Ingredion, a leading global provider of ingredient solutions to diversified industries, launched three new organic native starches in July for the US and Canada, PURITY Bio 201 organic native corn starch, PURITY Bio 301 organic native tapioca starch and PURITY Bio 805 organic native waxy rice starch at SHIFT20.

The PURITY Bio range of organic native starches offers food manufacturers a compelling value proposition for converting to a more attractive "organic" corn, rice or tapioca starch label, enabling associated claims. The high-performing, certified organic starches can help manufacturers replace undesirable ingredients in existing products and develop new products with shorter lists of more familiar names to enhance product appeal and cost savings potential.

In food systems, PURITY Bio organic native starches impart a bland flavor and can be dropped into the same food processes where its conventional (non-organic) native starch counterparts are used, without changing functionality or formulation. The new organic native starches are ideal for a wide variety of organic food applications, including yogurt (dairy and plant-based alternative dairy), soups, sauces, dressings, frozen and refrigerated ready-meals, meats, batters and breadings, bakery and confectionery (gummies).

"The launch of PURITY Bio organic native starches builds on Ingredion's two decades of experience in clean-label leadership," said Jim Low, Ingredion's vice president and general manager, Systems and Ingredients Solutions. "Our continued investment in an organic supply chain provides food manufacturers with an extensive range of certified organic ingredients to help them attract today's mindful consumers."

Organic starches

PURITY Bio 201 organic native corn starch and PURITY Bio 301 organic native tapioca starch exhibit a smooth, short texture when hot, set to an opaque gel when cooled (7% concentration) and form a strong gel after cooled in a cooked dispersion. PURITY Bio 805 organic native waxy rice starch offers superior freeze/thaw stability, high viscosity, excellent water-holding capability, strong adhesion and binding properties, and a white color and bland flavor. The three starches can be labeled simply as "organic corn starch," "organic tapioca starch," and "organic rice starch," respectively.

Organic food sales are rising, outpacing total food sales growth as consumers continue to demand certified products that align with their values and lifestyle. This growth corresponds to consumers' perception of certified organic products as healthier, nutritious, and better for the environment. According to Ingredion's proprietary research on organic packaged foods, organic consumers inspect nutrition labels, ingredient lists and package claims — and make purchase decisions based on what they see. The study also revealed that 95% of organic consumers make purchase decisions based on a products' ingredients, 94% read nutrition labels when deciding which products to purchase and 87% pay attention to health-related claims on food and beverage packages.

"PURITY Bio organic native starches, made from corn, tapioca and waxy rice, deliver functionality in organic food processes in place of traditional native starches — no special preparation or equipment needed," said Patrick O'Brien, Ingredion's regional platform leader for Clean & Simple Ingredients in the U.S. and Canada. "The launch of this product line, with its unique inherent base characteristics, means that food manufacturers now have access to a broader range of high-performing certified organic solutions for developing on-trend products that deliver the taste, texture and performance that consumers demand."

Ingredion offers a broad range of high-performing certified organic solutions to meet the food industry's growing clean label needs across many applications:

• PURITY Bio organic native starches

• NOVATION organic functional native starches

• VITESSENCE organic pea protein isolates

• Organic fruit and vegetable concentrates, purees, essences and distillates

• Organic hydrocolloids

The experts at Ingredion's Idea Labs innovation centers use science-based problem solving to create ingredient solutions that support consumer-preferred claims and labels. Whether the goal is to create a breakthrough product with a simple label, reformulate for a cleaner label or improve the sensory appeal of clean label applications, Ingredion's broad ingredient portfolio has a solution to fit every product need.