Citrus fiber provides multiple functionalities that can improve product texture, nutrition, costs, and labeling. This fiber is created from citrus fruits through a special physical process.
What Is Citrus Fiber?
Citrus fiber, which is also known as citrus flour and dried citrus pulp, is a type of natural fiber derived from the peel or pulp of citrus fruits. Citrus fiber improves the texture, taste, and stability of food first and contributes some dietary fiber second.
Used as a white powder that can provide multiple functionalities—such as water holding, emulsification, and gelling in certain conditions—this natural fiber is found in various food and beverage applications to clean up labels and improve stability and texture.
What Makes Citrus Fiber Unique?
The unique properties of citrus fiber make it an ideal choice for all food types. Whether you want to improve the shelf life of your baked goods or improve the quality and texture of your food products, citrus fiber can help.
Citrus fiber is non-allergenic and non-GMO (genetically modified organism), making it suitable for a broad range of dietary preferences and regulatory requirements. It also replaces chemical and/or synthetic ingredients while maintaining food product quality. The water-holding capabilities of citrus fiber help retain moisture to improve the product quality throughout its shelf life, which is especially important for gluten-free products.
Take a deeper look at some key benefits of citrus fiber:
- • High water-holding capacity: Improves texture and quality of various food products
- • Emulsification properties: Improve the stability of food products
- • Excellent food processing stability: Provides excellent freeze/thaw stability
- • Gelling properties (condition-specific): Creates varying textural appearances
With multifaceted benefits, you can feel confident about your food products when you use citrus fiber.
The Many Uses of Citrus Fiber
There are many different ways that citrus fiber can be used to suit your application needs:
- • Bakery: Provides freshness over shelf-life, egg and oil reduction, gluten-free, pectin extension, and texturized.
- • Beverages: Adds viscosity, stability, emulsification properties, natural mouthfeel, pulp replacement, and clouding.
- • Dairy: Reduced syneresis, emulsion stability, adds viscosity, fat reduction, and texturized.
- • Dairy Alternatives: Has emulsification properties, stability, and full body texture.
- • Dressing & Sauces: Adds viscosity, emulsion stability, pulp/tomato extension, texturizer, and heat stability.
- • Dry Plating: Turns liquid oils and fats into flowable powders and 25-30% oil load.
- • Frozen Foods: Provides freeze/thaw stability, reduced ice crystals, and reheat stability.
- • Meat Substitutes: Adds juiciness and succulence, emulsification properties, freeze/thaw stability, and meat-like texture.
- • Meat & Poultry: Increased yields, reduced purge, and juicy texture.
- • Pet Food & Treats: Provides strengthening, binding, emulsification properties, and moisture retention.
Because of its natural sourcing and clean processing, citrus fiber replaces chemical and/or synthetic ingredients while maintaining food product quality.