In response to growing consumer demand for simple, familiar ingredients, Cargill is launching a portfolio of functional native starches under the new SimPure brand. The product line will be available worldwide.

Simon Waters, global food starch leader, Cargill, "Consumers increasingly want to know what is in their food and are turning to product labels to better inform themselves.

"Cargills SimPure functional native starches, coupled with our integrated formulation and technical expertise, will allow food manufacturers to deliver on consumer demands for label-friendly products with great taste and texture."

Denis Palacioglu, EMEA Starch product line director, Cargill, adds, "Through extensive research to identify new starch sources, create new processing techniques and evaluate new combinations of native starches, Cargills food scientists developed the SimPure line, offering innovative solutions to these difficult texturising challenges."

The first product in the SimPure portfolio, SimPure 99560, was created for use in culinary and convenience applications, such as frozen foods. A custom starch blend of various botanical sources, SimPure 99560 is said to replac modified starches in frozen-ready meals, without compromising taste, texture or appearance.

According to Cargill, the company recognised that using a single starch often falls short in replicating the mouthfeel, texture and stability provided by modified starches in frozen prepared entrée sauces. Subsequently, the companys food scientists instead created a tailored system of starches, which deliver comparable performance.

The result, patent-pending SimPure 99560, provides optimal freeze-heat stability in mild processing conditions, preventing water separation and producing stable functionality over time.

"As a global leader, we have the most diverse texturising portfolio, backed by world-class formulation experts and a reliable supply chain, enabling us to create custom solutions like SimPure 99560 to address the application and marketplace needs of our customer partners," says Waters.

"As we expand the SimPure product line, our food scientists will be creating similar ways to use familiar ingredients that provide the functional, label-friendly options our customers require."