Chr. Hansen Answers Consumers' Desire for Health and Wellness
Three out of four consumers are taking action to manage their health, and are increasingly purchasing more functional, organic, and health foods. Global sales of "better-for-you" foods reached almost $129 billion in 2004, and the functional foods and beverage market has increased 20% in the last few years, according to Euromonitor International.In response to this megatrend, Milwaukee-based Chr. Hansen announces its portfolio of product concepts and natural ingredients for health and wellness. According to Ken Gawley, industry manager for food and beverage, "Our application specialists have developed concepts that are market responsive and ingredients that are distinctive."
For example, the company has developed anthocyanins that provide natural shades of red color that are heat, light, and acid stable. Chr. Hansen produces dairy flavors that are made from real cheese, cream, and milk, and has designed a line of vegetarian-based flavors. The company also offers rosemary extract as a natural antioxidant that allows for all-natural labeling, as well as a range of NOP-compliant ingredients for organic applications.
Even though consumers are embracing healthier, natural foods to help promote their well-being, they will not give up on taste or convenience. According to Gawley, "Consumers generally won't compromise. They won't buy a healthier food unless it is as tasty as the conventional counterpart, and most don't want to go to a specialty store to get good-for-you foods."
In smoothies or ice cream, Chr. Hansen's probiotics can be used to promote gut health and immunity, or a natural anthocyanin color can be incorporated for heart health. The company's natural dairy flavor can be added to a low-fat dairy product to improve taste and mouthfeel.
Chr. Hansen
800/558-0802
www.chr-hansen.com
Chicory Root Helps Fight Obesity
A new pilot study in humans has demonstrated that Beneo™ oligofructose, a prebiotic ingredient from the chicory root, can act as a trigger limiting hunger feeling and energy intake. Research in animal models previously found that metabolites originating from the fermentation of Beneo oligofructose in the colon are likely to be involved in the mechanism. Oligofructose fermentation modulates the release of gut hormones in the blood, which act as signalling agents to the brain influencing appetite and ultimately food intake.The global rise in obesity and its economic impact on health care budgets spurred the food industry to develop new approaches to lower the obesity burden. ORAFTI's prebiotic ingredients offer another approach to the weight loss dilemma.
BeneoP95 and BeneoSynergy1 have been shown to modulate food intake and body weight in animal models. These effects were accompanied by a lower body fat mass and a lower deposition of fat coming from high-fat diets that otherwise would have led to obesity. More recently, a trial of human volunteers confirmed BeneoP95 can enhance satiety as well as lower energy and food intake. BeneoP95 and BeneoSynergy1 could play a key role as a new tool to help in fighting obesity.
ORAFTI Group+32 16 80 13 01
www.orafti.com
Arista Industries offers Omega-3 Fish Oils, which are refined from cold water fish in a new plant in Norway. Arista's Omega-3s are available in a variety of EPA and DHA potencies, in liquid or dry powder form, and can be custom-refined to suit the most exacting specifications. Advanced technology enables Arista to produce oils that are highly deodorized, and with a high level of purity. Typical applications include a wide variety of nutritional and functional foods.
Arista Industries Inc.
800/637-6243
www.aristaindustries.com
Cargill has expandedits sweetener portfolio with all-natural Xtend™ sucromalt, a fully digestible, slow-release carbohydrate that delivers the energy of sugar, but is digested more slowly in the body. Xtend is a syrup derived from sucrose and maltose, is considered GRAS with no daily intake limit and is up to 70% as sweet as sugar. The use of Xtend sucromalt offers food and beverage manufacturers the opportunity to minize the number of ingredients on labels as the sweetener can replace multiple sweeteners and bulking agents in many formulations. Also included in this family of sweeteners is Xtend isolmaltulose, a granular product.
Cargill Inc.
952/742-6000
www.cargill.com
Sensus America LLC
646/452-6144
www.sensus.us
