Fortified Fun
Boomers just want to have fun! Baby Boomers know the key to active healthy lifestyles is good nutrition, but they are bored with endless recommendations to eat fruits and vegetables. At IFT, Fortitech offered a diverse sampling of products showcasing healthy options for consumers, including fortified chocolate with more than 15 vitamins and minerals, chocolate cluster snacks designed for brain, heart and bone health, a white chocolate energy bar and a piña colada-flavored fortified slush, all with the essential vitamins, nutrients and minerals for continued healthy lives. Fortitech, Mark Fanion, 518-372-5155, fanion.mark@fortitech.com, www.fortitech.comHot-crossed Buns
The weather in Orlando was not the only factor influencing the body temperature of IFT attendees. McIlhenny Co. offered up a variety of applications showcasing the distinctive flavors and heat-inducing capacity of its Tabasco®-branded products. Tops among show attendees' list of products to taste was Hot Cinnamon Bun ice cream with cinnamon syrup and Tabasco-flavored nuggets. Many of the company's co-branded products were also available for sampling, including Spanish olives, Vlasic pickles, Hormel Hot & Spicy Chili and Slim Jims (each flavored with Tabasco), plus Cheez-Its spiced with Tabasco dry jalapeño flavoring. One of McIlhenny's more recent co-branded ventures included Dean's Chipotle Dip and Cajun Ranch Dip with Tabasco. Chicken wings with Tabasco jalapeño, Tabasco habanero and original Tabasco dipping sauces rounded out this diverse mix of applications. Tabasco brands/McIlhenny Co., 337-373-6109, www.TABASCO.comGellin' without Gelatin
New carrageenan technology from CEAMSA makes it possible to manufacture transparent and gelatin-free, jelly-type desserts. Ceambloom 3240 is a carrageenan product that delivers optimal sensory quality without the need for expensive refined locust bean gum. This gelatin-replacement is quick-setting and produces clear gels with enhanced flavor release, increased heat stability and an extended shelflife. Finished gels have a smooth, short texture. Ceambloom 3240 is an all-vegetable product with a clean label and kosher status. P.L. Thomas & Co., 973-984-0900, info@plthomas.com, www.plthomas.com
The Concept of Flavor
Improve your taste experience with a unique savory seasoning. Koji-Aji from Ajinomoto provides the taste of kokumi, a Japanese word expressing the concept of deliciousness. Koji-Aji improves the taste of meat, fish (eliminating the “fishy” odors from storage) and reformulated products, enhances the “full-fat” mouthfeel in reduced-fat products, the natural sweetness of dairy products, and provides longer-lasting spicy and aged flavors like cheeses. Ajinomoto Food Ingredients LLC, 773-714-1436, www.ajiusafood.comMixing to Please
The term “custom blending” has become synonymous with Blendex, the company that prides itself on developing products designed to meet its customers' performance and specifications. Custom blends range from the traditional such as seasonings, breadings, marinades and glazes, to more distinctive types such as teas, beverages and colored salts and sugars. Blendex begins with a standard framework from a vast database of formulas, but then customizes it to meet customer expectations. Blendex, 1-800-BLENDEX, www.blendex.comSweetening the Pot
Food technologists now have innovative solutions to the problems of calorie-, sugar- and cost-cutting issues. A number of new product systems from Tate & Lyle address specific goals in functionality and nutrition. The REBALANCE™ systems, designed for sweetener, dairy, bakery and snacks, and dressing applications, use SPLENDA® sucralose along with other custom ingredients to provide not only flavor but improved texture, mouthfeel and processing efficiency. Tate & Lyle, +44 (0) 20 7625 6525, www.tateandlyle.comBuilding a Better Oil
An initiative to work on soybean enhancements began over five years ago when the FDA announced it would require mandatory labeling of trans fatty acids on nutritional panels. Low-linolenic soybean seeds developed by Monsanto, Pioneer and the USDA's Agriculture Research Service and another variety developed by Iowa State University have resulted in the first enhanced oil to emerge out of the research pipeline. Low-linolenic soybean oil contains =3% linolenic acid as opposed to standard soybean oil, which contains 7%. Low-linolenic acid reduces the need for hydrogenation, thereby reducing or eliminating trans fatty acids. United Soybean Board, 800-989-USB1 (8721), www.unitedsoybean.orgFlavor Tricks
Mafco Magnasweet® products use the functional characteristics of licorice flavorings to produce a variety of sensory effects including flavor enhancement, intensification and potentiation; augmentation and modification of sweetness perception; elimination or minimization of bitterness or metallic aftertastes; masking of aftertastes and mouthfeel modification. The sensory effects of Magnasweet products can be attributed to their unusual temporal response, which has been described as slow in onset, intense, sweet and lasting. These flavorings are available in both powder and liquid forms and typically are used at levels of .01% to .2% in application. Mafco Worldwide Corp., 856-964-8840, magnasweet@ mafcolicorice.com, www.magnasweet.comSavory Solutions
Provide the perception of salt while reducing actual salt content up to 50%. Maxarome® Select from DSM Food Specialties is based on unique baker's yeast extraction technologies. The multidimensional Maxarome line offers flexibility in creating clean, natural, balanced taste profiles and satisfying mouthfeel. All Maxarome products are kosher- and halal-certified, and permit clean labeling. Create authentic taste profiles with maximum flavor impact with DSM's building block approach to savory taste. DSM Food and Specialties USA, 800-662-4478, info.savory-usa@dsm.com, www.dsm-foodspecialties.comHold the Salt
Savoury Systems International (SSI) offers a variety of yeast extracts, natural flavor enhancers and flavor-masking agents. These products are non-GMO, kosher and organic-compliant. Choosing the right product for an application ultimately depends on the strength desired and its end use. Choices of yeast extract-based flavor enhancers include those designed for savory applications, as well as those better suited for nutraceutical or low-carb products. SSI showcased its organic salt replacer #3064 in gazpacho at this year's IFT food expo in Orlando. Savoury Systems International, 908-534-6621, savourysi@att.net, www.savorysystems.com
Custom Manufacturing
Thirty years of commitment to quality continues with a tradition of ethical and conscious business practice and sharing the wisdom of a healthy lifestyle. Golden Temple of Oregon offers food manufacturers product development, processing and packaging solutions for natural and organic cereals, granolas, agglomerates and snack foods. Advanced twin-screw extrusion capabilities allow Golden Temple to provide quality extruded products in many shapes and textures. Working with clients to develop innovative and promising concepts, offering superior research and development, and guiding clients through the technicalities of testing, production and regulatory issues, Golden Temple takes a holistic approach to product development. Golden Temple of Oregon, 800-285-6457, www.gtingredients.comA Helping of Hispania
It is estimated that by the year 2050, the Hispanic population of the U.S. will be over 100 million persons and account for 24.4% of the total U.S. population. Using one-on-one interviews, focus groups, community-based research work and surveys, Virginia Dare's marketing department has developed an expert knowledge of flavor food product preferences for Hispanic-American consumers and for Hispanic-inspired products for mainstream consumers.At an IFT press conference, Anton Angelich, group vice president at Virginia Dare, explained that the company's interviews and surveys confirmed consumer economists' insinuations that Hispanics are very much brand-loyal shoppers.
Also at IFT, Rick Bronell, vice president of vanilla products for Virginia Dare, explained that Virginia Dare research indicates that, compared to non-Hispanics, Hispanic consumers have a stronger preference for Papua New Guinea (Tahitian-type) vanilla, rather than other vanilla extracts including Bourbon, Indonesian or Ugandan.
“The U.S. Hispanic population is not monolithic,” emphasizes Angelich. It is a mosaic of people from many different countries, ancestries, races, ethnic groups and also representing first-, second- and third-generation subsets. These groups do not all think, eat or shop the same.
When aiming to successfully develop marketing products to Hispanic consumers, Angelich suggests that one take into consideration the size of the target market, the marketing message, and any taste preference overlap between Hispanic subgroups, whether new or existing products will cross over to the Hispanic market or if products developed specifically for Hispanics will cross over to the mainstream consumer. Paulette Kerner, 718-788-1776, pkerner@virginiadare.com, www.virginiadare.com
Low-sodium Solutions
The market for beverages as a quick, convenient delivery mechanism for vitamins and health benefits continues to grow. However, sodium content is an issue, even in many shelf-stable beverages. ICL Performance Products LP introduces Benephos™, a reduced-sodium phosphate technology that delivers the benefits of increased potassium, aids in the stabilization of proteins, minerals like calcium, and color and flavor, while maintaining microbial stability. Benephos offers beverage manufacturers unique opportunities for healthy beverages. ICL Performance Products LP, Barbara Heidolph, 800-244-6169, ext. 7940, ift2006@icl-pplp.com, www.icl-perfproductslp.comEncapsulating Flavor
A leader in the field of spray-dried flavors takes the next step in flavor technology. Through a strategic alliance with Balchem, a pioneer in encapsulation technology, David Michael has developed MichaelCap™ microencapsulated flavor systems. MichaelCap offers as much as a 100% increase in overall flavor load, time/temperature-controlled flavor release, longer shelflife, and the ability to release multiple flavors separately and include proteins, vitamins, antioxidants and other nutritional ingredients to the matrix. With its temperature controls, MichaelCap is perfect for baking and other thermal applications and is available in a wide range of flavors, including mint, fruit, vanilla, cocoa, savory and sweet brown flavors. David Michael & Company, 800-DMFLAVORS, www.dmflavors.com“Whey-ing” in on Nutrition
Women's nutrition was the primary focus of Hilmar Ingredients at IFT this year, where the company featured applications containing its whey protein-based ingredients. Orange cream biscotti, designed with teen girls in mind, contained Hilmar™8610, an 80% whey protein concentrate (WPC) used to control moisture, maintain volume and emulsify fat. In addition, Hilmar 8610 reduces dough stickiness, thereby improving processing and handling. Dark chocolate-coated raspberry cheesecake bites, targeted to women, also contained Hilmar 8610, as well as Hilmar 8200, a WPC that serves as a replacement for milk and/or egg ingredients in bakery applications (because it aids in emulsifying fat and improving texture by maintaining moisture content and volume). A flavored, ready-to-drink coffee beverage designed for healthy aging women contained Hilmar 8350, a whey protein hydrolysate containing pre-digested proteins, short peptides and amino acids. Hilmar 8350 is heat stable and specially formulated to have a bland flavor, thus it can be used at greater levels than other hydrolysates. Hilmar Ingredients, 888-300-4465, www.hilmaringredients.comDesigned for Health
Custom-developed fats let food technologists modify the physical properties of foods while improving nutritional profiles. Stepan Company's NEOBEE® medium-chain triglycerides are the foundation of structured lipids tailored to replace less-healthy fats and enhance product esthetics—the texture, flavor, viscosity and stability of baked goods and snacks. Specialized Stepan development staff will work with food processors to create unique results. Stepan Company Food and Health Specialties, James Butterwick, 201-712-7642, www.stepan.comCool Juice
Using a proprietary processing method, the damaging effects of thermal concentration of fruit and vegetable juice are avoided. Non-thermally concentrated juices from Vegetable Juices Inc., retain a high level of phytonutrients, including antioxidants, and possess vibrant and unparalleled authentic flavor, with aromas and top notes preserved. From both fruit and vegetable sources, available as blends or as designer systems with other ingredients, the juices can help formulators develop products with label claims for heart or eyesight health, weight management or other nutritional benefits. Organic concentrates are available, and the juices range from mid- to high-clarity for inclusion in clear beverages. Vegetable Juices Inc., 888-776-9752, www.vegetablejuices.comWhey to Go
Boost the protein content and flavor of beverages at the same time without the need to add extra calories from sugar for taste. Iso Chill™ Whey Protein Isolate from Trega delivers highly digestible whey protein of a clean, bland flavor, white-color, high solubility, high clarity and with excellent acid and heat-stable properties. Iso Chill maintains solubility during processing, and aids in emulsification, while adding amino acids required for bodily health. Trega Foods, Jason Arendt, 920-845-2901, ext. 310, jasonarendt@ tregafoods.com, www.tregafoods.comA Colorful Creation
Good not only for vision, beta-carotene (pro-vitamin A) also makes a superior food colorant, with tones ranging from an attractive yellow to deep orange. Betanat® from Wild Flavors offers not only the health benefits of eye and skin disorder prevention, immune system enhancement and protection against toxins and certain cancers, but also bright, authentic color for food and beverage applications at market standards for color. Betanat also is GMO-, gluten- and gelatin-free, kosher- and halal-certified, and suitable for vegetarians. Betanat is available in oil-soluble and cold-water-dispersible formulations. Wild Flavors, 888-WILDFLAVORS, marketing@wildflavors.comAnti-acid
Protein-fortified beverages are an easy way for consumers to add a healthy boost to their diets, and the demand for such is growing. However, consumers also demand great taste, without the sour effect extra protein too often supplies. Glanbia Nutritionals introduces Provon® A-190 Whey Protein Isolate System, designed to solve the problem of excess astringency in protein beverages. Provon A-190 is pre-acidified, allowing better flavor expression and virtually eliminating the need for expensive acid-maskers or additional sweeteners. Provon A-190 also disperses more easily and foams less, decreasing ingredient costs and allowing for faster bottling. Glanbia Nutritionals Inc., 800-336-2183, nutrition@glanbiausa.com, www.glanbianutritionals.com
Fabulous Fiber
A leading manufacturer of nature-based functional and nutritional ingredients offers high-fiber and clean-label food systems. National Starch provides several options for food technologists who need to add dietary fiber to their products. Hi-Maize is a product line that not only adds fiber but functionality to extruded, puffed and flaked cereals, batters and breadings, and potentially reduces fat absorption and improves crispness. Hi-Maize meals and flours add nutritional value without impacting processing or taste. Hi-Maize 5-in-1 Fiber has been shown to have positive effects for weight, glycemic and energy management. National Starch Food Innovation, 800-797-4992, nscinquiry@ salessupport.com, www.foodinnovation.comFlavor-masking Options
A versatile line of flavor modifiers is designed to enhance a broad range of food and beverage applications. Mag-nifique™ Flavor Technologies from Wixon Inc. is a complete line of products that lets food manufacturers reduce sodium, fat and sugar without sacrificing flavor, and provides masking effects for added minerals, vitamins and other nutrients. Reduce bitterness in tropical juices, cut the metallic taste from mineral-fortified drinks, mask the beany note in soy products, or enhance the savory flavors of soups, dips and gravies with the solutions in the Mag-nifique line. Wixon Inc., 800-841-5304, www.mag-nifique.com
Identical to Nature
A naturally occurring carotenoid found in tomatoes, watermelons, papayas and guavas, lycopene is a powerful antioxidant associated with lower incidences of prostate, breast and digestive tract cancers and cardiovascular disease. BASF's LycoVit products are nature-identical, synthesized lycopene ingredients for use in vitamins, gelatine capsules, foods and beverages, and provide the benefits of naturally occurring lycopene cost effectively. LycoVit formulations are stable, with excellent flowability and dispersion, and are equivalent in bioavailability to naturally occurring lycopene. BASF Corporation, 800-527-9881, www.helpingmakenutritionbetter.comNatural Fiber with Minimal Viscosity
A naturally occurring dietary fiber is extracted from abundant native larch trees in the U.S. and is produced using a patented water-based, solvent-free manufacturing process. Exclusively from Lonza, FiberAid® is the natural solution for increasing fiber content. FiberAid enhances a healthy colon by acting as a food source for “good” bacteria, while minimizing the commonly associated side effects of other dietary fiber, such as gas and bloating. FiberAid also reduces potentially harmful bacteria like salmonella and E. coli. FiberAid is cold-water soluble and has minimal impact on viscosity and mouthfeel, as well as color and taste. It is compatible with a variety of formulations and is pH-stable. Lonza Inc., Kevin Owen, 806-655-8002, kevin.owen@ lonza.com, www.lonza.comPartnering for Snacks
A new service helps snack food producers bridge the gap between indulgence and healthy eating. Aspire Food Systems from ADM starts with listening to customers, then giving them unique co-innovation opportunities to improve the nutrition, flavor and functionality of their snack products for the end consumer. With the market for healthier snacks growing exponentially, with expected sales of more than $91 billion by 2010, ADM works with its customers to understand the nutritional profiles they want. The company then develops the best possible product in the most efficient way, to get it into the hands of consumers as quickly as possible. Archer Daniels Midland Company, Graham Keen, 217-451-8675Convenient Dry Form for Cheese Flavor
Using Kraft Food Ingredients' proprietary Exceed® technology developed by the company's flavor scientists, a new cheese flavor enhancer in powder form, Exceed® Plus 4010N, was introduced at IFT this year. It possesses the ability to maximize the cheese impact in any application, and provides a balanced, versatile, convenient and cost-effective option to natural or process cheese without sacrificing taste. Lower-cost formulas are achievable by reducing the cheese and dairy content of products without sacrificing flavor. Exceed Plus 4010N is kosher-certified and works well in snack, sauce, soup, side dish and casserole applications. It functions well in all food manufacturing processes such as freezing, coating, batter/breading, retorting and baking. Kraft Food Ingredients, www.kraftfoodingredients.comBuild Your Own Schedule
A practical “how to" conference for formulators will be held September 11-12, 2006, at the Wyndham Northwest Chicago in Itasca, Ill. The two-day event features six concurrent tracks, each devoted to challenges encountered in formulating specific applications, such as dairy products, processed meats, baked goods and functional foods. The nearly 100 sessions allow attendees to tailor the event to exactly the topics that best suit their informational needs. Here are just four.
* Ross Clark, distinguished research fellow, CP Kelco, will discuss how 16 different gelling agents impact sensory properties for appearance, aroma, flavor and mouthfeel. Look for the presentation “Sensory and Instrumental Correlations in Gelling Systems.”
* Benjamin Moser, associate program coordinator—applications, Roquette America Inc., will speak on “New Innovations in Healthy Ice Cream Formulations.” The topic will cover emerging formulations, such as extended energy products, intermediate sugar/fat/caloric claims, source of fiber and prebiotic claims, to name a few.
* Brady Carter, applications engineer, Decagon Devices Inc., will address shelflife and food safety considerations with “What is Water Activity?” Water activity is most effective when it is utilized during all stages of production, beginning with research and development.
* Larry R. Steenson, technical applications director, Danisco USA Inc., also will discuss one shelflife extension and food safety formulation tactic in “Antimicrobial Fermentate Applications in RTE Foods.”
For more information, please contact conference manager Marge Whalen at 630-694-4347 or whalenm@bnpmedia.com. Also see www.PreparedFoods.com/rd
