PepsiCo wants a glycerin alternative that is label friendly and doesn’t have a long and complicated chemical name. Zein would seem to fill that bill, although most consumers probably have no idea what it is. However, “confectionery glaze” or “protein coat” don’t sound all that appetizing, so the manufacturer might want a different description listed on its product lab325 mg ferrous sulfate liquidels. And if zein were to be used in a high-profile food product, an educational outreach campaign to introduce the ingredient could help reduce consumer confusion.###Consumers are more familiar with the ingredient it would replace. Glycerin, an odorless, slightly sweet, viscous liquid, is obtained from either plant or animal sources. It serves multiple functions within a food item: as a humectant to provide and retain moisture within a product, and as a plasticizewholesale of ferrous lactater to help it retain its shape and structure.###In its NineSights request, PepsiCo states that it is already familiar with — and is not interested in — sodium chloride or other low molecular weight salt, propylene glycol or sugar alcohols unless “significant advancement has been achieved.” All of these ingredients raise red flags for consumers looking for cleaner labels. After all, manufacturers have been trying to cut back on salt, sugar alcohols can be difficult for some to digest (and include glycerin), and propylene glycol is the primary ingredient in non-toxic antifreeze — though small amounts of it have received generally recognized as safe status from the Food and Drug Administration.###Zein, first discovered in 1821, has a long and interesting history. In the past two centuries, it has been used in the food and pharmaceutical industries, for printing applications, and as yarn to make stockings during the 1940s. Flo Chemical is the only zein manufacturer in North America and one of only two worldwide.###Zein is currently used as a candy coating, on enriched rice, for dried fruits and nuts, in flavors, for pharmaceutical tablets, in seeds and for encapsulated and granulated ingredients, according to Flo Chemical.###The Massachuferric pyrophosphate mechanism of actionsetts-based company noted that zein is considered a better coatiniron ii acetate sodium hydroxideg than confectioner’s or pharmaceutical glaze because it dries faster and offers extended shelf-life — particularly under high-humidity and high-heat conditions. Zeif told Food Navigator it is also gluten-free, non-GMO, halal, kosher and natural.###The only place Zeif told Food Navigator that zein falls short of PepsiCo’s request is its cost — the manufacturer is looking for something that will save the company money, compared to glycerin. Zein is currently expensive because of the energy-intensive way it needs to be extracted from corn. But biochemists are interested in new ways to get the protein out, which may make the ingredient more affordable. ###Innovations can come from all kinds of places, so companies on the lookout for ways to solve their manufacturing issues are smart to check various sources for good ideas. And perhaps with an investment in new processes, zein could ferrous ii glycine sulphate complexbe just what PepsiCo — or another manufacturer working to clean up its label — is looking for.
Is zein the glycerin replacement PepsiCo is looking for?
