FAIRFIELD, N.J., March 21, 2006—With the increasing preference for natural poultry, processors will want to avoid phosphates and modified starches. But the need for juiciness, tenderness and improved yield remains. “Given the extra consumer demand, it’s worthwhile considering rice starch because it permits the natural label while increasing tenderness, juiciness and greater yield,” says Gil Bakal, managing director of A&B Ingredients, a supplier of natural rice starches.
If about 1 to 1.5 percent of Remyline AX-DR starch is added to about 13 percent water, a half of percent of salt and 85 percent chicken fillet, the meat will provide juiciness, a short bite, unchanged taste or flavor and a yield increase of about 12.5 percent. The fine grain (2 to 8 microns) of rice starch enables it to penetrate the meat pieces more easily. Also, rice starch’s soft gel positively affects the meat’s tenderness.
Under static conditions, two starch granule swelling phases occur. The first swelling takes place at 62 degrees C. At this temperature, the starch will bind 20 times its weight in water. The secondary swelling occurs at 75 degrees C and peaks at 85 degrees C. After this temperature, Remyline AX-DR can bind up to 45 times its weight in water.
Another benefit of rice starch results from its ability to gelatinize quickly at low heat (60 degrees Centigrade). At 70 degrees C, Remyline AX-DR achieves maximum binding almost immediately. This prevents water loss during cooking.
Furthermore, rice starch resists purge and retrogradation. Beyond all these advantages, this rice starch remains stable for two cycles if the chicken is frozen to –18 degrees C overnight and thawed to room temperature in a neutral pH environment with an 8 percent gel.
Founded in 1990, A&B Ingredients is a leading supplier of rice based food starches for the food industry. Based on a tradition of research and development, A&B’s focus is to discover unique ingredients that enable its customers to create value added products. The company is committed to working, as a partner, to develop prototypes of new and improved food products. A&B maintains full applications labs, pilot plant facilities with consumer testing capabilities, and provides technical sales and marketing, importing, distribution and applications development/technical services.
For more information about rice starch and A&B Ingredients products and services, contact A&B Ingredients, tel. 973-227-1390, 24 Spielman Road, Fairfield, NJ 07004 or by visiting http://www.abingredients.com.
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