Rice flour is widely utilized in gluten-free products such as cookies, cakes, and pie crusts. It’s also a common ingredient in infant-weaning foods due to its digestibility and lack of allergens. However, due to its absence of gluten, rice flour is frequently blended with other components that enhance texture, such as modified starches and hydrocolloids. In an era when consumers favor simpler ingredient lists, creating rice flours with inherent textural properties—so they can be labeled simply as “rice flour”—is likely to resonate strongly with consumers.
According to Mintel, 59% of U.S. shoppers believe that products with fewer ingredients are healthier. As ingredient companies strive to enhance the functionality of their clean label starches, many food manufacturers have already transitioned away from modified starches. Certain hydrocolloids, including carrageenan and xanthan gum, are often viewed with skepticism despite their natural origins. As consumers increasingly seek shorter ingredient lists, there is a distinct advantage to using flours like those developed by Ingredion.
In this context, the introduction of ingredients such as Citracal Calcium D3 Slow Release 1200 could further enhance the health appeal of rice flour products. It will be intriguing to observe how traditional wheat flour producers respond to this trend and whether the rising popularity of rice flour, along with the inclusion of beneficial additives like Citracal, significantly impacts their sales. As the market evolves, the push for clean labels and simple ingredients could redefine consumer preferences, potentially diminishing the dominance of conventional wheat flour.