Product Spotlight: Vegetable Glycerine 99.7%

Vegetable glycerine 99.7% is produced primarily from soy, palm, or coconut oil, although other oils may also be used in its manufacture. Glycerine is odorless, colorless, viscous (thick), and has a sweet taste. Purer forms of glycerine – above 99% - are the standard for use in foods, pharmaceutical products, and cosmetics. Below are only a few uses of the Orlando food ingredient supplier, Bell Chem’s, vegetable glycerine 99.7%.

• Cosmetics: Glycerine is a humectant, attracting water to the skin. This makes it ideal for use in lotions, shampoos, and conditioners.
• Foods: Because it is metabolized differently than table sugar, glycerine can replace sugar in low carbohydrate foods, keeping the amount of sweet taste the same. Glycerol contains seven more kilocalories per teaspoon compared to table sugar and is 60% as sweet as sucrose. When added to products such as icing, it increases spreadability without setting into a hard, tough shell.
• Personal care: When added to toothpaste and mouthwash, glycerine sweetens the taste but is not a food source for the bacteria that form plaques and cause tooth decay. Glycerine soaps draw moisture to the skin’s surface and prevent that moisture from escaping into the surrounding atmosphere as evaporation. For consumers with extra dry or sensitive skin, glycerine soap is the perfect alternative for skin care.
• Herbal and botanical tinctures: Glycerine can replace the alcoholic content in herbal and botanical tinctures to give products more body and none of the alcohol odor. For those who wish for alcohol-free herbal and botanical products, glycerine is ideal.
• Pharmaceuticals: Humectants boost the solubility of active ingredients, so glycerine delivers products more effectively as either a topical application, where the medicine is absorbed into the skin more rapidly, or in capsule form, where glycerine is considered a tablet-holding agent. Cough syrups and elixirs have improved smoothness with glycerine.

Glycerine is a multi-use product utilized in several different food and beverage industries. Because it can be used as a humectant, solvent, preservative, filler and thickening agent, and sweetener, glycerine serves several roles in one easy to use product. Contact Bell Chem, your Orlando food ingredient supplier, at 407-339-2355 (BELL) to order glycerine 99.7% or any of our other products.

Product Spotlight: Citric Acid FCC

Citric acid is a white or colorless crystal with no odor that occurs naturally in many fruits and vegetables, most notably citrus fruits, including oranges, grapefruits, lemons, limes, and tangerines. The “FCC” is Food Chemicals Codex and is a guide on the standards of food purity, and citric acid FCC is guaranteed to be pure and fit for consumption. Many industries use citric acid for its versatility. The Orlando food ingredient supplier, Bell Chem stocks this product and hundreds of others for its customers. To learn the value of citric acid FCC, read below.

• Citric acid is widely used in beverages as a flavor enhancer to give sodas a crisp, tangy taste. This flavor is also highly prized in candy, gum, and other products that appreciate a zing of lemon, lime, or orange flavor.
• Although it is considered a weak acid, citric acid is one of the strongest acids that can be consumed, which makes it perfect for foods and beverages.
• As an acidifier, citric acid is used in both industrial and home canning since it raises the pH of fruits, vegetables, or other canned products without affecting the taste.
• Citric acid is a chelating agent, meaning it adheres to metals and removes them from their surroundings. Citric acid is able to safely remove metals from products associated with foods, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and beverages.
• In products with high pH levels, citric acid acts as a buffer to bring the pH down to levels more precise for consumption. Pharmaceuticals, foods, and beverages use citric acid for this role.
• In ice cream and other products, citric acid acts as an emulsifier to keep fats from separating and clumping.
• Caramel would undergo crystallization of its sucrose component without citric acid.
• Dyes are normally basic, so citric acid is added to balance the pH and cause the dyes to react more promptly to their intended materials. Surprisingly, shampoo rinses containing citric acid remove hair dye!
• Citric acid is a food preservative, extending the shelf life of many products.

With its wide range of applications, it is no wonder so many manufacturers turn to citric acid as a multi-use product. Call the Orlando food ingredient supplier at Bell Chem today by calling 407-339-2355 (BELL) to learn about their vast array of products. Read the blogs for facts concerning food ingredients, supplements, chemicals, personal care products, and sanitation chemicals.

Kosher Products: Part Two

Kosher ingredients, like kosher foods, must follow strict dietary guidelines put forth in the Torah to ensure consumption falls within the parameters of all the Torah’s laws. Bell Chem, the Tampa food ingredient supplier, understands the importance many people place in kosher foods and recognizes that food additives are also required to be kosher in order to be part of a kosher meal, whether the meal is fresh from the market or a packaged delight waiting patiently in the pantry.

While the following products are all kosher, each one is not necessarily a food additive. Some, such as urea, are primarily used in the fields of plants that will eventually be processed and served at a kosher table. Others are added while the food is processed, such as sodium citrate, which acts as a preservative. The third category can be added to a kosher kitchen for home preparation, such as citric acid FCC, a common ingredient in canning fruits and vegetables.

• White mineral oil 90 NF: This mineral oil has a National Formulary (NF) rating of 90, meaning it has a good viscosity and is easily pourable. Generally used in dough dividers and other confectionary applications, white mineral oil easily slides through and separates the stickiest of flour mixtures for clean, even amounts every time.
• Canola oil: This oil, derived from rapeseed, was developed in Canada in the 1970s. The name is a shorthand version of Canada ola (“oil”). Canola oil can replace any other oils – sunflower, olive, or peanut oil, for instance – with healthier benefits than other oils since it is low in saturated fats and abundant in polyunsaturated fats.
• Granular urea: This is the most widely used nitrogen fertilizer on the planet because of its affordability, ease of use, and abundance. Plants require nitrogen for growth and maintenance, and since urea has to step down to ammonia before being converted to nitrogen, it is long lasting.
• Citric acid FCC: This ingredient has many important roles in food preparation. It acts as a preservative, acidifier and buffer, emulsifier, and flavor enhancer. Soft drinks, food station cleaners, packaged foods, canning operations, and ice creams all have a use for citric acid.
• Sodium citrate dihydrate FCC: This ingredient combines the sodium salt of citric acid with two water molecules to create a food preservative, flavor additive, alkalizing and buffering agent, emulsifier, and sequestering product.
• Fructose crystalline FCC: This ingredient is as close to 100% pure fructose as possible. By definition, at least 98% of the product is pure with the remaining 2% as a combination of water and minerals. With a taste that is 20% sweeter than table sugar, fructose crystalline is becoming increasingly popular.
• Triple-pressed stearic acid: This blend of saturated fatty acids is generally colorless, waxy, and has a “fatty” odor. In foods, stearic acid acts as an emulsifier, keeping fats properly mixed in ingredients.

Call the Tampa food ingredient supplier, Bell Chem, at 407-339-2355 (BELL) to learn more about their wide line of kosher ingredients and products. Our blogs discuss many kosher additives and products as well as many of the standard food, cosmetic, and sanitation chemicals and products stocked by Bell Chem.

Product Spotlight: Maltodextrin

Bell Chem sells a wide variety of products, but not all are as versatile and valuable to food and drink processors as maltodextrin. Maltodextrin is a carbohydrate food additive produced from corn, potato, rice, or wheat starch. Maltodextrin is generally sold in powder form and varies in taste from flavorless to sweet. The Tampa food ingredient supplier, Bell Chem, stocks maltodextrin for its myriad uses, including those listed below.

Processed foods, soft drinks, soups, gravies, and candy all use maltodextrin as a thickener or filler to increase the volume without altering the taste. It also acts as a preservative to extend the shelf life of products.

Beer breweries find that maltodextrin increases the specific gravity of the beer, reduces the dryness of the drink, improves the “mouthfeel” of beer, and enhances beer’s head retention. Because yeast cannot ferment it, maltodextrin will not increase beer’s alcohol content.

When maltodextrin is added to light peanut butter, it retains the well-loved creamy texture while reducing fat content by over 20%.

As a thickener, maltodextrin is added to infant formula, most sugar substitutes such as Splenda and aspartame, and other food products to increase the volume of the product.

The combination of maltodextrin and corn syrup remarkably sweetens products to the same level as using table sugar. Products that require thickening as well as sweetening, such as those listed above, benefit from the addition of maltodextrin.

Pharmaceutical-quality maltodextrin is a free-flowing, fine-grained thickener and direct compression binder added to lozenges, tablets, and nutritional products.

The ability to perform several functions simultaneously gives maltodextrin an edge over other ingredients and additives. Maltodextrin is an extremely versatile product used in food and drink processing and can help processors achieve a variety of goals ranging from sweetening to thickening.

Give the Tampa food ingredient supplier, Bell Chem, a call today at 407-339-2355 (BELL) or reach out to us through our online form. Our representatives would love to speak with you concerning Maltodextrin or any of our other food ingredients and products that we offer. Additionally, visit our blog to learn more about other Bell Chem products and services.  

Kosher Products

The Hebrew word kashrut means proper or right; applied to food it becomes kashrus and describes foods fit for consumption. The Torah lists methods for foods – both animals and vegetables – to be prepared before they may be consumed. Bell Chem, your Orlando food ingredient supplier, carries many food ingredients and products that meet the stringent guidelines of kosher certification and may be utilized in food preparation and cooking. Below are a number of those products and how they may relate to food.

-  Ascorbic Acid USP Crystal: Used as an acidity regulator as well as an antioxidant to keep foods from spoiling, ascorbic acid also boosts the levels of Vitamin C in processed foods. When foods are processed, the heat and water work to reduce or destroy Vitamin C. After processing is complete, ascorbic acid increases the lowered Vitamin C levels to pre-processing totals.

- Propylene Glycol: As a humectant, propylene glycol maintains food moisture levels; as a solvent, it is a viscous liquid carrier of ingredients; as a preservative it helps foods retain freshness.

- 99.7% Vegetable Glycerin: Much like propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin acts as a humectant, solvent, and a preservative. Its sweet taste also gives it the ability to sweeten products.

- Citric Acid FCC: As an emulsifier, citric acid keeps fats from separating or sugar from crystallizing; the buffering acid stabilizes pH; and added to sodium bicarbonate, citric acid creates effervescence.

- Tri-calcium phosphate FCC: This nutritional supplement of calcium promotes bone growth and repair. As a buffer, it is used frequently as an antacid, and cheese manufacturers use tri-calcium phosphate in cheese processing.

- White mineral oil 70% NF food: Rubbed into wooden food preparation surfaces, white mineral oil 70% absorbs food odors and expedites cleaning because it prevents water absorption.

The ability to create kosher foods using kosher ingredients and preparation techniques is now easier with help from your Orlando food ingredient supplier, Bell Chem. Give Bell Chem a call at 407-339-2355 (BELL) for a listing of all our kosher products, and read our blogs for more information on our products.

Sodium Chlorite

Sodium chlorite has uses in a number of industries, from textiles and papers to foods and pharmaceuticals. The Tampa chemical supplier, Bell Chem, stocks sodium chlorite (NaClO2) for its clients to use in any of the following manners as well as many more.

- Sodium chlorite breaks down to generate chlorine dioxide, which is utilized in the bleaching and stripping of pulp and paper.

- Municipal water treatment plants find that sodium chlorite can be used as a disinfectant when it is converted to chlorine dioxide.

- The converted form of chlorine dioxide is also an approved form of disinfectant added to water for cleaning poultry, fruits, and vegetables.

- The chlorine component of sodium chlorite is an excellent disinfectant used in bleaching.

- Mouthwash, toothpaste, mouth spray, and eye drops all contain sodium chlorite as a preservative and disinfectant.

- HVAC systems and animal containment areas can be quickly sanitized with sodium chlorite.

- The food industry uses sodium chlorite because of its antimicrobial, sterilizing, and water purifying properties.

- Hospitals sterilize equipment and clinic rooms with sodium chlorite, and the meat industry utilizes sodium chlorite as a disinfectant.

- Sodium chlorite destroys all anaerobic microbes and parasites, which makes it ideal for areas that must be sterilized. In food preparation, sodium chlorite performs these functions, but, if ingested, will not damage the beneficial lactobacteria in the digestive system.

- The oxidizing properties of sodium chlorite, which, as noted above, kill microbes and parasites, give it the strength to work as a pesticide and herbicide.

With so many applications, sodium chlorite is a chemical almost every industry will benefit in stocking. Call the Tampa chemical supplier, Bell Chem, at 407-339-2355 (BELL) to ask about sodium chlorite and any of the other chemicals and products we stock. Read our past blogs for information on many of our growing line of products.

Kosher Products at Bell Chem

When a product is labeled “kosher,” it means that the products are pure or suitable for consumption by followers of the laws of the Torah. Kosher products face strict dietary guidelines that ensure every letter of the Torah’s laws are obeyed. Several of the products and chemicals sold by the Florida chemical supplier, Bell Chem, are certified kosher, meaning they do not contain animal or plant derivatives specifically mentioned in the Torah as unfit for consumption.

Foods considered kosher, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, may not be acceptable if they are packaged with non-kosher products, such as trace amounts of impure animal fats or whey from a non-kosher cow. Although chickens and cows are acceptable, they must be fed a diet that meets kosher standards, and they must be processed humanely.

However, foods are not the only products that can be certified kosher. Any additives or supplements consumed must also meet the same standards as kosher foods. Bell Chem understands these guidelines and has an array of food-grade supplements and chemicals that may be added to packaged foods to maintain their freshness while still obeying all kosher guidelines. A few of those products include proprietary vitamin blends, vegetable glycerine, ascorbic acid crystals, stearic acid powder, citric acid, potassium citrate, sodium citrate dihydrate, tri-calcium phosphate, white mineral oil, canola oil, granular urea, and fructose crystals.

Bell Chem is pleased to allow its customers the ability to prepare and preserve kosher foods with ingredients approved by the laws of the Torah. To learn more about kosher products, contact the Florida chemical supplier, Bell Chem, at 407-339-2355 (BELL). Read our blogs for information on our line of products and chemicals.

Product Spotlight: Tri-Calcium Phosphate FCC Kosher

Tri-calcium phosphate, known alternately as TCP, tri-calcium orthophosphate, tribasic calcium phosphate, or bone phosphate of lime (BPL), is a calcium salt of phosphoric acid with the chemical formula Ca3(PO4)2. The Food Chemicals Codex (FCC) is an international compendium of standards that verifies the quality and purity of food ingredients. Bell Chem, the Tampa chemical supplier, proudly stocks this important additive. Here is a list of some of its uses.

• Clump Prevention: Light, powdery spices and baby powder have a tendency to clump if exposed to even minute amounts of moisture. Tri-calcium phosphate acts as an anticaking agent. It has the ability to absorb 10% of its weight in moisture to prevent clumping and allow the product to flow or pour easily.
• The Medical Field: Because it contains calcium, tri-calcium phosphate has uses in the medical field as bone grafting material and ceramic coatings.
• Reinforcer: The primary function of tri-calcium phosphate is fortification of the calcium and phosphate content in foods, nutritional supplements, and beverages.
• Regulates Acidity: On the pH scale, tri-calcium phosphate is considered basic and is used regularly as an antacid or acidity regulator.
• Use in Foods & Beverages: Reduced-fat foods and beverages utilize tri-calcium phosphate to give products opacity, thickness, and smoothness. Cheese manufacturers use it as a mineral salt while processing cheeses. Breads and baked goods require leavening agents such as tri-calcium phosphate to lighten and soften products by adding gas bubbles before and during baking.

The mineral source of tri-calcium phosphate (FCC, kosher) allows it to be used in vegan and organic products as well as part of a strict kosher diet. Its varied applications give it the ability to be utilized in a wide variety of foods and products. Tampa chemical supplier, Bell Chem, stocks tri-calcium phosphate (FCC, kosher) along with many other kosher products and chemicals. Call us today at 407-339-2355 (BELL) to speak with one of our trained associates, and read our past blogs for more information on Bell Chem’s products.

Learn More About Bell Chem

Bell Chem has been working with its customers since 1992 when it opened its doors in Longwood, Florida. Our business has grown along with our line of products to today’s impressive lineup of chemicals for the citrus industry, water treatment plants, industrial manufacturing, and other industries demanding the purest chemical compounds shipped quickly, safely, and accurately by your reagent-grade chemical supplier, Bell Chem.

Working individually with each company, Bell Chem determines its business needs and which chemicals are best suited to meet those needs. For instance, the USP-approved antibacterial chemical used in nutritional or food service must be of a different grade than a more heavy-duty form used for industrial use. Likewise, some surfaces may require a cleaner while others need a more stringent sanitizer. The ability to deliver the correct product for every customer makes Bell Chem a leader in all forms of chemical products.

While many of our chemicals are used in the manufacture of nutritional, personal care, and pharmaceutical products, other industrial-strength chemicals clean and sanitize the work surfaces and machinery for those businesses. Most businesses cannot survive without chemicals to extend shelf life, keep food free of pathogens, and sanitize equipment, and Bell Chem is able to satisfy each of those specific areas of need.

Technical-grade chemicals utilized in water treatment facilities are a large component of Bell Chem’s lineup of first-rate chemicals. Industries worldwide rely on our chemicals for product manufacturing and safe food handling. Safe Chem, our business partner for the past 20 years, is your source for sanitation treatment to meet industry standards. With Bell Chem’s CsanTM cleaning and sanitizing chemicals and Safe Chem’s knowledge in training and technical services for food sanitizing and cleaning, we can meet your business’s most stringent quality safety demands for cleanliness and food handling.

Give Bell Chem, the reagent grade chemical supplier, a call at 407-339-BELL (407-339-2355) to learn more about our inventory of chemicals for your industry.

Spotlight: Personal Care Oils Offered by Bell Chem

Bell Chem offers a wide variety of personal care oils to assure your skin, hair, and body receive the best, most holistic, care possible. From almond oil to sunflower oil and all points in between, the Tampa chemical supplier of personal care oils, Bell Chem, can provide you with high-quality oils. Personal care oils are utilized for several purposes, including anti-aging, skin care, hair and nail care, oral hygiene, and overall health. Below is a list of the oils offered by Bell Chem along with the manner they aid in your well-being.

• Almond oil contains vitamins and nutrients good for you heart, skin, nails, and hair. It relieves eczema and psoriasis with its hydrating and anti-itching properties, removes debris beneath the skin’s surface, diminishes fine lines with the collagen it contains, and relieves muscle aches and fatigue.
• Apricot kernel oil deeply penetrates the skin without feeling greasy. The high oleic and linoleic acid contents make it a good source of antioxidants.
• Coconut oil is a great deep conditioner for hair, a facial moisturizer, deodorant, and shaving cream. Coconut oil prevents dandruff and itchy scalp and hinders infections.
• Corn oil conditions hair and skin with its large reserve of omega-6 and omega-9 fats, which trap water for stronger hair and act as a barrier against dryness. Corn oil also prevents hair loss.
• Olive oil increases the viscosity (thickness) of products and acts as a cleanser, conditioner, and moisturizer. It is used in bath products, soaps and detergents, conditioners and shampoos, makeup, and skin care merchandise.
• Eucalyptus oil dilates blood vessels, making it a useful expectorant that cleanses the body of toxins and microorganisms that cause illness. Wound healing is one of its oldest uses, and it works well against sinusitis and respiratory discomforts and diseases including bronchitis, COPD, asthma, and tuberculosis. Use eucalyptus oil as a moisturizer for the removal of odors and to combat grease and grime.
• Oat oil soothes and nourishes damaged and sensitive skin with its antioxidant properties. The ability of oat oil to support the elasticity of the skin and hair give both a more youthful appearance.
• Safflower oil improves hair growth with its natural oleic acid content, which stimulates circulation within the scalp, allowing new hair to grow. Linoleic acid in safflower oil improves skin texture and facilitates in the regeneration of skin cells.
• Sesame oil is antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and antibacterial, thanks to the linoleic and palmitic acids it contains. These properties give it the ability to repair damaged skin cells, slow the presence of aging, moisturize, and protect against sun exposure.

The influx of personal care oils on the market is both abundant and overwhelming. The high-quality oils stocked by the Tampa chemical supplier, Bell Chem, can be used alone or in conjunction with other products for a myriad personal care uses. Contact Bell Chem today at 407-339-BELL (407-339-2355) for more information about our products.