Ingredients suppliers’ offerings add functionality to dairy, nondairy products
CHICORY ROOT FIBER
Cargill says its Oliggo-Fiber chicory root fiber is used in many dairy and nondairy formulas, as product developers embrace its health benefits, functional attributes and label-friendly nature. The fiber comes in a variety of forms, including differing degrees of solubility, polymerization, sweetness, fiber content, molecular weight and branching structures. The company’s chicory root fiber line includes options well-suited for fat reduction: The ingredient serves as a fat mimetic, creating a creamy mouthfeel. For reduced-sugar applications, Cargill also offers chicory root fibers that function more like sugar, aiding with freezing-point depression and bulk replacement, and when paired with high-intensity sweeteners, acting as a masking agent.