Home / Insights / How Pectin Can Help You Reduce Sugar in Fruit-Flavored Drinks without Losing Mouthfeel

How Pectin Can Help You Reduce Sugar in Fruit-Flavored Drinks without Losing Mouthfeel

Consumer – and government – interest in reduced-sugar beverages is on the rise. So far, approximately nine U.S. jurisdictions and more than 50 countries have implemented a consumer tax on sugar-sweetened beverages. Globally, consumer-driven nutrition scores are also affecting product placement and purchases.

Heavily influenced by the longstanding health and wellness megatrend, “low-/no-sugar” and “real” ingredients are among the top positioning claims influencing consumer behavior.

While consumers want less sugar, they don’t want to sacrifice taste and texture. According to Innova Market Insights*, the top reasons why people consume fruit-flavored drinks are because “they taste great” and their “kids like them.”

According to Food Navigator, the global cost of sugar is also on the rise and expected to climb higher this year due to poor weather conditions in major growing regions of the EU, India, Thailand and Brazil.

Consumers are sensitive to changes in beverage consistency, viscosity, flavor release and mouthfeel. Formulators must find innovative ways to preserve the texture consumers crave while reducing sugar.

How Pectin Can Help

GENU^® Pectin is upcycled from citrus peels, an abundant byproduct of the juice industry. So, you could say it’s a natural for juice drinks. This easily recognizable, label-friendly ingredient can also help when you want to use less sugar in your formulations, too. Pectin adds viscosity and body to mimic a full-sugar mouthfeel while also enhancing the fruity flavors of your beverage. Process tolerant, it’s become a beverage formulator’s staple for:

Thickening acidic beverages.
Improving flavor release.
Providing long-lasting stability.
Creating a wide range of mouthfeels.

See if our GENU^® Pectin is the right solution for your
reduced-sugar beverage formulation.

*Innova Market Insights, April 2023

Home / Insights / Squeezing More Value Out of Fruit-Flavored Drinks

Squeezing More Value Out of Fruit-Flavored Drinks

Thanks to the health and wellness trend, the juice category has experienced a spike in demand. After all, beverages are an easy way for busy consumers to add extra servings of fruits and vegetables to their diet, as well as immunity boosting vitamins. Parents also know it is easier to persuade a child to drink a fruity beverage than to eat a plate of brussels sprouts.

According to Innova Market Insights*, juices made with “real/natural” ingredients and less sugar are important to consumers around the globe, as are beverages that provide a source of vitamins, fiber, antioxidants and other “good for you” benefits.

Formulators' Focus

Consumers and beverage manufacturers are both on a search for value. Consumers are watching their wallets and looking for clean label-friendly products with less sugar, but they do not want to compromise on great taste. Manufacturers are looking for creative solutions to meet the challenges of higher costs, chaotic supply shortages and sugar reduction that can sometimes lead to reformulation.

How NUTRAVA^® Citrus Fiber Can Help

Meet the first Upcycled Certified^® citrus fiber ingredient** on the market, NUTRAVA^® Citrus Fiber. We upcycle citrus peels, an abundant byproduct of the juice industry near our plant in Brazil. From juice byproduct to a great juice drink solution, it is quickly becoming the formulators’ secret for:

Supporting dietary fiber intake.
Enhancing mouthfeel so you can reduce sugar.
Reducing reliance on fruit pulp – adding opacity to provide a similar appearance.
Supporting suspension so you can extend fruit pulp further as a cost saving measure.
Supporting viscosity to get the body and mouthfeel of full fruit pulp formulation.
Acting as an alternative to other gums and stabilizers.
Providing formulators with the ability to simplify labels – you can just state “citrus fiber.”
Delivering a very competitive product that looks and tastes great.
And more!

NUTRAVA^® Citrus Fiber helps meet market demands while also supporting your ingredient reduction and sustainability goals.

Supporting dietary fiber intake.
Enhancing mouthfeel so you can reduce sugar.
Reducing reliance on fruit pulp – adding opacity to provide a similar appearance.
Supporting suspension so you can extend fruit pulp further as a cost saving measure.
Supporting viscosity to get the body and mouthfeel of full fruit pulp formulation.
Acting as an alternative to other gums and stabilizers.
Providing formulators with the ability to simplify labels – you can just state “citrus fiber.”
Delivering a very competitive product that looks and tastes great.
And more!

NUTRAVA^® Citrus Fiber helps meet market demands while also supporting your ingredient reduction and sustainability goals.

3 Recent CP Kelco Innovation Lab
Observations to Note

3 Recent
CP Kelco
Innovation Lab
Observations
to Note

1. 4% sugar reduction in orange drink

NUTRAVA^® Citrus Fiber may offer new opportunities for reducing sugar from 8% to 4% in a beverage with 20% orange juice. Besides enhancing viscosity, appearance and opacity, NUTRAVA^® Citrus Fiber supports body to help compensate for the lack of mouthfeel from the reduced sugar content. It is compatible with standard manufacturing processes, including a homogenization step. Because it is flexible towards low pH (3.0 – 3.4), there are also possibilities for new fruit flavor drink options as well.

2. 40% reduction in mango puree

NUTRAVA^® Citrus Fiber may offer an opportunity to formulate mango drinks with up to a 40% reduction in the use of mango puree with similar stability, appearance and mouthfeel. Often, when the puree content is reduced, it can result in phase separation and pulp sedimentation as well as loss of mouthfeel and body. NUTRAVA^® Citrus Fiber supports building back mouthfeel and opacity and preventing phase separation.

3. 50% reduction in orange juice concentrate

In recent technical work, NUTRAVA^® Citrus Fiber supported mouthfeel enhancement and viscosity that may allow for a 50% reduction in the use of orange pulp/sac inclusions in an orange juice concentrate drink with 6% sugar.

*Innova Category Survey 2023, Innova Health and Nutrition Survey 2023.

**Upcycled Certified® is a registered trademark of the Upcycled Food Association.

See if NUTRAVA^® Citrus Fiber can help provide a cost-effective solution for your reduced-pulp and reduced-sugar beverage formulations. Reach out for more information and a sample to compare application notes.

Home / Applications / Fruit Applications

Cellulose gum or carboxy methylcellulose (CMC) is an additive used in many food and beverage formulations to thicken, bind and emulsify. However, it may be perceived by consumers as not being clean label-friendly or “natural.” And for product developers, there may be challenges with supply reliability.

Depending on the functionality you are trying to achieve in your application, CP Kelco may have alternative ingredients that can help. Reformulation can even present an opportunity to save by using fewer ingredients overall, lowering cost in use, and cleaning up your label with nature-based, vegan-friendly ingredients. For example, easily recognizable GENU^® Pectin is a label-friendly alternative that offers protein protection, great mouthfeel, texture and viscosity. KELTROL^® Xanthan Gum is a workhorse ingredient that can provide mouthfeel and add viscosity. KELCOGEL^® Gellan Gum can help you solve syneresis problems while offering stability, texture and mouthfeel. As an Upcycled Certified^® ingredient*, NUTRAVA^® Citrus Fiber can help you meet your sustainability goals as it supports mouthfeel, viscosity and syneresis control.

See the chart below for ideas and then contact us to discover the most suitable option to help solve your challenges while providing the best cost in use for your formulation.

	KELTROL^® Xanthan Gum	GENU^® Pectin	KELCOGEL^® Gellan Gum	GENU^® Carrageenan
Baked goods such as cake mixes, breads, pizza, tortillas	X
Condiments, such as ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, barbeque sauces and dressings	X	X
Confectionery and fortified gummies		X		X
Fruit-flavored drinks, juice beverages and soft drinks	X	X
Dairy and dairy alternatives such as milk, cottage cheese, cream cheese/spreadable cheese, yogurt	X			X
Ice cream and frozen desserts	X			X
Meat, ready-to-eat meals and prepared foods such as soup mixes	X		X	X
Sports nutrition supplements	X	X		X

*Upcycled Certified^® is a registered trademark of the Upcycled Food Association.

Home / Media Hub / CP Kelco Citrus Fiber Becomes First in the Marketplace to Achieve Upcycled Certification

CP Kelco Citrus Fiber Becomes First in the Marketplace to Achieve Upcycled Certification

ATLANTA (Oct. 18, 2023) – CP Kelco, a global leader of nature-based ingredient solutions, announces today that its citrus fiber, marketed as NUTRAVA^® Citrus Fiber for the food and beverage sector and KELCOSENS™ Citrus Fiber for the personal care sector, has been certified as an upcycled ingredient by the Upcycled Food Association.

“We are proud to be the first in the industry to have our citrus fiber recognized as an Upcycled Certified^® ingredient,” said William Letsinger, Senior Director of Strategic Growth Initiatives for CP Kelco. “Our team is committed to ensuring we achieve a near-wasteless lifecycle for NUTRAVA^® and KELCOSENS™ Citrus Fiber products.”

A nonprofit focused on preventing food waste, the Upcycled Food Association offers the first third-party certification program in the world for upcycled food ingredients and products through its Upcycled Certified Program. The association defines upcycled products as those containing food that otherwise would not have gone to human consumption, are procured and produced using verifiable supply chains and have a positive impact on the environment.

CP Kelco’s citrus fiber is upcycled from spent citrus peels, an abundant byproduct of the juice industry near the company’s manufacturing facility in Brazil. Supporting a circularity mindset, leftover materials from the citrus fiber production process are repurposed. Nutrients in the process water are used to fertilize local crops, such as sugar cane.

NUTRAVA^® Citrus Fiber is a highly versatile food ingredient that can be listed simply as citrus fiber on the label. It supports dietary fiber intake while providing emulsion stability, viscosity, mouthfeel enhancement, syneresis control and water-holding capacity. Easily recognizable by consumers, it can be beneficial for applications as diverse as baked goods, beverages, condiments, sauces, dairy, dairy alternatives, and meat and meat alternatives. In addition, NUTRAVA^® Citrus Fiber supports the replacement or reduction of ingredients including traditional emulsifiers and stabilizers, starch, egg, butter, xanthan gum, tomato solids as well as fruit pulp.

Introduced in March 2023, KELCOSENS™ Citrus Fiber is a next-generation ingredient for personal care product development. It can be used in a range of products, from silky serums to luxe creams, to help formulators stabilize emulsifier-free formulations and deliver SENSational textures.

About CP Kelco

CP Kelco is a nature-based ingredient solutions company with approximately 90 years of experience working with food, beverage, consumer and industrial product manufacturers worldwide. We apply ingredient innovation and problem-solving to develop customized solutions that leverage our regional insights, meet manufacturers’ goals and address consumer needs and preferences.

Unique Portfolio. Produces extensive range of high-quality, plant-based and fermentation-derived ingredients to formulate tailored solutions.
Technical Excellence. Offers strong collaboration with a global team of scientists and applications experts, leveraging our regional state-of-the art R&D facilities.
Sustainability. Committed to providing responsibly sourced and produced ingredients.
Market Insights. Understands market and consumer trends to help customers create relevant and innovative products.

Our key product lines include pectin, gellan gum, xanthan gum, carrageenan, fermentation-derived cellulose, diutan gum, microparticulated whey protein concentrate, and our new upcycled ingredients, NUTRAVA^® and KELCOSENS™ Citrus Fibers. Learn more at www.cpkelco.com.

Home / Media Hub / Bolstered by Strong Demand, CP Kelco’s Citrus Fiber Expansion Project Well Underway

Bolstered by Strong Demand, CP Kelco’s Citrus Fiber Expansion Project Well Underway

ATLANTA, August 9, 2022 – Work is progressing on our product line extension for NUTRAVA® Citrus Fiber in Matao, Brazil. The new build is well underway and expected to increase our total production capacity to nearly 5,000 metric tons, with options to further expand capacity as needed in the future.

With global demand on the rise and limitless market potential, NUTRAVA^® Citrus Fiber is definitely growing in its appeal. A renewed focus on healthier eating habits is driving the search for functional, nature-based ingredients. NUTRAVA^® Citrus Fiber was developed specifically to help formulators meet consumer demand for foods and beverages with less sugar and less fat, as well as simpler, easily recognizable ingredients.

NUTRAVA^® Citrus Fiber is upcycled from citrus peels, an abundant byproduct of the juice industry that populates the region where our plant is strategically located. With this great local source of raw materials at the ready, we are well-positioned to help formulators innovate a wide range of clean label-friendly products – from dairy and dairy alternatives to beverages, condiments, sauces, bakery, fruit-based applications, meats and plant-based meat alternatives.

“With the sheer scale of this project and ample capacity we are adding, CP Kelco is positioned to be the world leader in citrus fiber production.”

-Didier Viala, President

CP Kelco’s award-winning Matão facility is known for its commitment to sustainability. According to William Letsinger, Senior Director of Strategy, the product line extension is being developed with the most efficient technologies to meet water, energy and emissions reduction goals, while also creating employment opportunities to help the local community. Our production of citrus fiber includes a proprietary and patented peel wash process, which drastically reduces the need for fresh water compared to traditional peel washing while also retaining a high level of pectin and soluble fiber. The project is scheduled for completion in Q3 of 2023.

Especially A-Peeling Facts about NUTRAVA^® Citrus Fiber

Officially launched in December 2019 at Food Ingredients Europe.
Upcycled from citrus peels, an abundant byproduct of the nearby juice industry in Brazil.
Our proprietary and patented peel wash process was designed to lessen its environmental impact by drastically reducing the use of fresh water as compared to traditional peel washing.
In addition, our peel wash process helps to retain a high level of pectin and soluble fiber.
Spent citrus peel is processed into animal feed. In 2020, we fed roughly 30,000 local farm animals with our BRASPOLPA^® feed. What remains as liquid byproduct is distilled into FERPEC^® organic fertilizer for nearby citrus orchards.
A fiber ingredient, it can be listed as citrus fiber on the label and does not require an E number in Europe.
Supports dietary fiber intake and offers unique water-binding and texturizing capabilities across many food and beverage applications.
Key applications include dairy and dairy alternative products, beverages, condiments, sauces, bakery, fruit-based products, meats and plant-based meat alternatives.
In certain applications, NUTRAVA^® Citrus Fiber can help reduce use of or act as an alternative to starch, sugar, oil, locust bean gum, methylcellulose, egg and other ingredients that may be hard to source currently due to shortages and supply chain issues. Ask us for application recommendations.

Home / Media Hub / “5 Things Shaping the Spoonable, Plant-Based Yogurt Alternatives Market” – International Dairy Magazine

“5 Things Shaping the Spoonable, Plant-Based Yogurt Alternatives Market” – International Dairy Magazine

Home / Insights / Prototypes from Around the Globe: Europe & the Middle East

Prototypes from Around the Globe: Europe & the Middle East

Panna cotta, low-sugar jam, vegan mayonnaise, fruit drinks… yum! Explore exclusive prototype innovations from Europe and the Middle East below, each of which is introduced by an expert from our global Sales Technical Service (STS) team who offers tips for using CP Kelco’s nature-based ingredients to create regional-inspired foods and beverages. An easy-to-follow recipe card also accompanies each prototype video.

Fruited Drinking Yogurt

All rights reserved. Video may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, republished, downloaded, displayed, posted or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of CP Kelco.

In this video, Søren Jensen, Application Specialist in Denmark, reveals how CP Kelco’s pectin provides stability in the fruit prep and yogurt parts of this tasty fruited yogurt drink.

[FREE DOWNLOAD] Fruited Drinking Yogurt Recipe Card

Click the images below to access videos and recipe cards for our low-sugar jam, low-fat vegan mayonnaise, panna cotta and mango flavored drink prototypes.

[RELATED CONTENT] Access exclusive prototype innovations for Asia Pacific and the Americas.

Home / Insights / Prototypes from Around the Globe: The Americas

Prototypes from Around the Globe: The Americas

Mango and passionfruit yogurt drink and chocolate-y beverages… yum! Explore exclusive prototype innovations below from the Americas, each of which is introduced by an expert from our global Sales Technical Service (STS) team who offers tips for using CP Kelco’s nature-based ingredients to create regional-inspired foods and beverages. An easy-to-follow recipe card also accompanies each prototype video.*

Chocolate Oat Beverage

CP Kelco’s gellan gum helps to suspend all the chocolate-y goodness (cocoa) in this indulgent plant-based drink.

[FREE DOWNLOAD] Chocolate Oat Beverage Recipe Card

Low-Sugar Mango and Passionfruit Yogurt Drink

Learn how CP Kelco’s pectin helps maintain this yogurt drink’s structure and texture, throughout it’s long shelf-life.

[FREE DOWNLOAD] Low-Sugar Mango and Passionfruit Yogurt Drink Recipe Card

High-Protein Chocolate Milk

CP Kelco’s gellan gum adds pleasant mouthfeel and suspension to this high-protein lactose-free milk.

[FREE DOWNLOAD] High-Protein Chocolate Milk Recipe Card

[RELATED CONTENT] Access exclusive prototype innovations for Europe & the Middle East and Asia Pacific.

* All rights reserved. Video may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, republished, downloaded, displayed, posted or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of CP Kelco.

Home / Applications / Fruit Applications

Unlocking Nature-Powered Success^®

THROUGH INNOVATION

6 Reasons Citrus Fiber
is A-peeling to
Food & Bev Formulators

See why our clean label-friendly NUTRAVA^® Citrus Fiber
is the perfect addition to a formulator’s toolbox.

ACCESS INSIGHTS

The Clean Label-Friendly
Alternative to Meat Stabilizers

Learn more about our nature-based solution
for traditional meat stabilizers.

Formulating Dairy Alternative
Beverages with Better
Suspension and Texture

Discover a new way to meet customers' taste and texture
standards for dairy alternative beverages.

LEARN MORE

Using Nature-Powered Ingredients
to Formulate Plant-Based
Meat Alternatives

To help navigate consumer demand in the global market
for burger and sausage alternatives, we have identified
key trends that could impact success.

ACCESS TRENDS

Clean Label-Friendly Options for
Navigating the Starch Shortage

Starch is one of the most commonly
used thickeners – and it’s in short supply. To help,
we've compiled a list of clean label-friendly
alternatives for your application instead.

DISCOVER ALTERNATIVES

Innovative Concepts in Ambient Yogurt

Discover the latest global ambient yogurt trends to look for in 2022
in our exclusive video slideshow.

VIEW SLIDESHOW

Solve 4 Dairy Alternative
Beverage Challenges
with 1 Ingredient

Our single-ingredient, dual-function solution to help you
solve dairy alternative beverage formulation challenges.

LEARN MORE

An A-peeling, Label-Friendly
Solution for Baking

Unlock the label-friendly secret to moist, delicious,
gluten-free and reduced-fat baking.

ACCESS INSIGHTS

Label-Friendly Alternatives
to Locust Bean Gum

Having issues sourcing locust bean gum?
We've compiled our top suggestions for
label-friendly alternatives to help.

LEARN MORE

Reinventing Condiments
with a Label-Friendly Ingredient

Achieve your clean label goals in condiment formulations
with this easily recognizable, label-friendly ingredient.

LEARN MORE

Formulate Your Next Beverage
Innovation with Gellan Gum

Raise a glass to solving all your beverage
formulation challenges.

GET STARTED

No Compromise: The Future of
Food & Beverage Innovation

What does the future hold for food and beverage
product development? We believe it hinges on
six important concepts. At its core: abundant,
affordable choices with no compromise.

EXPLORE THE FUTURE

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A CLOSER LOOK

Our Sustainable GENU^® Pectin

All rights reserved. Video may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, republished, downloaded, displayed, posted or transmitted
in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of CP Kelco.

From fruit tree to fertilizer, join us for a fun and full-circle look at the making of GENU^® Pectin. This behind-the-scenes video explores our patented peel process and waste diversion efforts in making pectin.