Robertet Flavors introduces a line of classic chocolate flavors with profiles including milk, white, semi-sweet, bittersweet and bitter-type. For product developers seeking something a little more unusual, Robertet also has new specialty chocolate flavors including Mayan chocolate, Ibarra chocolate type, chocolate mint and fudge cream. Mayan chocolate is a recreation of an ancient Mayan chocolate recipe, which archeologists conjecture was a spiced liquid cocoa that was often added to water, maize, chili or honey. The Ibarra chocolate type simulates a leading Mexican brand of sweet chocolate that is flavored with cinnamon.

Robertet Flavors, Inc.
732/981-8300
www.robertet.com

Degussa Food Ingredients blends two concepts rarely brought together-cost savings and product improvement-in a new frozen dessert system featuring functional dairy proteins as a complete replacement for skim milk powder. Daritech™ FR 287 and specially adapted functional dairy proteins produce a frozen dessert that has enhanced extrusion properties, exceptional melt resistance, clean flavor and an equivalent mix viscosity to ice cream made with skim milk powder.

Degussa Food Ingredients
Business Line Texturant Systems
800/241-9485
www.degussa.com

Jana's Classics introduces a line of crème ice cream inclusions. Smooth, melt-in-your-mouth, luscious and decadent are just some of the ways to describe these tiny mix-ins for frozen desserts. The crèmes come in a variety of flavors including cashew nut, chocolate, citrus, lime, maple nut, white chocolate and white chocolate with chocolate crumbs.

Jana's Classics Inc.
800/366-5262
www.janas.com

Charm Sciences has recently introduced the portable, hand-held LUMGiene™. This versatile instrument offers three key rapid diagnostic tests for dairy HACCP programs, encompassing surface hygiene monitoring (Pocketswab®), pasteurization verification (Paslite™) and a new ATP-based allergen indicator test (AllerGiene™). The LUMGiene has greatly advanced sensitivity to ATP such that food residues containing allergenic proteins are detected at critical levels in 30 seconds by the AllerGiene test. This allows for pre-operational allergen absence determination before food product overlay.

Charm Sciences Inc.
978/687-9200
www.charm.com

A decisive factor in selecting an effective probiotic culture is its scientific documentation-the research studies that have been conducted and published on a specific culture strain. BB-12® Bifidobacterium, LA-5® Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus casei 431® are three of the most well documented probiotic strains available to the industry. More than 50 published clinical studies have been conducted on these specific strains, and researchers report enhanced intestinal well being and positive effects on diarrhea, antibiotic-associated diarrhea, traveler's diarrhea and constipation, as well as enhanced immunity and positive effect on the skin disorder atopic dermatitis. The documentation on these probiotic cultures, which were developed by Chr. Hansen and are sold under the trade name Nu-trish®, allows dairy manufacturers to promote and position their probiotic products for wellness. The Nu-trish range also includes probiotic culture blends designed to provide health benefits, as well as impart texture, flavor and processing functionalities. Applications include fluid milk, set or stirred yogurt, drinkable yogurt, cheese and other fermented milk products.

Chr. Hansen Inc.
800/558-0802
www.chr-hansen.com

The new Kidazzle™ Flavors for Kids Beverage Collection is an extensive line of beverage flavors designed to meet kids' unique taste preferences. Water-soluble, heat-stable and available as natural or natural and artificial, the line includes flavors for all kids' beverage applications including dairy, still and carbonated drinks. A range of the 65 high-impact flavors has been successfully tested in low-sugar applications-a boon for customers looking to satisfy the more health-conscious consumer. The Kidazzle line was developed through IFF's Eye on Kids™ program, an extensive qualitative and quantitative research effort that provides a foundation for the creation of innovative kids' flavors for use in beverage, sweet, dairy and savory applications. While many of the flavors have been rigorously kid-tested and approved, real moms and dads were consulted in conjunction with the development of the collection, as well. This investment in consumer research on the Kidazzle line means a shortened product development cycle for IFF's customers.

International Flavors & Fragrances Inc.
212/765-5500
www.iff.com

GTC Nutrition has become the principal U.S. distributor of Aquamin, a natural calcified mineral source. Aquamin is available in a variety of forms including Aquamin F, a very fine powder that is ideal for liquid and dry applications; Aquamin S, a sea mineral source designed to enhance the nutritional profile of liquid and other food products such as carbonated beverages and frozen deserts; and Aquamin TG, a granulated natural calcium source for use in dietary supplements.

GTC Nutrition Co.
800/522-4682
www.gtcnutrition.com

Sidebar: Dairy Ingredients Plant Certified Organic

Kerry Americas' specialty ingredients manufacturing plant located in Owen, Wis., recently became certified organic. The facility has been manufacturing cheese and dairy ingredients for decades and became certified by USDA-accredited certifying agent Agrisystems International in May 2004 to produce cheese and dairy ingredients labeled "organic" (consisting of at least 95% organically produced ingredients).

The decision to have the Owen facility certified organic was in direct response to customer needs as well as overall health and wellness market trends. "We can now offer customized organic cheese and dairy ingredients to our customers, as well as our sister ingredient technology companies, providing a dependable, consistent dairy source for application-specific products," says Khaled Zitoun, R&D dir., Specialty Ingredients, Kerry Americas, Beloit, Wis.

"Things are truly changing toward organic," Zitoun says. "People are making overall health- and wellness-lifestyle changes and grocery stores are keeping up with consumer demands by offering more organic products each year. As a result, Kerry has responded to our customers' growing needs for natural and organic ingredients, and we will continue to do so as the marketplace evolves."

The Owen facility is the fifth Kerry manufacturing plant to become certified to produce organic ingredients. Kerry's seasonings plant in Kent, Wash., is certified organic by the Washington State Department of Agriculture and its Nutriant plants in Hudson, Iowa, and Turtle Lake, Wis., are certified by Quality Certification Services, Gainsville, Fla. The company's Nutriant plant in Vinton, Iowa, is certified by Quality Assurance International, San Diego, Calif.

For more information about Kerry Americas and its business units, visit www.kerryamericas.com.