Understanding the Benefits of Tru-Flo® Food Grade Salt

Salt is ubiquitous on almost every kitchen table. It is also used to de-ice roads, remove impurities in manufacturing, and to create soap. Tru-Flo® food grade salt can be used in these industries, but because it is over 99% pure sodium chloride (NaCl) and only contains trace amounts of insoluble materials, it is best suited for culinary uses. Food ingredient supplier Bell Chem stocks Tru-Flo Evaporated Food Grade Salt for all your dietary needs. 

Food flavoring

Flavoring and salt walk hand in hand. Tru-Flo salt has the unique capability of enhancing the other flavors of food, which is why many baked goods add salt as an ingredient to bring out the sweet flavors of sugar, chocolate, or other confections. Tru-Flo salt on its own is likewise a flavoring; we relate salt to almost every processed food, even those only minimally processed. Why do we eat more salt than is necessary? The human body craves salt to maintain homeostasis in the tissues and bloodstream. When this careful balance is upset, our brains deliver a signal that we must eat something salty and we reach for chips, condiments, or a jar of pickles.

Food preservation

Food preservation often calls for large amounts of salt (20% by weight) to cure meats or other foods. Tru-Flo salt draws out water from foods in a process known as osmosis, creating an inhospitable environment since the majority of organisms rely on water – which has been driven out – and cannot thrive in the now highly salted environment. Dried meats can be preserved without the use of refrigeration or canning.

The advantages of Tru-Flo salt

Tru-Flo salts have been naturally harvested from the sea, in natural brine, or in salt deposits on land. Once selected, these salts are manufactured until they are highly purified. You know your products will contain the highest grade sodium chloride possible with Tru-Flo salts. 

Tru-Flo salts are also graded by granule size, ensuring the salt you purchase will dissolve at the same rapid rate producing a clear, briny solution. As a dry ingredient, Tru-Flo salt flows smoothly without clumping. Tru-Flo salts meet or exceed the expectations of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Food Chemical Codex (FCC). 

Bell Chem is a food ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including Tru-Flo Food Grade Salt. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message. 

What is Maltodextrin? Understanding the Popular Food Additive

With all the talk about simple and complex carbohydrates, it is sometimes confusing knowing what customers are consuming. Maltodextrin is a complex carbohydrate, which means it can break into 2 or more simple carbohydrates. Maltodextrin is processed from the starch of corn, potato, rice, or wheat. Learn more about this popular food additive and how it can improve your products from your food additive supplier, Bell Chem.

The creation of maltodextrin

Maltodextrin is the end product of a process in which a vegetable starch is hydrolyzed, then soaked in acid or enzymes in order to reduce the product to a smaller form. After saturation, maltodextrin is transformed into a water-soluble white powder without much flavor. 

Why would a flavorless product replace sugar?

For many consumers, sugar is more than a flavoring. Instead, it is an integral cellular fuel responsible for sustaining health. In that respect, maltodextrin may be used in a product as an additional supply of necessary calories when no flavor is necessary. Its chemical properties allow it to rapidly supply the human body with the same amount of energy and calories as sucrose. 

Uses for maltodextrin

• Energy and sports drinks are marketed as expedient energy replacements, and adding maltodextrin to these products brings their claims to life. Because it is easily digestible, maltodextrin quickly supplies tired muscles fibers with an energy boost by restoring blood sugar levels.

• Another hot topic as of late is gut health. Maltodextrin promotes fermentation of the digestive system’s bacteria and improves digestion overall.

• When health concerns include rapid weight loss, adding maltodextrin enhances the uptake of carbohydrates to negate fatigue. 

• With its ability to dissolve quickly and its neutral flavor, maltodextrin is often added as a filler in foods requiring carbohydrates, such as energy bars and processed foods. This inexpensive additive easily decreases manufacturing costs of many foods.

• When foods are emulsified, maltodextrin keeps them from separating by absorbing fats within a watery matrix, thus improving consistency. 

• Dressings, gravies, and sauces would be noticeably runnier without the addition of maltodextrin to increase viscosity. 

• In powdered mixes, maltodextrin assists in separating and distributing key flavorings to maintain the same taste with every use. It also decreases oxidation, which increases a product’s shelf life.

• In frozen foods and beverages, maltodextrin maintains the creaminess of the texture by preventing clumps from occurring.

Bell Chem is a food additive supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including many replacements for known food allergens. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message. 

Understanding How Citric Acid Enhances Cleaning Products

When a consumer opens a bottle of cleaning solution and the unmistakable odor of citrus emanates from the container, the satisfied smile is twofold: the cleaner is meant to handle stubborn, baked on or caked on debris, and it smells great. Citric acid supplier Bell Chem wishes to share more information pertaining to the benefits of citric acid as an additive to cleaning products.

Clean with Green

Citric acid is a plant-based, biodegradable, non-toxic cleaner that packs a punch. Citric acid acts as a chelating agent as it attracts metals in hard water. As the metals and minerals bind to citric acid, they are no longer able to form a film on surfaces (scale) that look unsightly and impede the flow inside pipes. Citric acid then allows chemicals within the cleaner to work unimpeded by these metals; the cleaners are then able to form a heady foam and clean without the use of a water softener or another chemical that may prove harmful to consumers and the environment. 

Uses for Citric Acid

Consumers can use citric acid for a variety of chores, such as removing hard water stains and mineral deposits, and descaling. Citric acid is great as an antibacterial, antiseptic cleaner. Citric acid works wonders on dehumidifiers, small kitchen appliances, toilets and tanks, and overall kitchen and bathroom cleaners. 

pH Adjustment

As a mild organic acid, citric acid is able to control the pH of a product by bringing a basic pH to a normal range, or adding more acidity to a cleaner to enhance its cleaning abilities. Altering a cleaner’s pH is what gives citric acid its ability to act as an antibacterial. A lower pH weakens the cell walls and membranes of bacteria, mildew, and mold. Without a functional outer membrane, these microbes are no longer functional.

Bell Chem is a citric acid supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including citric acid. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message. 

How Food Manufacturers Can Formulate for Food Intolerance

Sometimes the difference between a good meal and an outstanding meal is how many guests are able to appreciate the food. With more and more patrons requesting gluten free, peanut free, additive free, or other changes in your menu, it seems more difficult than ever to create a meal where every patron is satisfied. A 2009 study estimated 18% of patrons living in industrialized countries (10% of adults and 8% of children) had a medically-diagnosed food allergy or reaction. Fortunately, food ingredient supplier Bell Chem can assist with many of your menu considerations. 

Gluten free

The majority of food allergies or reactions focus on 2 sources: gluten and lactose. Creating gluten-free foods is not as simple as leaving out gluten. The function of gluten and gliadin is to maintain the shape of dough as it rises, which means their absence collapses baked goods. To counter this, manufacturers are able to add gluten-free, genetically modified wheat varieties; biotechnologically-modified gluten; substitutions such as rice, tapioca, or legumes; or dietary powders made of corn flakes, tofu, or flaxseed. Another method of replacement improves the binding qualities of additives with water or gas, including Bell Chem replacements xanthan gum, locust gum, or guar gum.

Lactose free

With a whopping 65% of the world’s adult population registering as some level of lactose intolerant, the push for lactose-free foods is imperative. From the FDA’s perspective, though, lactose intolerance’s lack of immunological response deems it unworthy of definition. In other words, lactose-free and lactose-reduced foods have no true common standards.

Removing lactose is generally performed via enzymatic hydrolysis in which the lactose content is hydrolyzed into glucose and galactose via lactase. Genetically-modified lactase is another method of rendering lactose inoperable. Mechanical methods including ultrafiltration, fermentation, and reverse osmosis also stanch lactose intolerance. Ingredient substitutions, such as Bell Chem’s oat flour which can be mixed with water to form oat milk. 

Additives

The list of additives that may cause allergic reactions is extensive and includes emulsifiers, pH controllers, preservatives, and stabilizers. Switching from a known reactant, such as lactic acid to citric acid, alleviates many unfavorable symptoms. Using ethanol rather than sulphites leads to better outcomes as well. 

Bell Chem is a food ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including many replacements for known food allergens. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message. 

Top Dietary and Nutritional Supplement Trends in 2024

The market trends for 2024 as they relate to dietary and nutritional supplements are exploding in holistic wellness and supplements specific to gender, race, and ethnicity. USP ingredients supplier Bell Chem presents a handful of these trends to you as you increase your health this year.

What could you do with $183,000,000? Imagine 1/3 of that amount being spent by Americans on supplements – the other 2/3 is divided among the world’s other countries. Health is vitally important to everyone, and the market is ripe for supplements focused on both physical and mental well-being. In fact, “feeling well” is the main goal of those polled asking about health goals. To that end, supplements focusing on better sleep quality and stress reduction are trending ever upward. The following supplement categories fall under the umbrella of holistic health.

Botanicals

With 48% of Americans convinced botanicals are effective and close to 1/3 of the same demographic interested in improving their mental status and mood with botanicals, these traditional and natural remedies are proving potent. High on this list are adaptogenic herbs such as rhodiola and ginseng, which positively adapt your mind to stress, anxiety, sleep support, mental clarity, and fatigue. Bell Chem’s long list of natural oils should be high on your list of botanical additives.

Skin health

Sunscreen and acne cream are important, but skin care has come a long way since the 1980s. Within the past 5 years the skin health market has increased a whopping 23% globally. In the United States, 1 of every 3 new product launches relates to skin health. Most supplements include Vitamins C, E, and B complex along with magnesium.

Focus on the female

A woman’s changing body needs supplements to support her during adolescence, pregnancy and maternal care, all stages of menopause, and elderly care. Iron, collagen, protein, and calcium support almost every stage of development while new supplements contain ingredients specific to increasing mood, supporting good sleep habits, and decreasing inflammation in joints. 

Sports nutrition

While this may seem an old category, the members of this group are ever evolving. New supplements are hitting the market designed for e-gamers and focus on prolonged focus, as well as visual stress and sustained energy. Looking for more cardiovascular activity? Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the United States with 1 out of every 5 adults playing within the past year. Obviously, supplements for joint health and overall energy are generated toward this exciting sport. These supplements often contain a variety of USP ingredients to achieve the desired effects. 

Bell Chem is a USP ingredients supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including dozens of food and dietary additives perfect for your nutritional supplement enterprise. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.

Oat Flour: A Potential Sugar Substitute for Chocolate

While even dark chocolate is hard-pressed to admit to any health claims, chocolate can be created using an alternative, not-so-sugary ingredient. A study conducted by Pennsylvania State University has many scientists – and consumers – excited about a change in chocolate for the better without compromising flavor or texture. Food ingredient supplier Bell Chem shares this story with you to assist in changing food habits for the better. 

Oat flour vs. sugar

With oat flour and sugar, it's difficult to find similarities. While they are both food products, they serve different purposes in the kitchen. Oats are the main course of many breakfasts and cookie mixes, while sugar is an indulgence sprinkled or added in much smaller amounts. However, the PSU USDA-backed study has found that the manufacture of chocolate is not altered when 25% of the sugar is replaced with finely ground (smaller than 10 µm) oat flour. 

Both oats and sugar are carbohydrates, with oats reigning as more complex and sugar following as a simple carb. The substitution of oat flour for sugar will not necessarily reduce the overall caloric count of chocolate, but it will significantly reduce sugar consumption.

Results of replacement

When you replace up to 25% of sugar with oat flour, the amount of sugar within the chocolate drops by approximately 13.5%. The study results found the finely ground texture of the oat flour did not detract from the overall texture of the chocolate, and consumers noticed no difference in mouthfeel. A similar study with rice flour had less stellar results, with consumers comparing the “chalkier” texture of the rice flour-induced chocolate with the “smoother, softer, creamier” texture of the oat flour mixture. While many participants noted a negative difference with the addition of rice flour, chocolate-containing oat flour was sometimes preferred over chocolate with a normal sugar content.

Sugar’s role in chocolate is twofold: it adds sweetness to the sharp chocolate flavor as it increases the viscosity. Appearing as more than 50% of the ingredients in chocolate, removing ¼ of sugar with another bulking agent will not alter that important role. 

Market demand

Sugar replacements are a hot button in today’s consumer market. Products labeled as low-sugar or sugar-free have undergone a compounded 3% annual growth rate within the last 5 years (2018 – 2023). Adding chocolate with less sugar to this growing market is advantageous. With the addition of oat flour, the benefits are greater since oats are naturally high in fiber without the detraction of gluten since gluten-free foods are also flooding the market. Results of the nutritional benefits of oat flour replacement are ongoing.

Bell Chem is a food ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including food additives. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or sending us an online message. 

Emerging Trends Around Additives in the Food Industry

The food additives market comprises approximately $136.7 billion in the United States. With such a substantial market share of the national budget, it is imperative to understand trends in the additives industry. Food ingredient supplier Bell Chem has several food additive trends to share with you.

What is an additive?

But first, let’s define “additives." Almost anything not considered a whole food is an additive, from sweeteners to preservatives to organic acids. This broad range of products serves to emphasize color, taste, and texture as it preserves foods and even provides health benefits. A survey conducted by technology firm Ayana Bio concluded that 82% of adults claim to eat ultra-processed foods as part of their daily diets. All of this processing relies on additives.

Are our diets doomed?

It seems counterintuitive to point to additives as the heroes in feeding the world, but they surely are. The ability to chemically prepare food for storage and shipment has made it possible to send food from areas of plenty to those struggling with food insecurity. As these needs are met, additives enhance the nutritional value of foods. 

AI in the food supply chain

If it seems AI is everywhere, you are not mistaken. In the supply chain, many major companies rely on AI to generate transparent content as they streamline shipments and create foods with sustainable and ethical profiles. Consumers are more satisfied knowing the key ingredients and additives in each food product and to better understand why these additives are vital.

eCommerce

The pandemic pushed the necessity for online shopping, and foods were no exception. From fresh produce to pre-packaged meals, consumers have learned to appreciate the convenience of having foods shipped directly to their front doors. One of the deciding factors in shipping food is its quality upon arrival. Additives ensure the transition from factory to door is virtually seamless.

Social media and food

Want your online post to pop? Make it colorful! Social media posts focusing on food have noted a recent trend for bright food and beverage colors. Accompanying this trend, the importance of natural foods extends with many of the color-enriched foods appearing on social media being tinted with naturally occurring additives such as bacteria, algae, yeast, and fungi.

Bell Chem is a food ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including food additives. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.

Examining the Role of Food Additives in Preventing Contamination

Food additives play many roles in the manufacture of fresh and packaged foods, and one of those roles is the prevention of contamination during the manufacturing process. Your food additive supplier, All food additives, whether they are specific to preventing contamination or simply to add color or texture to foods, are regulated by food and beverage safety agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration. This information alone should alleviate much of the angst many consumers have concerning additives in foods. The additives specific to preventing contamination can be categorized broadly as acidity regulators, antioxidants, emulsifiers, and preservatives.

Acidity regulators

Microorganisms thrive in narrow pH ranges. The addition of acidity regulators either raises or lowers the pH to an area inhospitable to the microbes being targeted during food processing. Included in this category are citric acid, lactic acid, and tartaric acid. Along with acid regulation, these additives often enhance the flavors of their associated foods, primarily fruit and vegetable dishes.

Antioxidants

Many consumers understand the role of antioxidants as destroyers of the free radicals that cause cellular damage in the body. However, this destruction also prevents food contamination since antioxidants damage bacteria, yeast, and fungi as naturally as they damage cells. Natural antioxidants range from vitamins C and E to flavonoids while synthetic antioxidants include butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). Whether natural or synthetic, antioxidants reduce rancidity in fresh foods and often improve the flavor. Adding antioxidants helps preserve oils, flour, and milk powder and prevents discoloration of fruit and meat.

Emulsifiers

Carrageenan, diglycerides, monoglycerides, lecithin, and polysorbates all aid in stabilizing foods by keeping ingredients from separating and by improving the mouthfeel of products. Along the way, they increase shelf life by allaying bacterial growth.

Preservatives

The largest category of additives that prevent contamination are preservatives. These additives may prolong shelf life by countering the effect of specific microbes, or they might be formulated for microorganisms at large, such as bacteria, molds, and yeast. These unwanted microbes consume primarily sugars within goods, breaking them down and producing waste, which we consider contamination. Adding preservatives repels these microorganisms from colonizing on foods.

Benzoates, nitrates, sorbates, and sulfites are general-use additives necessary for preserving frozen and canned foods. These preservatives maintain a high level of quality when added as an ingredient, and keep foods fresh and appealing.

Bell Chem is a food additive supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including food additives specific to alleviating food contamination. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.

Lactic Acid in Food: A Guide to Fermentation

When microorganisms eat, they break down their food and produce gas. When this process occurs in a closed environment, it is called fermentation. Food additive supplier Bell Chem brings you information on lactic acid and the fermentation process.

Of the varied types of fermentation, lactic acid fermentation involves lactic acid bacteria (LAB) or Lactobacillales cultures performing their functions anaerobically – without the oxygen so many other systems find necessary. LAB dine on carbohydrates and produce carbon dioxide and lactic acid. In turn, these by-products affect the taste, texture, and appearance of foods and beverages.

Conditions for Lactic Acid Fermentation

Lactic acid fermentation can be broken into a series of conditions. 

Temperature

Fermentation is closely tied to temperature gradients. Higher temperatures lead to expedited fermentation. The ultimate temperature for fermentation is room temperature. Refrigerating products will halt fermentation, which is handy if you wish to stop at a specific point in the process. 

Submersion

Whatever it is you are fermenting – fruits, vegetables, legumes – must be fully submerged in water. If your water is chlorinated, let it rest for at least 30 minutes before using it in a fermentation.

Salinity

Adding a nominal amount of salt does not cause a danger to the LAB and is encouraged to enhance flavor. Be aware that salt will slow the rate of fermentation; if you wish to regulate LAB activity, salt is your friend.

Some fruits and vegetables are naturally self-brining; add 2% of the total weight of your product in salt and seal the jar tightly. The salt pulls the water from the product (osmosis), and the water will naturally fill the sealed jar. These products do not need water added to the jar, only salt and the product to be fermented. 

For products with a lower water content, add water and a 3% - 4% salt-to-product-weight ratio. Using larger-sized or whole products generally requires this method.

Size

The greater the surface area of the product you are fermenting, the more rapidly it will ferment. This means smaller chunks of carrots will ferment more rapidly than simply cutting a carrot in half and jamming it into the jar.

Sugar 

Sugar is a carbohydrate broken down to a smaller form. Since LAB consumes carbohydrates, sugar is an easier form of food for them. The more sugar added to a fermentation, the more quickly the fermentation will occur. Not all sugar will be consumed by the LAB, and the result will be a balance of sweet and acidic flavors. 

Benefits of Lactic Acid Fermentation

The benefits of lactic acid fermentation are far reaching. Fermented foods are great for your gut biome, have intriguing flavors, and are much easier to locate now that the general population has developed a fondness for kombucha, sourdough bread, and yogurt. 

Bell Chem is a food additive supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.

Sodium Citrate in Food Production: Molecular Gastronomy and Beyond

Sometimes an ingredient is so versatile it becomes a go-to product added to almost every food. Sodium citrate is one of those favored ingredients. While you may recognize a few of sodium citrate’s many roles in food production, Bell Chem, your food ingredient supplier, wishes to share more the wonders of sodium citrate.

As the sodium salt of citric acid, sodium citrate adds a tart, salty flavor to products while remaining colorless and odorless. Its tiny white crystals do not detract from a food’s overall appearance. For being so low key physically, the chemical properties of sodium citrate lead to spherification of the solvent to which it is added – a culinary masterpiece of chemistry! 

Emulsification

Water and oil will not combine unless an emulsifier is added. Sodium citrate allows these two opposing ingredients to coalesce in cheese products, salad dressings, and sauces, giving each mouthful the same flavors. In cheese, calcium citrate helps maintain a smooth, creamy texture upon melting.

pH regulation

If the acidity of a food or beverage is not within proper limits, the taste and texture may suffer. Sodium citrate adjusts the pH to control acidity in carbonated beverages. In highly acidic formulations, sodium citrate raises the pH above 5 to allow for gelification and foam. The correct pH also enhances the shelf life and preservation of products. In ice creams and other frozen desserts, sodium citrate improves the creamy smoothness while inhibiting ice crystal formation.

Buffer

Surprisingly, when the pH is not extremely acidic, sodium citrate acts as a buffer, hindering drastic changes in pH. Stabilization of pH in canning and pickling, even in the acidic range, prevents microbial growth leading to spoilage. 

Chelation

In the dairy industry in particular and other industries overall, sodium citrate acts as a chelating agent, stimulating antioxidant function to deter spoilage of products. This sequestration of chemicals is also key to sodium citrate’s molecular gastronomy function: sequestration forms gels without the use of other chemicals, such as calcium. 

Bell Chem is a food ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including sodium citrate. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.