SNACKS & CONFECTIONERY
The REMY-dy to your confectionery coating problem
We all eat with our eyes first. Thus, it’s no surprise that food manufacturers utilise both natural and artificial food colours to market and sell their products. The technological function of a food colour is to enhance the visual appeal, provide colour to food that would otherwise be colourless as well as to restore the original appearance of food. Carien Schoeman and Roné Luttig from Savannah discuss rice starch as a clean label alternative to Titanium dioxide (TiO2).
T
itanium dioxide (TiO2) (E171) is
is widely used in confectionery coating
ban on TiO2 in the EU has already made its
widely used in the food industry to
for products such as chewing gums, hard
way to South African manufacturers and
impart the colour white to food. TiO2
candy, chocolate lentils and candy-coated
customers alike. Effecting exported and
nuts and seeds.
local products, confectionery manufactures
is the go-to white food colourant because with its high brightness and refractive
During January 2022, the European
are looking for clean label TiO2 replacers to
index, it gives the best results at a low
Commission amended their regulations
be used in white confectionery coatings.
dose. It is due to these benefits that TiO2
regarding the food additive TiO2, banning the
Beneo offers rice starch solutions that can
use of TiO2 as a food additive in the European
contribute to a high level of whiteness and,
Union. The phasing out period ends on 7
thus, is perfectly suited to act as clean label
August 2022 after which a full ban will apply.
TiO2 replacer in confectionery coatings.
The ban of TiO2 was the result of the
The advantages of using Beneo’s Remy
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
B7 in confectionery coatings are well
panel on Food Additives and Flavourings
beyond just the whitening effect.
(FAF), which included a safety assessment of TiO2 as a food additive. This assessment was published at the beginning of May
Here are some of the advantages of rice starch: • Remy B7 is a native rice starch that has
2021 and stated that using TiO2
a very fine particle size. Due to the fact
as a food additive is no longer
that rice starch has the smallest starch
considered safe based on
granules of all the common starches
new reliable scientific data
like maize, potato, tapioca and wheat,
indicating that it has possible
it is more functional to use as a TiO2
carcinogenic effects in humans. With an increased
replacement in confectionery coatings. The confectionery has uneven gaps on the surface that the fine rice particles
awareness of health
easily fill, giving it a smooth effect on the
and wellbeing, the
surface, which results in uniform colour distribution and a smooth mouthfeel. • T he rice starch has good adhesion to the confection and the natural whiteness of rice compared to other starches gives it a higher degree of whitening. • Remy B7 has no impact on sensorial properties of the final product.
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May 2022 | FOOD REVIEW
