Besides its gums, Rhone-Poulenc has another route into fat replacement for those hating gain weight. Along with fellow USDA licensee Quaker Oats Company, it has formed a partnership to develop and market Oatrim, a substitute based on an enzymatic treatment of oat bran and oat flour. The resulting ingredient is credited with having the creamy mouthfeel to make up for the removal of fat from certain applications. It is also reportedly high in beta-glucan, which researchers believe to be responsible for the cholesterol-lowering properties of oats and oat bran.
The company expects to have weight gain stories at its initial manufacturing facility for Oatrim in commercial production by mid-June, says John Kacher, market development manager for food ingredients. An existing food ingredients plant in Dillon, Mont., which was run by Centennial Foods Inc., has been retrofitted for 6 million pounds a year of Oatrim production. Centennial will oversee production, while Quaker Oats will supply the raw materials.