by Harold Nicoll, Marketing Manager

No matter where you live in North America, the end of December brings the shortest days (day) of the year. In Maryland, where TIC Gums is located, there were just over 9 hours of daylight on December 22, 2011. This date was the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. In earlier times, the end of December in the northern hemisphere was the time when the harvest ended. Animals were slaughtered so that fresh meat was plentiful. These same people also knew that after the solstice the days would start to get longer. To celebrate the returning light, feasting, dancing, drinking and general partying occurred. While customs have evolved, the idea of food as a source of contentment has not.

People in the 21st century generally do not have barns to fill, but we do want the relief of knowing there is food in the pantry or the refrigerator. The types of food we keep around during the darkest and often coldest days of the year are those that make us feel more secure.

My favorite comfort foods are meat loaf, whipped potatoes with real butter, lasagna, ice cream, cake and cookies. The common denominator for each is a heavy texture. Each will linger on the palate longer, clear the mouth slower and give a heavier feeling than would fruit or salad. Adding and engineering texture into comfort foods early in the development process will ensure that the feeling the inventor wants consumers to experience will occur. The benefit to the food development scientist is that there is less time used for the invention of new food and beverage products. Foods will make their way to store shelves and customers' homes much sooner than if traditional development processes were used.

TIC Gums invented the common language of texture. It is a tool food developers can use to identify the textural attributes they want in their finished products.

To learn about the common language of texture and the six step process for mapping it, go to the Texture Revolution™ web site. In the meantime, enjoy those comfort foods, think warm thoughts and visualize sunny days, the same way people
have for centuries.