Ingredients
Blends That Make The Grade:
Phosphates for Food Applications
With numerous functions
that help improve the
quality and yield of food
products ranging from
processed meats to frozen
seafood and flavoured
milks, phosphates are
poised to meet the
processing challenges of
Asia’s expanding food
industry. Through its
specialised blends and
tailor-made solutions,
Prayon is one supplier who
intends to build a
reputation as a dedicated
solutions provider.
Phosphates offer numerous shelf-life
extension and stabilisation functions
in seafood and meat products.
56 FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2006
P
HOSPHORUS accounts for just 1% of the chemical composition of the
human body, but this mineral plays a vital role in genetic transfers,
bone and teeth formation as well as basic metabolism. Dietary
phosphorus in the form of phosphoric acid or phosphate salts is obtained from
a wide variety of foods including egg yolk, nuts, cheese, soya, chocolate, fish,
poultry and many fruits and vegetables.
In food manufacturing, phosphates also serve many useful purposes such
as protein modification, mineral sequestration to prevent rancidity and pH
buffering. Baked goods leavened with phosphates result in better texture, colour,
rise and crumb characteristics. Process cheeses benefit from their buffering
capacity and protein dispersion properties, while tricalcium phosphate prevents
caking in powdered beverages and boosts the calcium content of beverages.
Phosphoric acid is a staple acidulant in many soft drinks.
Asia’s expanding food industry is expected to result in a corresponding
surge in demand for phosphates as processing aids and calcium sources. While
some would regard the phosphates business as a bulk commodity sector, Prayon
is one supplier who sees tremendous potential in developing speciality
phosphate blends for in high value food applications.
Phosphates for food processing
“The food business represents today 10-15% of our turnover of around
555 million euros, but we plan to grow this business by 25% within five years,”
reveals Paul Balot, Deputy Business Line Manager for Prayon, which was
established in Belgium over a century ago. From rock phosphate mines around
the world, Prayon uses a patented wet process that extracts phosphoric acid
from the rock using sulphuric acid followed by filtration to purify the product,
a method that Mr Balot says offers an edge in energy consumption compared
to the alternative – thermic extraction using high heat.
About half of Prayon’s turnover already derives from non-European sales,
and the company is increasingly focusing on emerging markets such as Asia,
states Mr Balot, who was recently in this region in a bid to the company’s
business prospects and strengthen ties with local partners.
Mr Balot point out that Prayon offers a broad range of food grade phosphates
relevant to the needs of Asia’s food processors. “Any processed food will to
some extent contain some phosphates,” he
says. “In the meat and fish sector,
phosphate is used to retain water and give
a nice juiciness and redness to the meat.
We also see phosphates as a process aid
in the sliced and spreadable cheese sector:
any type of low fat cheese formulation
where you need to stabilise the caseinates
and caseins.”
Phosphates are also used to soften the
skin of frozen or canned legumes, which
reduces their cooking time. In processed
vegetables and potatoes, adding sodium
 Ingredients

acid pyrophosphate prevent “What we have been doing is

blackening after peeling and to collaborate closely with the
cutting. Sodium hexameta- customer, identify their needs and
phosphate can improve the tailor-make a phosphate according
viscosity of sauces and purées as to their specific requirements.” For
well as stabilise some fruit drinks. instance, Prayon’s food applica-
Calcium and potassium tions team have develop a range of
phosphates are popular ways of timed-release calcium phosphates
adding calcium, potassium and and acidic sodium pyrophosphates
phosphorus to energy and health for the baking industry, as well as
beverages. “In isotonic drinks, the created improved food tripoly-
high solubility of potassium phosphates with superior dispersion
phosphate salts gives you a clear properties and good fluidity.
solution without impact on the “In some cases,” notes Mr
stability,” adds Mr Balot. Balot, “We start from scratch and
Phosphate blends can be used to stabilise
some fruit drinks and provide minerals.
try to understand the application
Formulating to fit and how the customer is processing
your needs the food. We need to understand what is the contribution
Prayon’s food phosphates are manufactured at facilities of the phosphate in the final formulation, because the
in Belgium, France and the US according to Food technical challenge may not be related to the phosphate
Manufacturing Practices. In terms of scope, the company itself.”
offers “all the phosphate range of products available in “Each application is different and has its own
the market,” but Mr Balot stresses that beyond simply constraints. We want to understand the basic chemistry of
selling, Prayon will work to develop specific solutions for the formulation and how our product will fit in, thereby
customers. providing an additional benefit to the people who use our

FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2006 57

 Ingredients

Phosphates in food applications

Meat & Poultry Rapid water binding
Maintain natural colour and flavours
Emulsion stability in luncheon meats and frankfurters
Maintain natural juices and flavours in marinated products
Inhibit losses during cook cool or freeze thaw
Improve binding of formed products such as nuggets

Fish & Seafood As a dip for shrimp before steam cooking and peeling to facilitate separation
of edible flesh from the shell
Reduce thaw drip loss in frozen shrimp blocks
Maintain natural juices and reduce cook cool loss in shell-off shrimp
Cryoprotectant for surimi to prevent protein denaturation during freezing
Dip for fillets to form a protein ‘glue’ that holds in natural juices and flavours
Treatment for scallops to reduce drip loss during transportation

Baked Goods pH balancer or buffer

& Cereals Mineral source
Leavening agent for dough conditioning
Improve flexibility and flavour of instant pasta
Nutrient source for yeast in bread and rolls

Milk Products Stabilise milk proteins, especially in UHT products

& Desserts Prevent protein denaturation and improve dispersion in spray dried milk
Improve stability of flavoured milks (e.g. chocolate and strawberry)
Accelerate protein gelation in instant puddings and desserts
Buffer to prevent casein feathering in non-dairy creamers

phosphates, whether as a processing

aid, mineral supplement, to provide
transparency or stability.”
Price competitiveness is of
course a must, and Mr Balot gives
the assurance that this is not an issue
given Prayon’s large production
volumes that generate economies of
scale. For food industry buyers,
quality remains the paramount
consideration, and Mr Balot sees
Prayon as a supplier fully able to
deliver a reliable and timely product Adding sodium acid pyrophosphate to processed vegetables and potatoes
with quality assurance. prevents blackening after peeling and cutting.
Prayon has just appointed new
representatives for the Asia Pacific region, including two pace. “The food sector is growing by 2-3% globally, but
new distributors in China, and according to Mr Balot, this regions like China are growing at 8-10%, while Vietnam
growing commercial network is being put into place and Thailand are expanding by about 10%,” remarks Mr
“because we want to be closer to our customers and Balot in closing, “Asia is a strategic destination for us,
understand more about their markets, issues and and with more than 150 types of phosphates just for the
problems.” food industry, we want to be regarded here as a solutions
For Prayon, the move comes at a time when Asia’s provider.”
processed food industry is growing at a disproportionate Enquiry No: 023

58 FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2006