Reprinted from: Prepared Foods
International Molasses introduces powdered sweetener from fresh-squeezed cane juice
International Molasses (IM), a leading supplier of molasses and natural sweeteners, introduces CaneRite™ Panela, an all-natural, free-flowing powder sweetener made from the freshly squeezed juice of the entire sugar cane plant.
Unlike conventional “raw sugar” products, CaneRite™ Panela is unrefined and non-centrifuged, so that it authentically and comprehensively retains all the cane plant’s original flavor and nutritional benefits.
Characterized by mellow notes of toffee and caramel, CaneRite™ Panela’s flavor profile delivers a satisfying, “sweet but not too sweet” taste. Its nutritional profile is equally impressive. By keeping all nutrients inherent to the whole cane plant – including magnesium phosphorus, potassium, calcium, manganese, iron, and zinc – CaneRite™ Panela has five times the vitamins and minerals of raw sugar. CaneRite™ Panela also is rich in antioxidants.
Panela is a traditional staple in Latin America and many other parts of the world. Its ability to harness the wholesomeness of cane juice has been generally ignored by food manufacturers in the United States; with CaneRite™ Panela, International Molasses is making the core ingredient available to North American food manufacturers in a form that is easy to use in a wide array of formulations.
CaneRite™ Panela is an attractive sweetener option for a variety of food applications, including spices, BBQ and other sauces, cookies, bakery items, bars and confectionary items. For solids, CaneRite™ Panela offers excellent binding properties and a natural brown coloring with caramel notes. For all applications, it aligns with non-GMO and clean label ingredient claims increasingly popular with modern consumers.
“CaneRite™ Panela combines the flavor and nutrition benefits of a sweetener widely used in other markets with an ease of formulation attractive to North American food manufacturers,” says Amy Targan, president of International Molasses and its sister company, Malt Products Corp. “It also amounts to a sort of ‘nature-made’ brown sugar, eliminating the multi-step process often utilized to produce brown sugars by combining white sugar with molasses products.”
CaneRite™ Panela is sourced from sustainable farms in Ecuador that have been recognized for their development of innovative methods of organic farming. Officially known as the ReBird-Avez Project, the initiative fosters protection and propagation of native birds and insects – and utilizes these species to control pests, thereby allowing farmers to eliminate pesticide use.
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About International Molasses
A Malt Products Corporation company, International Molasses is a leading supplier of molasses and natural sweeteners for a variety of food industry applications, including agronomy. Its products contribute solid sources of beneficial minerals such as calcium and potassium, and assist with clean label efforts by reducing the use of common sugar. For the growing plant-based proteins niche, molasses also helps mask off notes found in many bars while providing a full gamut of flavor profiles, from dark and full-bodied to light and honey-esque.
International Molasses’ products are also natural humectants, and often help extend food product shelf life. For example, molasses can help keep soft batch cookies soft and chewy bars chewy, and serve as an excellent binder for granola bars.
About Malt Products Corporation
Founded in 1957 and headquartered in Saddle Brook, NJ, Malt Products Corporation (MPC) is a leading manufacturer and distributor of malted barley extract and natural sweeteners.
MPC has grown from a regional supplier of malts to an international company offering a full line of natural sweeteners serving a wide range of industries, such as bakery, confectionary, beverages, snack foods and cereals, pet food, animal nutrition, and pharmaceutical. MPC products are manufactured in a state-of-the-art facility in Dayton, OH. Product quality and customer service have been fundamental to MPC’s growth.