KFSU Pty at is producing the cane flour, which has been branded Kfibre, at its plant in Ayr, Queensland.
The flour is made from the mashed stalks of cane, with the juice removed, and it has a processed value 10 times that of raw sugar. The first product to be rolled out of the plant is Fibacel, a dietary fibre.
The company claims Fibacel is a natural whole cell product manufactured from a sugar manufacturing bi-product and unlike dietary fibre from wheat, oats and corn does not compete with food grains for raw materials.
Gordon Edwards, managing director at KFSU, told FoodNavigator-Asia that there is a demand for Fibacel in the health & medical foods market with an emphasis on celiac disease as it is can be used as a gluten-free flour replacement.
“Food processors will benefit by functional health claims as well as productivity gains due to water uptake,” he said.
The company said that Fibacel could be used as a replacement to help formulate products for customers with wheat allergies in products like processed meats that have traditionally used wheat as a binder, as well as in baked goods.
Fibacel, continued KFS, has a better water retention property than starch and has the ability to lock in moisture for a longer period reducing moisture migration and increasing shelf life as well.
“Food manufactures will also gain through clean labelling as there is no chemical in the product and it is all natural fibre,” said Edwards.
According to the company, Fibacel is already being supplied to food manufacturers in Australia and Japan, where it is being used in low-sugar snack foods, non-allergenic sausages, and gluten-free bread.