Share

Red seaweed powder and seaweed fiber are new, innovative ingredients that are spreading on the market and have become highly sought after by food industry giants embracing the philosophy of clean-label products. 

Seaweed and its derivatives are considered natural and suitable for healthy, balanced diets, and this is the primary reason why many companies have embraced the potential of such ingredients. 

As a result, the market is now flooded with ingredients labeled as alleged seaweed fiber or seaweed powder. It is becoming increasingly important to question whether these ingredients actually meet the requirements to be considered natural or if they are simply marketed as such. 

This is where phytaFIBER® fills a gap in the market. phytaFIBER® is an innovative and natural, fully certified ingredient suitable for all clean-label products worldwide. 

What is Clean Labelling?

Until recently, there was no legal definition of what pertains to a clean label. It is often described as a food label that does not list ingredients that may be considered undesirable by consumers. Some substances may have negative connotations, such as certain food additives like colors, flavors, or preservatives. However, clean labeling “does not necessarily mean that the product is free from additives, as they can be hidden in substituting ingredients.” The point is that many food additives, generally labeled as E-numbers, can be passed off as “uncertified ingredients” that claim to be natural, while, in fact, still being chemically processed. What Java Biocolloid has achieved with the development of phytaFIBER® is a certified ingredient that is natural, chemical-free, and healthy, allowing for true transparency through clean labeling. 

phytaFIBER®: True Transparency

As pioneers in the seaweed business, the R&D team at Java Biocolloid has been conducting research into the production of pulverized seaweed since 2014 following EU regulations, with the official launch of phytaFIBER® in 2016.

Thanks to a chemical-free production process and the recognition of phytaFIBER® as a certified ingredient by European authorities, it can boast the name of powdered or pulverized seaweed or seaweed fiber on ingredient labels worldwide. This differentiates phytaFIBER® from other E-numbered seaweed extracts, as the seaweed is considered unprocessed or a minimally transformed product through physical-thermal processes excluding chemical processes. Instead, the raw material, red seaweed Gracilariopsis longissima (formerly Gracilaria verrucosa), passes through the stages of sorting, washing, and the patented process called ‘steam explosion’ without the modification of the intimate structure of the seaweed. 

Thanks to minimal intervention, phytaFIBER® is a real, functional fiber with a main content of 81% soluble and insoluble fiber. It also has intrinsic thickening/gelling properties depending on dosage, making it the perfect texturizing solution for clean-label products.

The Java Biocolloid R&D team is continually exploring and developing the possibilities of phytaFIBER®.

Straight From the Source

Indonesia is the largest producer of tropical and cultivated seaweeds of the Gracilariales family, including Gracilaria spp, the red seaweed used as the raw material for the production of agar and Gracilariopsis longissima, the raw material for phytaFIBER®.

In line with our slogan, ‘Straight from the source’, and our drive toward constant innovation and technological developments, Java Biocolloid encourages sustainable cultivation practices and supports the local economy while maximizing the potential of seaweed and natural seaweed derivatives such as phytaFIBER®.

Read more related articles about phytaFIBER®

Taxonomic name change of phytaFIBER's raw material: https://www.java-biocolloid.com/event/taxonomical-name-changes-of-phytafiber-s-raw-material

phytaFIBER® status: https://www.java-biocolloid.com/event/phytafiber-status

phytaFIBER® - a brief history and the future of hydrocolloid: https://www.java-biocolloid.com/event/phytafiber-a-brief-history-and-the-future-food-hydrocolloid

Share