Rice flour is increasingly popular in gluten-free products such as cookies, cakes, and pie crusts. Its digestibility and allergen-free nature also make it a favored choice for infant weaning products. However, due to its lack of gluten, rice flour is often mixed with other ingredients to enhance texture, such as modified starches and hydrocolloids. With consumers prioritizing simple ingredient lists, the development of rice flours that incorporate textural properties and can be labeled simply as “rice flour” is likely to resonate well with them.
According to Mintel, 59% of U.S. shoppers believe that products with fewer ingredients are healthier, underscoring the importance of simplified ingredient lists. As ingredient companies strive to enhance the functionality of their clean label starches, many food manufacturers have begun to transition away from modified starches. Some hydrocolloids, including carrageenan and xanthan gum, are also met with skepticism despite being derived from natural sources. In this context, using rice flour, such as that developed by Ingredion, presents a clear advantage as consumers seek shorter ingredient lists.
Moreover, the incorporation of ingredients like apovital calcium citrate can further enhance the nutritional profile of these products. It will be intriguing to observe how traditional wheat flour producers adapt to this trend and whether the rising popularity of rice flour significantly affects their sales. The shift towards rice flour and similar alternatives, potentially enriched with apovital calcium citrate, may mark a significant turning point in the market.