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Debrah

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16-Jun-10 08:13

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I don't know -- can we trust Cargill to actually make a "clean-label" food? I suppose with GRAS status, we have to believe it's on the up and up. I read about this in some newsletter recently (Mercola or Mikey Adams maybe?), but this article is from January of last year. I don't think I've seen sunflower lecithin listed in any food items, has anyone else? Prolly just a pipe dream for those of us who are against soy and its many faces.

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Cargill’s clean-label sunflower lecithin reaches the Americas
By Caroline Scott-Thomas, 15-Jan-2009

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Cargill has launched its non-GM, clean-label sunflower lecithin in the Americas, on the back of its new GRAS status.

Unlike soy lecithin, the company’s Topcithin SF sunflower lecithin can be labeled as allergen-free, and Cargill expects it to be particularly popular in confectionery, where lecithin has an important emulsifying function.

The company’s premium-grade lecithin is one of a wide range of lecithin grades which it brought together in its Lecithin Toolbox back in 2007. Until now, however, all of its lecithin has been made from soy.

The sunflower lecithin was launched in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Asia Pacific region in November, but Cargill has had to wait until the ingredient was recognized as GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) before it could be released on the American market.

Confectionery applications

It takes a thick liquid form which can be used to replace some cocoa butter in chocolate, for keeping chewing gum moist, or in the production of chewy candies, such as toffees. The company said that it could also be applied to sauces and instantized foods.

Dana Craig, marketing manager and fruit, beverage and confection at Cargill Texturizing Solutions, North America told FoodNavigator-USA.com: “The main driver for the launch was providing our customers with a GRAS product that does not require allergen labeling…Topcithin SF lecithin is a clean label alternative…that matches soy lecithin in functionality, taste and color.”

GM-free

Providing a non-GM alternative was also important, especially considering increased consumer suspicion about GM soy.

Cargill claims that the new ingredient is strictly segregated throughout its production to avoid contamination with potential allergens, such as soy and rape. The seed crushing for its global supply of sunflower lecithin takes place in Donetsk, Ukraine, and the processing on a dedicated line in Vigonza, Italy. Cargill says it oversees the whole supply chain process.

According to Leatherhead Foods International, annual sales volumes of food-based lecithin are estimated at 100-150,000 tonnes. In its recent food additives report, it said: “Non-GMO lecithin is a growth sector, as is sustainability. The use of fully-traceable non-GM materials is expected to result in premium prices for natural emulsifiers and thus enhance market value growth.”

Although it is possible for people to be allergic to sunflower, it is considered to be rare. The Food Allergy Anaphylaxis Network, which represents the interests of allergy sufferers, says that in terms of the number of Americans who suffer from sunflower allergy “reliable figures aren’t available.”

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Debrah

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16-Jun-10 08:24

Here's another article, although it's from the FDA so how much trust you want to place in the information is up to you, I guess.

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SUNFLOWER LECITHIN

http://www.austradeinc.com/sunflower-lecithin.html

As with soy, there are genetically modified varieties of most of the aforementioned seeds;
not so with sunflower seeds.

Another reason to choose sunflower lecithin, besides the GMO-aspect of conventional soy lecithin, is the growing awareness of food allergies: eight food groups cause 90 percent of all known food-allergic reactions

They are - peanuts, tree nuts (pecans and walnuts, for example), fish, shellfish, milk, eggs, soy and wheat, which are summarized in the ``Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004''

For more information visit www.cfsan.fda.gov

Therefore, sunflower lecithin can be seen as the best source of vegetable lecithin for the food market: it is the perfect choice to replace lecithin made from (genetically modified) soybeans as well as to prevent a possible allergic reaction caused by soy.

Sunflower lecithin has additional advantages such as very low odor and neutral taste, high phosphatidylcholine content, lower linolenic acid

(= better stability) and high performance in its applications within the food, dietetic and pharmaceutical markets.

The performance of sunflower lecithin is almost identical to that of soy lecithin as displayed in the below comparison charts:

Fatty Acid Composition

C16 Palmitic Acid: Soy:17
Sunflower:11
C18 Stearic Acid: Soy:5
Sunflower:6
C18:1 Oleic Acid: Soy:19
Sunflower:19
C18:2 Linoleic Acid: Soy:53
Sunflower:63
C18:3 Linolenic Acid: Soy:6

Sunflower:
When comparing the fatty acid composition, one can see very little difference between sunflower and soy lecithin.

Phospholipic Composition
PE Phosphatidylethanolamine: Soy:8
Sunflower:7
PC Phosphatidylcholine: Soy:12
Sunflower: 15
PA Phosphatidic Acid: Soy:3,5
Sunflower: 2
PI Phosphatidylinositol: Soy:10
Sunflower: 1

An interesting aspect is the higher content in phosphatidylcholine (PC) of the sunflower lecithin.
PC is considered the most important phospholipid conferring the best dispersing and emulsifying properties of lecithin.

Applications include the manufacturing of chocolate, margarine, bread and pastry, confectionery, biscuits as well as dietetic and pharmaceutical products.

We offer four types of liquid sunflower lecithin:

- Standardized
- Hydrolyzed (20 – 30% hydrolysis)
- Highly Hydrolyzed (60 – 70% hydrolysis)
- Premium Grade RB

The premium quality sunflower lecithin was specifically developed for use in release agents, antifoam agents and other applications calling for extra refined and bleached lecithin

http://www.austradeinc.com/sunflower-lecithin.html

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