EAT YOUR
SEAWEED
22 MARCH 2018
RELEASE AGENTS
ON THE RISE
With change in people’s lifestyles, busy schedules and
health concern worldwide, consumers are inclining
towards processed foods for food safety and storage.
Processed food such as cooked,
dried, canned or frozen need
some release agents that aid in
the separation of food from the
pan, tray and other packaging materials…
in fact, food production release agents
are indispensable these days. Release
agents are substances that eliminate the
bonding between two surfaces. They
have a moist surface and tendency of
stickiness, and are used for release of
rolls and breads, high sugar baked food,
dry baked goods, perforated sheets and
baking sheets. Release agents are also
used for moulds coated with Teflon,
which will increase the service life of
coating. Release agents such as white
mineral oils, acetylated, monoglycerides,
stearic acid and polyethylene glycols are
applied for food processing equipment,
especially for assemblies that directly
contact with food substances. In baking
processes, the release agent is an essential
component with diverse physical
properties that are used for different
stages of the baking process. It is important
to have a proper selection of release
agent to provide a thin, consistent and
oiled film around the processed food.
The release agents market is witnessing
maximum growth owing to good physical
stability, ease of use via spraying, the increasing
use of natural or organic agents
which have a favourable impact on
release agents, and demand for bakery
products. Changing in eating habits and
growing industrial food productions are
some other factors expected to positively
affect the release agents market. However,
this market growth may be hindered
by the risk of release agent reaction
with the food or surface of the pan, the
effect on the taste and odour of food,
allergenic substances in release agents
and stringent government regulations for
health and safety. Based on application,
bakery release agents are classified into
various categories such as trough grease,
divider oil, bread pan oil and pan grease,
and specialty release agents which help
to eliminate sticking points, make the
Seagreens are continuing
to offer innovation
opportunities, with the
food industry looking
back towards the sea as
a source of ingredients.
Nutrient-dense vegetables
from the sea, such as kelp
and spirulina, have been
finding their way into a
wider variety of new food
and beverage products, due
to their ability to provide
nutritional fortification,
act as a natural source
of colour and deliver
unique flavours, especially
umami. Market insights
put the annual growth of
new food and beverage
launches featuring selected
sea vegetables at more
than 20% - with products
including algae, dulse,
kelp, kombu, wakame,
arame, nori, Irish moss, sea
vegetable and seaweed.
More recently, consumers
have accepted the use of
greens from the ocean. With
more consumers actively
seeking vegan or vegetarian
lifestyles, there has been an
interest in vegan ‘seafood’
dishes in the form of sea
vegetables, which come
under the umbrella of kelp,
seaweed or algae.
TRANS FAT… WHAT TRANS FAT?
If you’re annoyed by your partner’s
forgetfulness, ladies, you can blame it on the
microwave popcorn, chips and other processed
food that he eats. High consumption of dietary
trans fatty acids commonly used in processed
foods to improve taste, texture and durability
has been linked with worsening memory
function in men under 45. Researchers have
evaluated data from 1018 men and women
asked to complete a dietary survey and memory
test involving word recall…and on average, men
45 and below recalled 86 words. However, for
each additional gram of trans fats, performance
dropped by 0.76 words…meaning 12 fewer
words are recalled by young men eating large
amounts of trans fats than those eating none.
By the way, including women in the analysis did
not change the finding.