A young family

Hydrocolloids & Texturants

Discover New Sensory Experiences

At IFF, we offer a wide range of high-quality hydrocolloids and texturants to develop products with the ideal appearance, taste, texture, and mouthfeel, ensuring the satisfaction of our customers’ needs.

*(Source: FMCG gurus, Nov 2022)

  • 40%
    of global consumers are influenced by texture when choosing food and beverage products.*
Different types of chips

Meeting Challenges with Solutions

We provide innovative solutions to maximize food and beverage production, emphasizing stability and functional properties while delivering delicious, healthy, and more nutritious products to meet our customers’ needs.

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Reduce Process Complexity

Our hydrocolloids and texturants help keep the product more uniform and tolerant to different process conditions, which works to reduce losses and minimize production stops.

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Improve Stability Over Shelf-life

At IFF, we value maintaining product quality without altering its original characteristics throughout the supply chain and during storage, making our hydrocolloids and texturants beneficial in supporting consistent performance and freshness.

52%

of global consumers think that eating less sugar is healthy (Source: Global Market Research Healthy Eating Global Trends 2019- RE-IMAGINE WELLNESS™ deck)

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Elevate Texture and Mouthfeel

Our customers utilize our hydrocolloids and texturants to create desirable sensations like creaminess, thickness, crispness, and viscosity, delivering the taste and texture consumers crave.

46%

of consumers surveyed said they would like to see citrus-flavored fruit snack products (Source: IFF PX I&P Online US & Canada, Nov 2023)

A young family cooking

Optimize Formulation Costs

Our customers apply our hydrocolloids and texturant solutions to replace partial or total costly ingredients while contributing to a better nutritional profile for their products without a quality compromise.

Hydrocolloids & Texturants Applications

Beverage

Beverage

Our texturants contribute to freshness, creaminess, flavor release, and mouthfeel across various process conditions, including sugar-reduced and plant-based formulations.

They ensure uniform particle suspension in both acidic and neutral beverages, control viscosity, and prevent separation throughout the product’s shelf life.

Specific grades offer exceptional clarity, instant dissolution, and rapid hydration

A woman drinking a cold bottle of milk

Our Portfolio

Sourcing texturants responsibly

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Biopolymers (Gellan and Xanthan gum)

Biopolymers like Gellan and Xanthan gum, produced through bio-fermentation from naturally occurring organisms, are well-known for elevating texture and particle suspension, with specific grades tailored for dysphagia management.

Spruce-forest-with-a-river

Cellulosics

Cellulosics, such as CMC (cellulose gum)  and MCC (cellulose gel), are versatile thickeners and stabilizers derived from one of Earth’s abundant organic compounds, offering a wide range of highly functional and efficient ingredients.

IFF sources its cellulosics from renewable materials, partnering with suppliers who prioritize responsible forest management.

These suppliers operate in countries classified by the CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) as “not at risk” of deforestation and adhere to strict environmental standards, reducing ecological impact.

Our global manufacturing sites are ECOVADIS and Sedex certified, reflecting our commitment to sustainable practices.

The majority of our facilities also hold additional certifications, including ISO 9001, 14001, and 50001, further supporting our efforts in quality and environmental management.

52%

of global consumers think that eating less sugar is healthy (Source: Global Market Research Healthy Eating Global Trends 2019- RE-IMAGINE WELLNESS™ deck)

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Seaweeds

We offer Alginates and Carrageenan, sourced from naturally occurring marine algae, to provide structure and gelation, elevating stabilization and mouthfeel to our customer’s products.

To produce high-quality alginate and carrageenan, our Seaweed Responsible Sourcing Program (SRSP) focuses on promoting ethical practices, reducing environmental impact, and supporting the communities involved in our supply chain.

In collaboration with Bellona, an environmental non-governmental organization (NGO), the Norwegian Marine Restoration project aims to restore 5,000 square kilometers of seaweed forest, contributing to marine ecosystem health.

Every location where we produce carrageenan has been audited by SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit), which focuses on labor, Health & Safety, Business Ethics, and Environment.

Our main production sites for alginate are ISO 14000 certified, which means we comply with environmental standards.

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Guar Gum

Guar gum, a naturally sourced ingredient, controls viscosity, enhances texture, and improves creaminess and stabilization across a wide range of applications, with specific grades available for non-food uses.

Our sustainable guar sourcing initiative has strengthened the resilience of over 800 smallholder farmers by providing education on agroecology, livestock management, crop rotation, and more, helping them adapt to unpredictable weather and market changes.

Our guar suppliers are members of Sedex, which promotes ethical business practices globally, and our production site holds ISO 14001 certification, reflecting our commitment to environmental management.

Hydrocolloids_Portfolio_LBG-min

Locust Bean Gum

Locust bean gum (LBG), minimally processed from carob tree seeds, improves creaminess, spreadability, and reduces ice crystal formation.

Our portfolio also features Carob Powder as a cocoa replacement as well as anti-reflux grade locust bean gum for infant formula.

Locust Bean Gum is sourced from the pods of carob trees, which are drought-resistant, require minimal irrigation, and prevent soil degradation. These trees can live up to 400 years or more. Our sourcing aligns with the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI), supporting organic production.

IFF focuses on continuous environmental improvements for our manufacturing processes, such as investing in low-temperature drying systems and switching to green electricity and biogas. Our facilities are ISO 9001 and 14001 certified.

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Pectin

Pectin, extracted from citrus peels, offers gelation, viscosity, texture, and protein stability across a variety of applications.

For pectin, we turn side-products into an ingredient that is better for people and the planet. Additionally, we use unique advanced biotechnology to reduce energy use and improve yields, with our Czech plant being powered by renewable energy.

We were awarded as the industry’s first ISO 14044 compliant and third-party reviewed Life Cycle Assessment.

We have performed a detailed LCA for different texturants, with cradle-to-gate carbon footprint values available under request.

Meet Our Experts

IFF’s commitment to innovation with strong expertise and technical heritage, results in speed-to-market consumer-preferred product.

Graham Sworn ,
Senior Principal Scientist 
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With decades of production experience, a World-class Quality Management System, and Food Safety, IFF’s hydrocolloids range secure a high level of supply reliability and exceptional performance across many Food & Beverage applications.

Eva Lynenskjold,
Principal Designer I
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At IFF, our commitment to excellence with a long history in tailoring hydrocolloid functionalities ensures our dedication to stringent quality in each batch produced securing the highest performance in every end-use.

Mike Cammarata,
Principle Scientist I
Read my story
Different types of chips

Transform Ideas into Market-Ready Innovations

Bring your vision to life with IFF’s expertise in food and beverage innovation. Together, we can turn bold ideas into groundbreaking solutions.