Givaudan and US-based company Fiberstar have entered a new deal allowing Givaudan to commercialize and use Fiberstar’s natural, plant-based texturizing ingredient Citri-Fi, upcycled from citrus fiber. 

The collaboration will support the expansion of Givaudan’s Taste & Wellbeing portfolio while extending Fiberstar’s geographic footprint and R&D opportunities.

“Foodstuff texturizers are an important component in supporting our customers and delivering great food experiences to consumers. We are excited to be partnering with Fiberstar, expanding our Sense Texture offering that today is strong in oat and quillaia,” remarks Serge Sabrier, global category director sense at Givaudan.

“Both oat and citrus are considered superhero ingredients, offering exceptional functionality as natural foodstuff texturizers. Citrus fiber is a winning addition due to its high functionality and high consumer acceptance around the globe.”

Digestive health and immune health linked to fiber are two major trends in product development – a development fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic.

When life gives you lemons
Citri-Fi is a clean label, non-GMO, vegan solution, free of commonly recognized allergens. It is designed to improve the texture, taste and stability of various foods, ranging from baked goods to meat alternatives.  

Citri-Fi is derived from upcycled soluble and insoluble orange and lemon fibers.The versatile ingredient is derived from soluble and insoluble orange and lemon fibers through a mechanical process that upcycles what was once a by-product of the citrus juicing industry.

Citri-Fi can be used across a range of applications, adding body and mouthfeel to dairy and dairy substitutes; improving viscosity and mouthfeel in soups and sauces; enhancing moisture and freshness in bakery goods; and for boosting juiciness and texture in plant-based meat alternatives.

In addition to these properties and benefits, the ingredient can also help improve a product’s nutritional profile.

“With more than 20 years of experience in the natural texturizers space, we are excited to work with Givaudan to bring clean label texturizsers and our extensive applications knowledge to a wider customer base while also benefiting from Givaudan’s R&D expertise,” comments John Haen, president and CEO of Fiberstar.

Citrus fiber developed for similar texturizing properties is also a starring ingredient in launches by Citrus Extracts and CP Kelco.

Expansion horizons
In 2022, Givaudan will initially offer Citri-Fi ingredients in Latin America, with the exception of Chile, and to selected customers in Europe. 

Outside of these areas, Fiberstar will continue servicing its current customer base and global distributor network. 

Givaudan will also use Citri-Fi in its development work as it co-creates formulations with its customers. In the future, Givaudan intends to offer Citri-Fi as an ingredient across all global markets.