Z-Trim was originally developed as a fat substitute by the U.S. Department of Agriculture made of natural dietary fibers. It is currently licensed for manufacture to Z-Trim Holdings.
This product was created as a health and diet aid; it has no calories since it consists of dietary fiber which cannot be digested by the human body, is natural, and can greatly reduce the fat in foods "with little or no change in flavor or texture," according to a review by the leading consumer reviews organization. Some schools have begun to use the product in their cafeterias, where it has been popular with students.
Z-Trim® Ingredients currently helps food manufacturers to lower costs while providing solutions to a number of today’s most pressing food issues. With unsurpassed water holding capacity, Z-Trim® ingredients help to manage moisture in finished foods, and thereby:
Replace fat with healthy fiber and water, without degrading taste while often improving mouthfeel
Replace unnatural ingredients with healthy fiber and water, allowing for cleaner labels
Improve the nutritional profiles of finished foods
Provide solutions to several moisture related issues, including:
-Increasing shelf-life
-Syneresis control
-Emulsification and stabilization
-Reduce oil absorption
-Reduce breakage and product loss
See http://www.ztrim.com/pages/food_ingredients/2.php
Simply put, Z-Trim® Ingredients bind water more tightly than any other ingredient in the marketplace, allowing food manufacturers to lower costs by selling more water. Finished foods made with Z-Trim® ingredients are, in most cases, lower in fat and calories, while maintaining a full-fat eating experience.
The superior water holding capacity and amorphous cellular structure of Z-Trim® ingredients are key to their outstanding performance in many functionalities important to food product design, including moisture management, texture control, emulsion stability, freeze-thaw stability, and many others – further Z-Trim® ingredients provides process and product stability across a wide pH and temperature range.
The high water holding capacity helps to provide texture, mouthfeel and moistness, extends the yield of certain foods, and may extend shelf-life of some products. The amorphous cellular structure enhances freeze-thaw and heat stability, and helps to hold in place other liquids and ingredients to prevent pooling, weeping, separation, and settling in emulsified systems. Z-Trim® ingredients are rendered, by a patented process, amorphous, and thus, capable of gel formation.
The amorphous nature and very high surface area of single fiber or fiber fragments, along with the fibers’ hydrated dimensions, dictate the gelling properties of Z-Trim®. Z-Trim® forms a short and soft gel better than other soluble fibers, but retains the non-digestibility and non-fermentable attributes of insoluble fiber. The viscosity of Z-Trim® gel is dependent on concentration, and influenced by its high water holding capacity. Z-Trim® gels can mimic the viscosity of most commercial foods at an appropriate concentration. This characteristic is a key factor in how effectively Z-Trim® performs in both standard full-fat and reduced-fat products. See http://www.ztrim.com/pages/about/372.php