Food texture preference is very personal. Often times it is not thought of unless it puts someone off. This may be exemplified by cooked egg. Some prefer eggs scrambled, whereas others cannot tolerate their sponginess. Identifiable whites and yolks are favored by some, with preference to yolk consistency, runny to solid, quite varied.
Sometimes “off” texture is an indicator of product quality. This is particularly true in dairy products. Slimy yogurt, for example, is an indicator of overproductive ropy cultures. Yogurt graders will identify such texture as a defect, but that does not render the product unsafe for consumption. And some consumers may find this slimy texture interesting, even enjoyable.
Texture can evolve over time, and usually not in a favorable manner. The food industry refers to this as stability. The desire is for a food’s texture to look and perform on the last day of product shelf life the same as it did on the first day it hit the stores.
In dairy products, such instability tends to come in the form of syneresis, graininess, hardness or a change in viscosity. These textural changes may negatively impact appearance and flavor release, which is why formulators will often include ingredients that maintain the desired texture throughout shelf life. These are called stabilizers.
The need to stabilize
When it comes to dairy products, consumers don’t want gummy lumps in sour cream, protein sedimentation in drinkable yogurt or frozen ice crystals in ice cream. Such visual cues are indicators of product texture, which in turn influences how the product feels in the mouth, also known as mouthfeel. This is why texture has become a focal point during the early stages of product development.
Stabilizers, an unregulated term in the food and beverage industry, help improve the overall eating experience. Ingredients that stabilize dairy systems typically fall into one of two categories. There are hydrocolloids, which are all about binding water in the system, and then there are emulsifiers, which keep oil and water interspersed. The two keep dairy products creamy and smooth, and in one cohesive mass.
“Stabilizers are foundational ingredients in dairy products, providing critical functionality across various applications,” said Tammy Reinhart, principal scientist, dairy, at Tate & Lyle, Hoffman Estates, Ill.
In general, hydrocolloids are hydrophilic, high-molecular weight compounds, usually with colloidal properties. Many are polysaccharides, e.g., fibers, starches, gums, etc. However, some proteins, such as gelatin, as well as specialty proteins derived from eggs and milk, are considered hydrocolloids. Their primary function is thickening or gelation, while secondary functions include aeration, emulsification, encapsulation and suspension.
“Most foods in the dairy industry have some fat in them and emulsifiers help maintain this balance as they are pasteurized and cultured, frozen or whipped,” said Drew Wunderly, senior scientist, Corbion, Lenexa, Kan. “Their importance in achieving specific functionalities cannot be overstated.”
Emulsifiers have a hydrophilic (water-attracting) head and a hydrophobic (water-repelling) tail. They prevent the emulsion from reverting back to separate phases through interactions that encourage droplet dispersion.
“Additionally, emulsifiers serve as release agents for clean separation and act as instantizers to help powdered dairy products disperse efficiently in liquids,” said Wei Li, director of texture solutions, ADM, Chicago.
To make stabilization more confusing, some hydrocolloids have emulsifying capabilities, and some stabilizers require specific processing temperatures, shear and pH. Suppliers often customize blends for dairy and non-dairy applications. Blended ingredients may work synergistically and assist with reducing cost-in use.
In some dairy products, dependence on stabilizers can be reduced, or even eliminated, by the addition of select dairy ingredients. Whey proteins, for example, assist with stabilizing creamy dairy systems. It’s all about putting dairy back into dairy and cleaning up labels.
“High-protein yogurts, for example, rely less on the addition of stabilizers because the dairy proteins provide added gel formation and control syneresis,” said Kimberlee Burrington, vice president of technical development, American Dairy Products Institute, Elmhurst, Ill. “Whey protein concentrates have been added to yogurt instead of starch to also help control syneresis. Starches work, but they also will mute the yogurt flavor and a term like modified starch might not be as clean label to some consumers.
“Many dairy companies have developed custom whey protein and milk protein ingredients to provide the functions of gums, emulsifiers and stabilizers in dairy products, so it is worth evaluating them in the development process,” Burrington said. “It makes sense to use a dairy ingredient in a dairy product because you could reduce the need for these other additives, many of which have unfamiliar names to consumers.”
Photo: pilipphoto - stock.adobe.comToolbox of ingredients
There are many ingredients to assist with stabilizing dairy and alternative dairy products. Formulators need to identify clean label goals, desired shelf life and costs before evaluating options.
“For example, we have a solution that addresses the functional and technical challenges presented with label-optimized frozen desserts and novelties by supporting the removal of monoglycerides and diglycerides from labels,” said Zach Gall, global senior marketing manager, wholesome ingredients and texturants, at ADM. “With this solution, we provide superb freeze-thaw performance, controlling ice crystal growth while reducing melting rates. It also delivers improved mouthfeel and enhanced flavor release.
“A different solution mitigates the need for gelatin in dairy and alternative dairy yogurts,” Gall said. “It delivers important syneresis control, robust full-bodied texture and improved flavor release, along with supporting consumer-friendly labeling for drinkable and spoonable yogurts.”
In dairy beverages, most notably chocolate milk, carrageenan has long been the hydrocolloid of choice. Derived from red seaweed, carrageenan prevents solids from separating and settling to the bottom of the container. With chocolate milk in a clear or even opaque plastic container, it is desirable to keep cocoa particles in suspension. The ingredient, however, fell out of favor in the natural products community, as consumption has been linked to negative impacts on digestive health. In response, many better-for-you brands now use gellan gum, a hydrocolloid produced by microbial fermentation and considered to be a clean label ingredient.
“Gellan gum was not developed for chocolate milk, but has proven effective in suspending cocoa particles, providing mouthfeel as well as stabilization to the product,” said Sandhya Sridhar, director of technical services, CP Kelco, Atlanta (now part of Tate & Lyle). Scientists at Kelco discovered and isolated the gellan-producing bacterium nearly 50 years ago. “Citrus fiber is another example. It supports both the clean label and upcycling movements, offering a natural and sustainable solution. Similarly, pectin and clean label starches are preferred due to their familiar and approachable natures.”
Tate & Lyle offers a line of functional, non-GMO, clean-label starches based on either corn or tapioca. New in 2025 will be a next generation functional clean label starch range with a sustainability advantage. With the same functionality, labeling and process tolerance benefits of the original versions, the new line uses an advanced production process that reduces its carbon footprint by 34% and water use by 35%.
Cleaner labels
Consumer preference for cleaner, simpler labels has dairy processors reevaluating their stabilizing systems. This is particularly true in the natural and organic categories.
“Consumer perception drives industry trends, and our research consistently tracks awareness and purchase intent for these ingredients,” said Alvaro Velasco, category strategy, dairy North America, at Tate & Lyle. “Surveys indicate ingredients perceived as ‘natural’ or familiar, like pectin, corn starch and gelatin, generally enjoy the highest awareness and purchase intent. Conversely, ingredients like carrageenan have lower awareness amongst consumers, and may face skepticism and lower purchase intent due to unfamiliarity or negative preconceptions.”
Proprietary consumer research from Cargill, Minneapolis, supports these insights.
“The latest round of our research highlighted several texturizing ingredients that score well with consumers,” said Shiva Elayedath, principal technical services product specialist for texturizers, Cargill. “Corn starch, apple and citrus pectins, sunflower lecithin and soluble rice flour are just a few examples of ingredients with positive purchase intent scores. These ingredients also highlight a common theme. Ingredient names that suggest where they were sourced often serve as a label-friendly signal for consumers.
“Pectin has a particularly compelling story,” Elayedath added. “A staple of grandma’s pantry, pectin is recognizable and understandable to consumers, and it’s made from the leftovers of juice production (apple pomace and citrus peels). Couple these renewable, upcycled roots with consumers’ positive perceptions and it easily checks the label-friendly box coveted by many dairy manufacturers.”
Cargill is rolling out a new low methoxyl pectin range to meet consumer needs for use in organic fermented dairy products.
“It delivers smooth texture and a nice appearance to stirred yogurt and brings superior body and mouthfeel,” Elayedath said. “It serves as a cost efficient alternative to low methoxyl amidated pectin, offering similar texture properties at lower inclusions levels.”
Innophos, Cranbury, NJ, recently developed a specialty blend of emulsifier salts for premium processed cheese products, including dips and spreads. Such products are typically made by upcycling cheese trim from cutting facilities. The emulsifiers helps to achieve a consistent texture and melt.
“With our deep understanding of how to optimize the physical, chemical and sensorial properties of cheese, Innophos is uniquely positioned to help manufacturers develop upcycled cheese that is both delicious and authentic to traditional processed cheese,” said Amr Shaheed, technical service manager. “We have developed a new solution that results in less than a 10% difference in meltability between an upcycled and a traditional processed cheese.”
Plant-based products have their own unique stabilizing needs. Planteneers, Hamburg, Germany, developed stabilizer systems for dessert-type dairy alternatives, such as cheesecake and pudding.
“Whether based on oat, soy or coconut drink, whether chocolate, vanilla, hazelnut or caramel, Planteneers’ functional systems enable the production of many different pudding specialties,” said Linda Eitelberger, product manager.
High-protein versions are also possible. The company supplies a dry blend containing proteins and stabilizers, allowing for the finished product to be 10% protein.
“The combination of different plant-based proteins has to harmonize in terms of flavor, and have a smooth, pleasant mouthfeel,” Eitelberger said. “This is often a challenge with protein-rich products.”
Planteneers also developed a solution for a plant-based mascarpone alternative. It is a blend of starch, plant protein, plant fiber, pectin and emulsifier that gets blended with water and fat.
“It features a rich mouthfeel and neutral taste,” Eitelberger said. “Manufacturers can bring it to market as a pure product in its own right, or work it into vegan tiramisu or similar layered desserts. Solutions for alternatives to cream cheese or quark provide further inspiration. Both products are very well suited to making plant-based cheesecake versions or corresponding desserts.”
As innovation continues in the dairy and alternative dairy space, and as the global market grows, putting greater demands on shelf life, stabilizers will continue to be foundational ingredients. They might be minor ingredients, but they are the workhorse of the system.
