Premier salad dressings
By Paula Frank,
Technical Editor, Food Product Design
Table of Contents
Classy dressing
Dress code
In the thick of it
Dressing with gumption
A functional touch
Chewing the fat
Designer oils
Self preservation
Flavor savvy
Pedigreed cow
Other noble ingredients
We know we're supposed to eat five to seven servings of fruits and vegetables per day, and consuming a plate full of salad greens is one sure way to meet those requirements. Salads are even more enticing when topped with dressings that are anything but ordinary. Although old standbys like Italian, ranch, thousand island and French dominate the market, other varieties containing upscale ingredients and unique flavors continue to emerge. Many of these gourmet-type dressings have multipurpose use, and function as marinades or sandwich spreads in addition to salad toppers.
Creative flavor development as well as improved technology of functional ingredients help generate salad dressings with restaurant-like appeal. These dressings not only appeal to consumers because they contain trendy flavor combinations, but also because of their rich textures, even in reduced fat systems.
Classy dressing
There are a wide variety of salad dressings in the market - each type fulfilling perhaps a different niche market. Many dressings emulate the traditional vinaigrette - a dressing made typically of three parts oil to one part vinegar, and one of the five basic "mother sauces."
Homemade vinaigrette usually shows a distinctly visible separation between the oil and vinegar phases until shaken prior to serving.
While several commercial products exhibit this separation, other manufactures emulsify their dressings, and thus they appear as a homogeneous blend.
The popularity of vinaigrettes has grown tremendously in recent years - much of this interest is attributed to bold new flavors. For instance, Kraft Greek Vinaigrette and Balsamic Vinaigrette are two flavors offered by the Glenview, IL company. Briannas brand, sold by Del Sol Food Co., Inc., Brenham, TX, includes a French-type and a blush-wine vinaigrette. Lipton, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ, carries a portfolio of vinaigrettes that include flavors such as roasted garlic, berry, sun-dried tomato, olive oil and red wine under the Wish-bone label.
Wild Thymes vinaigrettes contain upscale, all-natural ingredients, whose names reflect their gourmet appeal: Parmesan Walnut Caesar, Mandarin Orange Basil, Mediterranean Balsamic, Lime Ginger and Roasted Apple Shallot. "Naming is critical from a marketing standpoint," notes Ann Stettner, co-owner of Wild Thymes Farm, Inc., Medusa, NY. "If you're going to use roasted apples, then you might as well let people know that, because it's very appealing."
Dressing manufacturers often take a standard dressing and add a new flair to it. Flavor modifications of a basic vinaigrette demonstrate this concept. In addition, line extensions of classic dressings, like Italian, offer a point of differentiation. Wish-bone's line of Italian dressings includes basic Italian; a Robusto Italian, suggesting a higher flavor impact; a Classic House Italian containing dairy ingredients; and a creamy version with cultured buttermilk, modified food starch and cellulose gum to impart creaminess. Others capitalize on homemade appeal. Take for instance the Italian version made by Newman's Own, Inc., Westport, CT, called "family recipe."
Consumers are attracted to products offering healthy appeal. Wild Thymes' Parmesan Walnut Caesar is an example of a classic dressing with a modern and healthy spin, explains Stettner. "We have a Caesar dressing that is really a vinaigrette. It has the fresh Parmesan in it, so you get the flavor of a Caesar dressing, but you are also not getting the creaminess, the calories, the heaviness; it's much lighter," she also adds.
While certain premium dressings entice consumers with lower levels of fat, others may provide different health-based appeals by containing ingredients such as fructo-oligosaccharides, or added vitamin C or E as antioxidants. Hellmann's Citrus Splash line sold by Best Foods, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, comes in Tangerine Balsamic, Orange Vinaigrette, Ruby Red Ginger, and Oriental Orange, and are supplemented with ascorbic acid, claiming to provide a good source of vitamin C.
New concepts are often generated from global cuisines and ethnic influences, says Stettner. She explains that, lime ginger takes some of its influence from Thai food. Other dressings of Asian influence are becoming more prevalent. Take Lipton's oriental dressing for instance, a flavor blend of soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sherry wine, sesame oil, and garlic - ingredients regularly associated with Asian cuisine.
Dress code
Salad dressings are either spoonable or pourable. Spoonable dressings evolved from mayonnaise, and therefore are similar in consistency. A spoonable dressing, like mayonnaise, is a Bingham plastic, which defines its rheology. In other words, it behaves like a solid until a particular shear stress is applied, at which point it flows like a liquid. The yield value defines the force required to change the product from a solid to a liquid state.
According to Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 169.140, standardized mayonnaise must contain a minimum of 65% vegetable oil by weight, with liquid egg yolk at 45% solids used at a level of 5.3% to 5.8% of the total formula for emulsification. Although this standard of identity does not apply to spoonable dressings per se, it could provide a benchmark for oil content and flow characteristics for the developer who wishes to rely on the oil-in-water emulsion for thickening and textural characteristics. A mayonnaise made with the minimum amount of oil required by law (65%) tends to be on the thin side, and has a low yield value. A product with a higher yield value would contain oil in the low-to mid-80% range, and may exhibit an undesirable firmness.
Standardized salad dressing is regulated under 21 CFR 169.150, which specifies a minimum vegetable oil content of 30%, with egg yolk solids content not less than 4% by weight of liquid egg yolks, which average 43.8% solids. French dressing is also regulated (21 CFR 169.115), and must contain a minimum of 35% by weight of vegetable oil.
In addition to specifying oil and egg content, the CFR for standardized salad dressing and French dressing also lists allowable acidulants, including vinegar used alone or in combination with malic and/or citric acid (not to exceed 25% of the acids of the vinegar or diluted vinegar calculated as acetic acid). Lemon or lime juice may also be used.
Acceptable optional ingredients include: salt; nutritive carbohydrate sweeteners; spices and/or natural flavors, except those that exhibit coloring similar to that imparted by egg yolk (salad dressing only); monosodium glutamate (MSG); stabilizers and thickeners with additives as specified by 21 CFR 172.810; tomato paste or puree, ketchup, or sherry wine (French dressing only); sequestrants, and crystallization inhibitors.
Many types of nonstandardized dressings exist in the market today. These dressings are often characterized by reduced fat levels, and depend on stabilizers like starches and gums for thickening, body and mouthfeel. Nowadays, spoonable dressings typically contain 35% to 50% oil, although no legal standards apply.
In the thick of it
Technological advances allowing starches and gums to survive under harsh acid and shear conditions have provided developers with alternatives for thickening spoonable salad dressings. These ingredients enable less dependency on the emulsion for thickness, and provide greater flexibility in fat level and textural modification.
Starches not only provide viscosity, but stability and texture that contributes to mouthfeel as well. Although spoonable and pourable dressings can be made with either cook-up or instant starches, spoonables are usually made with cook-up starches, while pourables use the instant type.
"Spoonable salad dressings were developed before instant starches and gums were capable of withstanding acid, shear and such, so they were based on traditional cook-up starches," explains Judy Turner, food scientist, A. E. Staley Manufacturing Co., Decatur, IL. "Even though we now have the technology to make instant starches that can withstand that process with a long shelf life, manufacturers tend to stick to their tried-and-true process."
Blending a starch that gives fluid viscosity with one that has gelling and set-back characteristics helps achieve the desired texture for a spoonable dressing, notes Turner. This blend is incorporated into a slurry containing vinegar, water, sweeteners and spices to make up the aqueous phase. Once the slurry is cooked and cooled to ambient temperatures, pasteurized liquid egg yolk and oil are added, then the mixture is emulsified, typically through a colloid mill at high shear.
The type of instant starches recommended for pourables are high-quality granular starches. These intact granules provide viscosity, while maintaining a high-quality appearance. Granular instant starches have a smooth, creamy appearance and the intact granules provide the stability required for a high acid, highly sheared product with a long shelf-life. Starches used in salad dressings are chemically modified to provide extra stability under these harsh conditions. The process for pourables is similar to that of spoonables with the exception of the cooking step. As soon as the granular starch is hydrated into the aqueous phase, emulsification can begin.
Cook-up starches readily disperse because their granules won't swell prior to heat exposure. On the other hand, instant starches swell as soon as they come into contact with cold water.
Dispersion of cold-water swelling starches can be accomplished in one of several ways. High shear, for instance, is one method. Another method involves blending the starch with part of the formula's oil, and then incorporating this oil/starch slurry into the aqueous phase. Turner recommends starting with two parts oil to one part starch. This is probably the easiest method as long the formula contains oil. This procedure can also be done with a high solids corn sweetener by using three parts corn syrup (75% solids) at ambient temperature to one part starch. Other methods described by Turner include blending the starch in with other dry ingredients and then adding the blend to the aqueous phase with good agitation, or using an agglomerated starch.
Starch usage levels vary depending on the level of oil in the dressing, since the emulsion gives viscosity. The greater the level of oil, the higher the viscosity. "If you have a 50% oil spoonable salad dressing, you may need 3.0% to 3.5% starch, because you still want that spoonable texture," notes Turner. "If you drop that fat down to maybe 30% to 35%, which is more typical of regional brands, you might need 4.0% to 4.5%. In pourable salad dressing, if you have 50% fat, you only need maybe 0.75% to 1.0% starch, because you just need fluid viscosity. Again, that can go up to 3.0% depending on what your fat level is." Over-usage could cause the emulsion to break in spoonables, and would gradually affect the texture of pourables by continued thickening up over the length of the shelf life.
Factors influencing starch selection include process conditions, texture, rheology and targeted shelf life. Salad dressing shelf life generally runs nine to 12 months; however, some food service dressings will only have a three-month shelf life. The shelf life of the dressing is one of the determining factors for the level of stability required from the starch. The longer the shelf-life, the more highly modified the starch must be to stabilize the dressing under the acidic conditions. As chemical modification of starch increases, viscosity decreases, which in turn requires a higher usage level. Starch selection "is a balance and trade-off," says Turner, "depending on how much shelf life is required."
Dressing with gumption
Gums act as stabilizers and thickeners, much as starches do, and provide cling, creaminess and opacity to dressings. Xanthan gum is most commonly used in salad dressings, followed closely by guar and propylene glycol alginate (PGA). For cost-reduction purposes, Florian Ward, Ph.D., vice president, research and development, TIC Gums Belcamp, MD, recommends using xanthan and guar gum in combination. Good synergy is developed between the more acid-stable xanthan and guar, which is nonionic. These two gums add viscosity and help stabilize the emulsion formed during processing of the dressing.
As with starches, the gum level depends on the level of emulsion and the finished viscosity desired. According to Ward, levels range from 0.50% to 0.75% of the finished product. "If the gum level is too high, the product will not be pourable and will be too viscous or gummy," she says. A creamy mouthfeel is a desirable trait of dressings, and one achieved by selecting a gum system that is pseudoplastic, or shear-thinning. Gums are particularly important in replacing the creamy, fatty mouthfeel in dressings with reduced fat levels.
Once again, the higher the oil level, the more emulsifier (PGA) required and the more viscous the dressing. For lower levels of oil, for example 10%, a gum emulsifier such as gum acacia (also known as gum arabic) is also used. This helps increase shelf life by preventing oil drops form coalescing.
Emulsion stability is critical to long-term stability. Thus, finding ways of predicting emulsion stability is one of the tasks of the Emulsion Committee formed by the Association for Dressings and Sauces (ADS), Atlanta, of which TIC Gums is a part.
"Accelerated tests for emulsion stability include particle-size analysis and a centrifugation method," says Ward. The larger the oil particles, the greater the tendency for coalescence, which leads to a breakdown of the emulsion. Homogenization pressure can be optimized through particle-size distribution analysis to insure emulsion stability over the course of the shelf life.
Gums can help solve another potential problem. According to Chuck Werstak, application and development manager, specialty lipid systems, Kerry Ingredients, Beloit, WI, one of the challenges faced in designing dressings with dairy products is the risk of protein denaturation under acid conditions, which can produce a gritty or sandy texture.
"To suspend the proteins, a protein-reactive hydrocolloid like carrageenan or sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) should be used in addition to the thickening gums," says Ward. If protein content is low, a combination of xanthan, guar and/or PGA will suffice.
Proper hydration is critical to the gum's performance. Care must be taken in combining gums with other dry ingredients, especially proteins and salt, which tend to delay gum hydration by using available water, notes Ward. She recommends mixing one part gum to five parts dry mix, and then adding the blend to the vortex of the water during high-shear mixing. Mixing should continue until the viscosity is visibly higher. Prehydrated or agglomerated gums hydrate quickly and are particularly useful in reduced- fat formulations.
A functional touch
The oil-in-water emulsion, plus ingredients like starches and gums, aren't the only contributors to a dressing's texture. Inulin, a fructose polymer containing fructo-oligosaccharides extracted from chicory root, "is now being used in higher-end commercial dressings due to its ability to give an excellent fat-like texture to a product," notes Pam Galvin, vice president, sales and technical marketing, Imperial Sensus, Sugar Land, TX. "It has the ability to do this as a carbohydrate, because it has a very unique property in water in which it can actually form a particle gel or cream." This occurs in solutions where the concentration of inulin is greater than 15%. Concentrations below this level produce viscous solutions.
Inulin functions synergistically with hydrocolloids and starch, because its hydrogen-bonding efficiency influences the rate in which it binds to water. As a result, it changes the rheology of the gum and/or starch and inulin matrix. "This change is what gives you the improved texture, or mouthfeel that normally is associated with fat," says Galvin.
"Inulin delivers an emolliency and creaminess and a coating effect on the tongue that mimics fat. It also makes a dressing more flowable, and fat-like, which improves flavor delivery, cling, and opacity. Dressings can often get a glassy or watery look when they're in the salad, but inulin will make it creamier looking, so even on the salad it's not going to dilute or separate," says Galvin. The hydrocolloid can't be replaced completely, because inulin's molecules are small, and unable to bind as much water on an equivalent weight basis to that of the hydrocolloid. A reduction of 20% to 30% is possible, however.
The purified extract does not contain the bitter components naturally associated with chicory. The flavor of inulin can be characterized as neutral with a slight amount of sweetness, equating to one-tenth that of sucrose, notes Galvin. As with gums and starches, usage will vary depending on the flow characteristics and finished viscosity desired, although typical levels are between 2% and 4%.
Inulin is associated with health benefits, not only because fat levels can be reduced without compromising texture, but because inulin is a prebiotic. "The efficacious dose is about 5 grams per day (the minimum amount needed for its prebiotic effects and associated health benefits such as improved digestion and mineral absorption)," Galvin says. "It's a natural complement for a salad, because things like onion, garlic and asparagus also contain inulin, but in our diet on average, we're just not getting enough. (The average U.S. consumer) only gets about 2.5 grams per day, so you certainly need to further fortify with inulin to get the desired health effects."
Different labeling and health-claim guidelines for inulin exist for various countries. Its dietary-fiber status is approved in several countries, and is pending in the United States with hopes of approval in 2000. Health claims fall under the guidelines of Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA). Several options are available for labeling including: inulin, polyfructose, fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), oligofructose, or natural extract of chicory root in combination with any of the preceding terms. In countries other than the United States, inulin can be labeled as dietary fiber, chicory root fiber, or vegetable fiber.
Chewing the fat
Salad oils provide lubricity, texture and creaminess to dressings, and act as a flavor potentiator. Soybean is most prevalent in salad dressings, followed by canola oil, and is truly the "workhorse" of the class of vegetable oils, says Ed Campbell, vice president and technical director in the food oils division of Archer Daniels Midland Co, Decatur, IL. Soybean oil is readily available, low cost, and retains a clean flavor over the course of a dressing's shelf life.
The selection of source oils for salad oils may involve several criteria, notes Robert Reeves, president, Institute of Shortening and Edible Oils, Washington, D.C., including: flavor (presence or absence), stability, viscosity, cost, and nutritional composition. "If someone wanted to use canola oil, they may wish to capitalize on the low saturation level of that particular oil, because it only has (roughly) 6% saturation," he says. Some oils may be selected because they possess their own unique flavor (e.g., olive, cottonseed), while others may be desired for their absence of flavor allowing the flavor of other ingredients to come through (e.g., soybean, sunflower).
Processing vegetable oils removes components that may have a negative impact on flavor, color and stability. Oils that have been refined to ensure such quality are referred to as RBD (refined, bleached and deodorized) oils. Refining eliminates impurities like free fatty acids that could cause oxidation, as well as other nonessential materials, bleaching removes color pigments, and deodorization removes odor-causing volatiles.
Oils are also protected from exposure to oxygen as much as possible to reduce the potential for rancidity. Tanker trucks are capped off with nitrogen, referred to as a "nitrogen blanket," in order to eliminate the presence of oxygen during transit. Some manufacturers also sparge the salad oil prior to filling by passing nitrogen bubbles through the oil to further ensure a maximum shelf life by driving out oxygen, explains Reeves.
Salad oils shouldn't solidify when stored under refrigeration. Certain oils, like cottonseed, undergo winterization, which removes high-melt fractions that crystallize at cooler temperatures and cause the oil to cloud. Peanut oil, for instance, isn't used in salad dressings, because it gels under refrigeration temperatures, notes Campbell.
Designer oils
Olive oil, with its gourmet appeal, has a rich flavor, and is often associated with Mediterranean cuisine. Because of its expense, it is commonly cut with a lower-cost vegetable oil, like soybean or canola. Another oil with potential for designer appeal is mid-oleic sunflower oil, which has a level of monounsaturates similar to that of olive oil, yet is more competitively priced. According to Campbell, it could become the "designer oil at a workhorse value." Other less-common oils may be used in premier salad dressings, because they impart a unique flavor character or lend a health cachet because of their high monounsaturate level.
A wide range of flavors and colors exists for olive oil. Color depends on the olive variety, although a deeper color generally indicates an oil with greater flavor intensity. Hues range from a light golden color to shades of green. A red tint suggests some degree of oxidation. Olive oil is typically ranked among the healthier fats due to its high percentage of oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid.
Olive oils are graded according to their level of acidity. Extra virgin olive oil is the most premium variety, containing a maximum acidity of 1%. It is subject to the least amount of processing, and in some areas, must meet certain organoleptic criteria to be classified accordingly. Virgin olive oil has an allowable acidity range of 1% to 3%. Fine virgin olive oil is a blend of virgin and extra virgin olive oil, with a maximum acidity level of 2%. Pure olive oil, or simply olive oil, consists of a blend of virgin oil and refined olive oil (maximum acidity 0.5%), and has a maximum acidity of 1.5%. Finally, a light olive oil has undergone a filtration process that reduces both color and flavor of the product, not the fat level.
Self preservation
Oil makes salad dressings susceptible to oxidation and rancidity. As a result, incorporating certain antioxidants can retard oxidative rancidity. These include natural ingredients, such as tocopherols, rosemary and ascorbic acid, as well as chemical additives, such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), and tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ).
Ensuring that the peroxide value of oil is less than 1 meq/kg, which is a goal of the refining process, also reduces an oil's susceptibility to oxidation. In addition, chelating agents like citric acid, calcium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), or calcium disodium EDTA sequester metal ions, thereby preventing them from acting as catalysts for oxidation. According to Werstak, certain items like iron, copper and chlorophyll should be avoided because they promote oxidation.
A pH range of 3.5 to 3.9 effectively serves as a microbial preservative for salad dressings. A low pH is achieved primarily through the use of vinegars, lemon and/or lime juice, and acids such as citric, malic, lactic or tartaric. Some processors still prefer to add preservatives such as potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate as an extra precaution. Sulfites are added to some dressings and may be contained in certain balsamic vinegars to inhibit bacterial growth capable of producing off-flavors.
According to Pam Chumley, president of The Vinegar Institute and executive director of ADS, Atlanta, vinegar must have a level of at least 4% acidity in order to be called vinegar. This is specified in a compliance policy guide governed by the FDA. "Finished retail vinegars typically run from 4% to 6%," adds Chumley.
Large scale manufacturers generally buy vinegars in bulk at 200 grain (20% acidity) or 100 grain (10% acidity), and dilute it to a level appropriate for their formulations.
Flavor savvy
Fortunately, vinegars contribute more than just acidity to a dressing. They can also add a unique flavor profile. The flavor of vinegar varies depending on the starting source.
In the first stage of vinegar-making, yeasts ferment the natural sugars of a fruit or grain into alcohol. During the second stage of the process, acid fermentation, Acetobacter bacteria converts the alcohol to acid. Distilled vinegar, a product made from grain alcohol, is inexpensive and often used to cut more costly, but more flavorful vinegars.
The lengthy process involved makes traditional balsamic vinegar costly, explains Chumley. It is a product of Modena, Italy, fermented from white Trebbiano grapes native to that region. The vinegar is made from the cooked grape must and is aged over several years in casks made from different types of wood. The finished product has a dark-brown color and distinct flavor.
A consortium of producers in Modena governs the production and certification of the product. All products meeting the standards established by the consortium and passing a blind tasting conducted by five expert panelists, receive a seal indicating that it is, in fact, a product of Modena.
Since the United States has no standard of identity governing balsamic vinegar, many producers may use nontraditional or commercial balsamic vinegar, an economical alternative to the traditional product for mass production. "You've got somewhat of an open market on how (nontraditional) balsamic can be made in the United States, although it must be made from grape," says Chumley. "There are no geographical restrictions on where the grapes come from, and no rules regarding the aging process. Manufacturers of commercial balsamic also may add sugars and caramel color so you're getting that rich color." Because of the lack of standards of identity, a commercial or nontraditional product in the United States does not have to be called imitation or anything other than balsamic, but it cannot - under any circumstances - carry the seal of Modena or be called a "product of Modena."
Fruit, wine and herbal vinegars are becoming more prevalent in salad dressings. Apple-cider vinegar ranks among the more popular varieties. Raspberry vinegar is common in the United States, but other kinds of fruit-based vinegars, like peach and strawberry are less common here, but may be found in other countries. The popularity of citrus flavors may lead to the development of citrus-type vinegars, notes Chumley.
The selection of wine vinegars used to be limiting - the choice consisting of red or white. "Now, it's Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc…so that you're getting more upscale," says Chumley. "You can have a Chardonnay vinaigrette vs. just a white-wine vinaigrette." Rice-wine vinegar is another option. It is made either from rice wine or from rice alcohol, and has a light, clean flavor popular in Asian-type dressings.
Pedigreed cow
The number of interesting flavored dressings in the market suggests more than just vinegar use for flavoring. Premier dressings also contain dairy ingredients such as cheese or enzyme-modified cheese, buttermilk, yogurt, whey, and concentrated or nonfat milk solids. These add flavor, and in many cases have desirable functional attributes as well. Cultured buttermilk often acts as a base for dairy-based dressings. These types of dressings usually require refrigeration throughout their shelf lives.
Whey helps form stable emulsions, even under the acidic conditions found in salad dressings. Whey proteins also have excellent water-holding capabilities, and can form gels - a useful feature in a reduced-fat system where creaminess is desired. Dairy ingredients also deliver richness and contribute essential nutrients to a dressing.
Other noble ingredients
Flavor balance is critical to a dressing's success. This is not only achieved by balancing the sugar/acid ratio, but by adding flavors, enhancers and sweeteners at the appropriate level as well. Sweeteners, flavorings and particulates can help convey a premier-type image. Ingredients like shallots or chives sound far more gourmet than onions.
"If you're going to use a Mandarin orange rather than a navel orange, then use the actual name, because the more information you can give somebody, the more attractive the product usually is," says Stettner. Even ingredients like citrus peel and ginger puree carry an upscale image.
Balancing the flavor of a salad dressing is critical, and probably one of the biggest challenges faced during development. Various tricks of the trade exist to help balance the sugar/acid ratio. Some of these involve using spices and herbs, flavor enhancers such as MSG, hydrolyzed vegetable protein and yeast-based ingredients, as well as sweeteners.
Salad-dressing manufacturers use a range of sweeteners, including sucrose, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and crystalline fructose. Sucrose and HFCS are the most cost-effective and are what most people use in dressings.
"You can use anything from a dried sucrose to a crystalline fructose. It really depends on what flavor profile you're looking for and also on cost," says Turner.
Honey is also an option, and one that can differentiate a product. To convert 1 lb. of sugar to honey, use 1 lb. of honey and subtract 0.18 lb. water from the formulation. To replace 1 lb. of 42/52 corn syrup with 71% solids, use 0.71 lb. honey and add 0.10 lb. water to the formulation.
Aside from its contribution to flavor, honey has several functional properties. It has low water activity, low pH and adds viscosity to a dressing, notes Marcia Cardetti, director of scientific affairs, National Honey Board, San Francisco. In addition, it complements and enhances many flavors, and has the ability to impact all four basic tastes, a study conducted by the University of Georgia-Griffin, shows. Honey can enhance sweetness in a reduced-sugar product, balance the acidity level, and mask bitterness as well as saltiness.
According to Cardetti, more than 300 varieties of honey exist in the United States: "The different varietals could have gourmet appeal depending on what you are doing. For instance, orange blossom could go very well with a citrus base, dark honey with a soy sauce base," she says. "Clover honey, being both light in color and flavor is a very common floral source around the United States, and is what most people associate with honey. Other varietals such as sourwood, basswood, buckwheat and sage have regional recognition." The website www.nhb.org provides descriptors of honey varietals as well as information on suppliers.
Premier salad dressings afford the developer numerous options regarding flavor combinations and textural modifications. As Galvin explains, "It's not only delivering to the consumer or exceeding their expectations from the flavor and texture standpoint, but also delivering a dressing that's going to be complementary to the consumer for the desired end result of improved health."
After all, many people eat salads to get their vegetable servings. Why not "dress up" the greens with a little indulgence?
• Photo: A.M. Todd Botanicals
• Photo: National Honey Board
• Photo: Stolle Milk Biologics
• Photo: Stolle Milk Biologics
• Photo: McCormick Flavors
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Used with permission from Food Product Design Magazine
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