Dear Hydrocolleague:

Welcome to this week’s edition of Tidbits! Each week we bring you a mix of industry highlights, quick updates, and a few insights to spark new ideas. We’d love to hear from you. Send us topics you’d like to see covered in future issues.

Hydrocolloid Ranking - Clean Label Survey

Sometimes, these tidbits lauding and defending the use of food hydrocolloids, feel like "we are preaching to the choir". Most, if not all, food scientists and people familiar with hydrocolloids would agree that they are effective and safe at the proposed use levels in food. All the food regulatory bodies in the world say as much.

"Regular Consumers", however, are the ultimate decision makers of "buy or do NOT buy" based on their perceptions.

Our question to you, Dear Hydrocolleague is, "Have you or your company conducted any consumer surveys focused only on hydrocolloids? If so, could you put us in touch with the person responsible for conducting the survey.

We at IMR are proposing to conduct a similar survey but would like to avoid "Re-inventing the wheel".

Yuka Evaluated by AI

Last week we hinted that AI might be better for consumers to evaluate food and food additives.Unfortunately, the ease and speed offered by Yuka and other food scanning phone apps remains hard to match with traditional AI. Yuka and other phone apps are simple point 'n click and lighting fast in presenting an opinion.

So if AI cannot replace scanning apps, we used AI to evaluate the apps themselves. The Open Food Facts app is ranked highest by AI in terms of transparency and objectivity.

A brief summary by claude.ai HERE.

Note: IMR is attending the annual forum of Open Food Facts in Paris, November 13 and 14. If time permits, we will make a short presentation on hydrocolloids, highlighting the safe history of all with an emphasis on refined and semi-refined carrageenan (E-407 and E-407 a)

Protein is a Fad

The high visibility of protein in all forms of promotion reminds us of past "Fads in Food". The eras of low fat/no fat, sugar reduction, organic, low carb etc. all went through phases when they were THE topic at an IFT and/or FIE.

Protein currently seems to have taken on a similar mantra.

All these aspects are important to a balanced nutrition diet, but sometimes the balance is missing. Good news for hydrocolloids - They play an important role in virtually all food fads.

We continue efforts to Fathom consumer Fads.

Q3-2026 - Delivered - An Extract

By now, all subscribers (E-Copy and/or Hard Copy) should have received the report.

If you are a subscriber and have not received your copy, please let us know.

A short extract from P9 of the 54 page report:

***start of extract***

GELITA Increases Stake in SelJel

GELITA has acquired additional shares in SelJel, the Turkish gelatin producer, increasing its holding from 65% to what it describes as “near-full ownership.” The exact ownership percentage, purchase price and other financial terms were not disclosed. SelJel’s founding Tezman family will retain a minority interest and remain involved with the business.

GELITA’s initial investment took place in 2020, when it acquired 65% of SelJel and the Tezman family retained 35%. At the time, SelJel employed about 220 people and produced about 6,500 tonnes of edible, pharmaceutical and technical gelatin annually. Its product range includes halal-certified bovine gelatin.

The latest transaction gives GELITA greater control over SelJel’s operations and brings the Turkish business more closely into its group governance, quality, food-safety and compliance systems. It also strengthens GELITA’s position in halal bovine gelatin, particularly for customers in Turkey, Asia, and other markets with significant demand for halal products. No capacity expansion was announced as part of the transaction. Gelita press release at https://tinyurl.com/yc7k3u9c

***end of extract***

If you or your company is not a subscriber and would like to become one, the subscription/confidentiality agreement is HERE.

Keep in mind that one improved decision, or one mistaken decision avoided, will pay for a subscription many times over.

The table of contents for the latest issue is HERE.

IMR at Supply Side West - Oct 26-30

Nesha Zalesny of IMR will be attending Supply Side West in Las Vegas.

If you will also be there and would like to meet, please let us know.

If you are a subscriber to The Quarterly Review of Food Hydrocolloids and have questions about the Q3-2026 report (or any other), you can ask Nesha personally.

If at any time you wish to stop receiving our tidbits, simply click "unsubscribe" below. If you received this as a forwarded message and want to add your name to our Hydrocolleague list, just click HERE.

DSeisun@hydrocolloid.com | +1-858-217- 5024

NZalesny@hydrocolloid.com | +1-619-871-1415

www.hydrocolloid.com