If a baked application is 25% sugar, that 25% sugar can be replaced with a mere 0.0030 grams of neotame. Bulking ingredients are required to replace the solids removed with the sugar.

If going for a sugar-free claim, and no other ingredients contribute sugar (i.e., if milk or cream is added, the naturally present lactose prevents a sugar-free claim), 100% replacement of sugar is necessary. However, some baked-goods manufacturers have found that replacing some of the sugar with a high-intensity sweetener is the best approach to lowering calories and reducing sugar content. For example, the same formula can be modified to contain 50% less sugar by replacing 12.5 grams sugar with 0.0015 grams neotame. Replacing the almost 12.5 grams of solids in such an application might prove to be less challenging.

“Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) is very good at binding moisture and providing solids to no-sugar-added and low-sugar formulations,” says Pechillo, adding that noncolloidal MCC is “effective at replacing nonnutritive, caloric ingredients such as the basics in baked goods: flour and sugar. This MCC can be dry blended with other ingredients,” she says. “It has unique particle morphology that is rounded. It assists with interrupting the firm texture that develops when sugar and fat are removed from formulizations.”

Solids replacement is an important consideration in many no-sugar-added beverages formulated with high-intensity sweeteners, since solids provide mouthfeel. For example, to provide milk’s nutritional benefits, but without all the calories of sugar-sweetened flavored milk, parents and schools have started viewing alternatively sweetened flavored milks as a viable option.

“Whole milk is a nutritious beverage, offering consumers protein, calcium and other key nutrients. Unfortunately, it has a fatty-acid profile that concerns health- and-wellness-seeking demographic groups,” says Harpell. “Fat-free milk offers nutritional benefits without the fat content, but it is considered to have a watery mouthfeel, lacking in flavor and an unattractive appearance. Take the sugar out of flavored fat-free milk, and formulators are faced with an even greater challenge.

A cellulose gel and carrageenan blend can “address the issues in fat-free, no-sugar-added flavored milk,” continues Harpell. “This combination of ingredients improves texture; imparts a mouthfeel and body similar to higher-fat, sugar-sweetened milks; produces smooth flow characteristics; provides clean flavor release; and enhances visual appearance.”

Prenzno adds: “In low-calorie beverages, gums will provide a smooth consistency and excellent flow. Blends of hydrocolloids such as carrageenan, xanthan and tara gums, and cellulose gel are great choices for sugar-free, nonfat smoothies.”

Bulking up sweetness

Low-calorie alternative sweeteners often minimize the solids-reduction issues, as usage levels are very similar to, or the same as, sugar. Many alternative sweeteners have added benefits associated with them. For example, tagatose, which has a physical bulk similar to sugar and is almost as sweet, contributes only 1.5 calories per gram, as compared to sugar’s 4. Tagatose is also metabolized differently. It has a minimal effect on blood glucose and insulin levels and provides a prebiotic effect.