Rice Flour in Food Manufacturing

For anyone with celiac disease or an aversion to gluten, finding a good substitute for wheat flour is difficult. Rice flour’s promise of eased digestion is bringing it to the forefront for food manufacturers, and your food ingredient supplier, Bell Chem, presents the following examples of how rice flour is taking the cooking and baking worlds by storm. 

Cereal

Breakfast cereals have long relied on rice flour as a prime ingredient since its tremendous amount of amylose: the higher the amylose content, the more starch is contained in the rice flour and the stiffer the gel can be produced. This gel gives the crisp crunch to cereals since rice flour is not as prone to absorb water…or milk. As cereals containing rice flour cool after baking, the porous texture has the ability to be more tightly regulated which also leads to a crisper cereal.

Snack Foods

When applied to the outer coating of snack foods, rice flour has two tasks: it aids in the coating’s adhesion to the snack and gives a satisfying crunch to the snack’s exterior. Artisan loaves also use this feature when dusting the exterior of the loaves before baking.

Food in Restaurants

Restaurants have learned to rely more heavily on rice flour for frying since it produces a crisper, lighter texture to foods. Even the ubiquitous French fry is crunchier when rice flour coats the fries prior to entering the fryer. In sauces and sauce mixes, rice flour plumps up the volume, giving a more pleasant mouthfeel. 

Baby Foods

Rice flour is a key ingredient in many baby foods, and is often one of the first foods introduced to infants in the form of rice cereal. It is easily digestible and contributes to few allergic reactions. Studies have proven the amino acid profile of rice flour is quite similar to the amino acid profile of breast milk. Additionally, rice flour contains a high starch content, lipids (including unsaturated fatty acids), and necessary fiber. 

Food for the Elderly

On the other side of the human lifespan, rice flour is being touted as an impressive contender for nutritional food of the year for our aging population. Compared to other cereal grains, rice flour is more nutritious, and it contains more protein than yogurt. 

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 rice flour. 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.

Chemicals Used in Food Production

Foods marketed in boxes or bags almost always contain food additives in the guise of chemicals to affect food in varied forms. Additives can make food more palatable, extend shelf life, lower overall calorie or fat content, add nutrient value, emulsify, change food color or texture, or many combinations of these and other functions. Bell Chem is your food ingredient supplier for food and reagent, nutritional, and USP-grade ingredients to keep your foods and beverages healthy and delicious.

Emulsification 

Without added chemicals, many foods and liquids would be unpalatable. Emulsifiers, such as gum arabic, lecithin, salt, and sodium hexametaphosphate maintain texture and flavor with every bite. Emulsifiers also deter ice crystals from forming in frozen foods or sugar coagulation in baked foods and increase the volume of baked goods. Many emulsifiers also act as stabilizers or thickeners, such as gums, starches, and proteins.

Nutritional additive 

Many natural nutrients are lost during food production because of mechanical measures, such as heat and freezing. Adding lost nutrients or bolstering the nutrient value of foods has occurred since 1924 when salt became iodized to prevent goiters. The addition of vitamins has drastically improved the health of millions of people. For instance, vitamin B in infant cereals helps prevent anemia, vitamin D-fortified milk helps to prevent rickets, and folic acid — often added to flour — is recommended for pregnant women to prevent birth defects. Fiber, linoleic acid, and minerals are other additives commonly combined with packaged foods.

Preservation

Utilizing antioxidants and antimicrobials seems like common sense in today’s food industry. Both additives keep foods fresher and stabler for extended periods of time. Antioxidants include Vitamin E and its derivatives, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). Antimicrobials include acids (acetic, propionic, sorbic), nitrates, nitrites, and sulfites. 

Taste, color, and texture 

As food is processed, some pigments may be degraded. The addition of chemicals creates color with less variation and more appeal. Taste and smell are both chemical reactions. When specific chemicals are added to foods and beverages, the sensations of both taste and smell react favorably. Currently, more than 1,200 different flavors are available for foods. Spices, sugar, salt, and citrus acid are all palatable flavors. Some foods, such as frozen desserts or jams, have a specific texture generally created with the help of chemicals. Many texturizing food ingredients, including guar and xanthan gum, pectin, and whey, are frequently used to enhance the composition of foods.

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 a vast array of food production chemicals. 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.

The Many Faces of Vinegar

Vinegar is readily recognized as a condiment base and food preservative for canning. However, there’s more than one type of vinegar. Food ingredient supplier Bell Chem shares with you a variety of different vinegars we stock and how they will benefit your company.  

Vinegar for Flavor and Preservation

As a condiment, vinegar is utilized in cooking because of its strong, sharp flavor. Surprisingly, it depends where you are in the world as to what variety of vinegar you are served in or alongside your food. In the United States and England, cider vinegar is the choice of chefs and culinary experts. Across the channel from England, Ireland’s vinegar of taste is malt vinegar while wine-producing countries such as Spain, Italy, and France choose wine vinegar. 

Many condiments contain vinegar as a key component, including ketchups and other tomato-based products, salad dressings and sauces, mustard, aspics and other gelatins, and vinaigrettes. Because vinegar has preservative properties and deters bacterial and other microbial growth, meats are often fermented in vinegar for “raw” meat dishes.

Distilled Vinegar

Distilled vinegar, such as Bell Chem’s white distilled vinegar, is the primary choice for food preservation, such as pickling. Cider vinegars, such as the apple cider vinegar in Bell Chem’s inventory, share the limelight in industrial use with distilled vinegar. Apple cider vinegar has found niche markets in pharmaceuticals and personal care, being sold as gummies and in capsule form. These two types of vinegar form the brunt of food preservation and condiment ingredients. While distilled vinegar has the market cornered, other varieties, such as malt, wine, and cider vinegars add different flavors and nuances to the products in which they are added.

Balsamic Vinegar

Commercial balsamic vinegars combine grape “must” (the juice of pressed grapes) and wine vinegar in an array of flavors and consistencies. Commercial kitchens tend to enhance the flavor of their prepared dishes with balsamic vinegar rather than cook with it.

Rice Vinegar

Rice vinegar is the fermentation of rice rather than grapes and has a milder flavor that allows the natural flavors of foods to be enjoyed. Much like distilled vinegar in the west, rice vinegar is used as a preservative in the east, such as for chicken and processed meat. Many beers and wines contain rice vinegar.

With a wide range of types and uses, Bell Chem’s selection of vinegars can certainly help your business. 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 several varieties of vinegar. 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.

Healthy Ways to Incorporate Oils in Your Cooking Habits

You decide to incorporate healthier oils into your restaurant cooking process, but you have relied on saturated fat for so long that you don’t even know where to begin?? Bell Chem has a variety of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats for your cooking needs and has the information you need to distinguish the best practices for these oils.

First, let’s discuss the differences between polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Polyunsaturated fat is liquid at room temperature but becomes solid when cooled. A monounsaturated fat remains liquid when used in most kitchens. Monounsaturated fats are beneficial to your health because they help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol that can build up along the walls of blood vessels causing clogged or blocked arteries. Polyunsaturated fats include omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which are essential for brain function and cell growth.

Oils that contain either of these fats can add a dash of flavor to your cooking. Many of your kitchen appliances work at a variety of temperatures, and many unsaturated oils work best in specific temperature ranges. Our experts have listed which oils work under what conditions as well as common ways to incorporate them into your menu to receive their maximum benefit.

Low-Temperature Oils
Good for creating a splendid dip, dressing, or marinade.

• Canola

• Corn

• Flaxseed

• Grapeseed

• Hemp

• Olive

• Peanut

• Safflower

• Sesame

• Soybean

• Sunflower

• Walnut

High-Temperature Oils
Great for sautéing, deep frying, and pan frying.

• Canola

• Corn

• Peanut

• Safflower

• Soybean

• Sunflower

• Any vegetable oil

Higher temperature oils are not readily absorbed into fried foods. Sautéing is a healthy alternative to frying since very little oil is used to cook food quickly. Begin with a tablespoon and add more as necessary. You will find that cooking with oil instead of butter is better for your budget as well as your patron’s health, but can still offer a flavor-rich outcome. The proper conversion calls for substituting ¾ cup of vegetable or nut oil for each cup of butter or shortening in the recipe you are using.

With a wide range of oils, Bell Chem can fulfill your restaurant supply needs. Find more information about our products by reading our blog.

Bell Chem is a food and reagent product 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 handle all of your needs by calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or send us an online message.

Tru-Flo Food Grade Salt

Salt has founded and ruined civilizations, started wars, acted as currency, and preserved foods for centuries. The human body requires salt in order to function properly. Not every grade of salt is the same, though, and not all salts are edible. Tru-Flo® food grade salt is of high purity and used for flavoring foods, preserving canned goods, curing meats, and acts as a carrier for nutrients. Food grade salt contains over 99% sodium chloride (NaCl) with only a tiny fraction of insoluble material. Crystal size is uniform to give the same amount of taste with every use and to dissolve evenly and quickly. Along with Tru-Flo® food grade salt, the food ingredient supplier, Bell Chem, stocks several grades of salt for commercial and food grade uses.

• Food preservation: Salt was used almost exclusively to preserve food before refrigeration. Today, many products, such as beef jerky or other dried meats, still rely on salt as the ultimate preservative.
• Seasoning: The human body craves salt. Humans consume approximately 12 million tons of salt annually. The World Health Organization’s dietary guidelines state that the average person should limit salt intake to 5 grams a day, but our taste buds associate salt as one of the main five components of flavor; therefore, humans take in far more than what is recommended.
• Carrier: Salt acts as a carrier for nutrients or food additives, such as iodine or nitrite. Iodized salt prevents gout and other thyroid conditions, and nitrite is utilized as part of the curing process. Fluoride, iron, vitamins and supplements are frequently added in conjunction with salt’s extra nutrients to stabilize them and ensure amounts are equal throughout the mixture.

Tru-Flo® food grade salt may be obtained from the sea, natural brine, or on land from underground rock salt deposits. Any of these locations will produce the free-flowing, small-grained salt consumers appreciate for their dietary needs. Contact your food ingredient supplier Bell Chem at 407-339-2355 (BELL) for information on food grade salt and the other pure food additives we carry. Our blog page of chemicals will give more detailed product information for you to read.

Sodium Benzoate EDF Food Grade

Sodium benzoate (C7H5NaO2) is the sodium salt of benzoic acid. In the form sodium benzoate EDF food grade, this chemical is a common food additive and preservative used in several industries, including food and beverage, cosmetics, personal care, pharmaceutical, and medical. Because it is colorless, odorless, highly soluble, and compatible with other ingredients, manufacturers turn to sodium benzoate for their preservation needs. The “EDF” nomenclature demarks an Extruded Dust-Free grade. As a food-grade chemical, sodium benzoate is safe for use in foods or within food manufacturing areas. Bell Chem, the Orlando food ingredient supplier, carries sodium benzoate EDF food grade for its clients to use in any of these important industries. Below are only a few of the uses of sodium benzoate within food and pharmaceutical production and manufacturing industries.

1. Food and Beverages: Foods that list sodium benzoate as a preservative include margarine, jelly, cereal, pasta, salad dressings and prepared salads, baked goods, grain products, pickles, syrup, and other packaged foods. In beverages, the preservative qualities of sodium benzoate are used to maintain carbonation in soft drinks and to extend shelf life of orange juice, cider, and other juices.
2. Cosmetics and Personal Care: Sodium benzoate has a proven antifungal and antimicrobial quality that works well in skin cream, lotion, gum, toothpaste, mouthwash, and deodorants.
3. Pharmaceutical and Medical: The antifungal and antimicrobial focus of sodium benzoate EDF is ideal for dermatological creams and ointments, anti-aging products, dietary supplements, cough syrup, medicine in tablet form, and topical treatments for lice and scabies. Sodium benzoate may also be used as an insect repellent.

Whether your product is sealed in a pressurized jar or on display in a glass deli case, sodium benzoate EDF food grade can maintain the texture and appearance of food, cosmetics, or medicinal supplements while preventing spoilage with its antimicrobial and antifungal qualities. Contact the Orlando food ingredient supplier, Bell Chem, at 407-339-2355 (BELL) to order sodium benzoate EDF food grade today. For an in-depth look at many of our food grade, industrial, pharmaceutical, or citrus industry chemicals, feel free to visit our informative news page.

Xanthan Gum 80 Mesh FCC

Xanthan gum has been used for over 50 years as a food additive, primarily as a thickener. The distinction of “80 mesh” denotes a standard grain of xanthan suitable to most conditions. Chefs worldwide as well as large food manufacturers rely on xanthan gum to thicken liquids, create light foams, give vinaigrettes body, and stabilize emulsions. The Orlando food ingredient supplier Bell Chem stocks this important additive for its customers in Florida and across the nation.

In cooking and baking, xanthan gum is used in a variety of manners. Foams and froths, such as those in a cream pie, rely on xanthan to maintain their integrity. Sauces without xanthan gum would be puddles of unappealing liquid, and purees would easily separate without the emulsifying property of xanthan.

Xanthan gum 80 mesh has a neutral flavor and better mouthfeel than other grades of grain. As it thickens products, it gives the texture most associated with either liquid or solid fat, so the result is a low-fat product the mouth falsely recognizes as “buttery”.

Xanthan gum offers almost immediate results. Therefore, adding the ingredient slowly causes thickening upon contact. Sauces, purees, and soups need only a tiny amount of xanthan gum to both thicken these products and keep them from separating over time.

Cosmetic use of xanthan gum includes toothpastes, shaving foams, shampoos and gels, creams, and facial masks. The emulsifying benefit of xanthan gum is a creamy, silky texture when applied to the skin.

The pharmaceutical industry finds xanthan gum aids in lowering blood sugar and total cholesterol amounts in diabetic patients. Many manufacturers add xanthan gum to laxative medications because it expands within the digestive tract, stimulating movement of waste through the colon. It is also an additive for medicines that aid in dry mouth because it acts to slow sugar absorption.

Xanthan gum 80 mesh works well in high salt conditions and in alkaline or acidic environments. The ability to remain stable in a wide pH range gives xanthan gum a high resistance to enzymatic degradation.

With its myriad functions, xanthan gum 80 mesh is an easy-to-use food ingredient perfect for your food manufacturing needs. Call the Orlando food ingredient supplier, Bell Chem, at 407-339-2355 (BELL) to speak with one of our talented representatives concerning xanthan gum 80 mesh or one of our other food-grade ingredients. Our news page highlights many of our other products and their various uses.

Sugar Extra Fine Grain Food Grade

Granulated sugar is what most homeowners utilize in their kitchens and has a coarse texture. Extra fine grain sugar has the same chemical makeup as table sugar but is ground into much finer crystals that bakers find useful in creating fluffy meringues and smooth batters. The lighter texture derived from using super fine crystals gives lemon meringue pie and angel food cake their airiness. The food ingredient supplier, Bell Chem, stocks extra fine grain sugar for home gourmets and pastry chefs alike.

The crystals of superfine sugar (also recognized by some as either “bar sugar” because of its use in mixed drinks or “baking sugar” since it is a key ingredient in baked goods) are not identical to powdered sugar. Powdered sugar is pulverized granulated sugar and does not give the same positive results extra fine (or superfine) sugar does. While Americans are used to granulated sugar, other parts of the world use extra fine sugar as their everyday sweetener.

Surprisingly, sugar has a number of varieties depending on crystal size. In decreasing order, coarse sugar can be ground into granulated sugar, fruit sugar, Baker’s Special sugar, extra fine sugar, and confectioners –or powdered – sugar. Of these varieties, all retain the same amount of sweetening content except for powdered sugar, which contains a slight amount of cornstarch to prevent clumping.

While heavier granulated sugar generally settles to the bottom of a glass of cold water without thoroughly mixing, extra fine sugar mixes readily in cold water as well as hot, giving an even amount of sweetener to any liquid source.

Extra fine grain sugar is a key ingredient in bakery products, cereals, liquid forms of sugar candies, powdered drink mixes, chewing gum, jams and jellies, dairy products, condiments, and pickles. Many pharmaceutical products, such as cough syrups, are sweetened with extra fine grain sugar.

Bell Chem stocks extra fine grain sugar for its customers to use for a large family gathering or industrially in a bakery setting. This food ingredient supplier also carries most of the other items you need to run a successful business: industrial chemicals, cleaning agents, disinfectants, food grade chemicals and ingredients, oils, and natural products. Give the courteous representatives at Bell Chem a call today at 407-339-2355 (BELL).

Sodium Benzoate EDF Food Grade

Sodium benzoate, or NaC7H5O2, is a white or colorless crystalline powder that occurs naturally in small amounts in cinnamon, apples, cranberries, and prunes; for industrial use, sodium benzoate is created by the neutralization of benzoic acid with sodium hydroxide. Generally used as a food preservative, sodium benzoate is both bacteriostatic and fungistatic in conditions with a low pH. Bell Chem, the food ingredient supplier of Central Florida, proudly stocks sodium benzoate for its customers.

Because it works well in acidic conditions, manufacturers turn to sodium benzoate for preserving salad dressings, carbonated drinks, fermented foods such as sauerkraut, fruit juices, jams and jellies with acidic ingredients, pickles, and several condiments including hot sauce.

The pharmaceutical industry finds sodium benzoate an appropriate ingredient for medicines. Urea cycle disorders respond to sodium benzoate since it binds to amino acids so they can be excreted from the body, thereby lowering the overall amount of ammonia in the blood. Hyperammoniemia, or extreme amounts of ammonia in the blood, is another disorder thwarted by sodium benzoate.

Many forms of cosmetics utilize sodium benzoate for its characteristic preservative qualities.

While preserving foods with a low pH is its best-known asset, sodium benzoate has uses in various industries. Give Bell Chem a call today at 407-339-BELL (407-339-2355) to speak with a representative from Florida’s food ingredient supplier about the benefits your company will receive by stocking this important food ingredient. Our blog page has an abundance of information pertaining to chemicals, food ingredients, pharmaceutical grade products, sanitation chemicals, and personal care ingredients.

Sodium Citrate FCC Dihydrate

Disodium hydrogen citrate, commonly referred to as sodium citrate dihydrate, is an acid salt of citric acid and has the chemical formula Na2C6H6O7. The Food Chemicals Codex (FCC) variety meets all guidelines deeming it appropriate for use in foods, beverages, and pharmaceutical products. Bell Chem, the food ingredient supplier in Orlando, has found sodium citrate dihydrate useful in emulsification, as an antioxidant, to regulate acidity, et cetera. Read below for a short description of the uses of sodium citrate FFC dihydrate and more.

• When added to cheese, sodium citrate dihydrate allows cheese to melt without appearing greasy since it easily emulsifies oil. Sodium citrate dihydrate locks oil into the cheese and keeps it from oozing onto the surface.
• As a sequestrant, sodium citrate dihydrate improves both the stability and quality of foods. Acting as a preservative, sequestrants prevent the oxidation of fats. When fats oxidize, they can easily form free radicals that break down the product and cause spoilage.
• Sodium citrate dihydrate acts as an antioxidant in other foods as well. By stopping oxidation within any product, sodium citrate dihydrate minimizes product damage.
• Regulating acids during the processing of foods is another function of sodium citrate dihydrate. When the chemical pH of foods is stabilized, they last longer and have a greater tendency to retain their proper taste and texture.

Sodium citrate dihydrate is a powerful food additive with far-ranging uses, as briefly outlined above. The food ingredient supplier in Orlando, Bell Chem, proudly stocks this product as well as an abundance of other food-related ingredients. Our inventory encompasses other industries as well, including water treatment, beauty care and nutrition, sanitation, and reagent-grade chemicals. Give Bell Chem a call today at 407-339-2355 (BELL) to learn about our inventory, and read the Bell Chem blog for an in-depth look at many of our chemicals and services offered.