Custom Convenience and Quality
A line of new, ready-to-use sauces delivers unmistakably authentic flavor in a convenient, heat-and-serve pouch. Custom Culinary® Gold Label Ready-To-Use sauces allow the user to literally just “heat and go.” In addition to simple preparation, the sauces are made with the highest quality ingredients, including real dairy, freshly sautéed vegetables and authentic wine reductions. Whether the dish calls for a classic mother sauce or an on-trend, ethnic accent, Custom Culinary Gold Label has the perfect solution. Custom Culinary, 866-TRUETASTE (866-8783-82783), www.customculinary.com

Mitigating Acrylamide Migration
Due to growing customer interest, a new line of tailor-made acrylamide mitigation technology for applications such as cookies, crackers, snacks, French fries and bread products is being offered. PreventASe™, first launched in 2007, is now available in three formulations covering specific food applications under the following sub-brands: Panna™, Bicra™ and Xtru™. PreventASe has demonstrated its potential to significantly mitigate the formation of acrylamide, while leaving the nutritional properties, browning and taste aspects of foods unaffected, notes DSM Food Specialties, its supplier. The PreventASe enzyme is also known as “asparaginase enzyme preparation” from theAspergillus nigermicro-organism. The enzyme basically converts one of the precursors of acrylamide, asparagine, into another naturally occurring amino acid, aspartate. DSM Food Specialties is currently in the process of obtaining approval on a global level and already received a letter of non-objection to the GRAS status of PreventASe by the FDA in 2007. DSM Food Specialties, 973-257-8290, www.dsm-foodspecialties.com

Palm Reading
A leading and innovative producer of fats and oils for the food industry has released its latest general line catalog for 2008-2009. Loders Croklaan’s catalog’s enhanced features include: a product index for easier referencing; improved categorization of brands and application listings; latest technical specification and packaging information; and more. The catalog highlights lipids that provide a healthier alternative to trans fats for a variety of food applications, including SansTrans™ no trans, non-hydrogenated fats and oils and Durkex® high-stability oils.The 2008-2009 Loders Croklaan North American General Linecatalog is available by phone at 800-621-4710 or at www.croklaaan.com .

Custom-made Flavors
A new flavor line targets specific demographic groups. Agilex Flavors Division is launching its Flavor Focus Collections, which will target the energy drink market, before branching out into other drink segments. By understanding the specifics of targeted markets, they can assist their customers in giving them the flavors they want. The company’s flavor chemists can develop customer-specific flavors based on which demographic is buying their product. Agilex Flavors and Fragrances, 201-236-8150, www.agilexfandf.com

Super-juicing Confectionery
Products containing exotic Superfruit juices such as açai, goji, pomegranate and yumberry, along with familiar fruit juices like cranberry, blueberry and raspberry, offer high levels of antioxidants and health-promoting properties. This has opened the door to new opportunities for sugar confectionery. Danisco Sweeteners offers a new demo kit, called Set the Juices Loose!, which features great-tasting confectionery products with the added benefits of pure fruit juice, no added colors, no added acids, no preservatives, no high-intensity sweeteners, high fiber content, and reduced calories and sugar. The Set the Juices Loose! kit is comprised of four candy formats: Super-juice Jellies and Gummies, Super-juice Chewy Candies, Super-juice Cream Hard Candies and Super-juice Chewy Beans. Danisco Sweeteners, 800-255-6837, www.danisco.com/sweeteners

Flower Power
Drinks and sweets producers are making a shift towards natural colors, as more and more consumers associate natural products with health benefits, superior quality and increased food safety. Overall, sales of food colors grow at the rate of 2-3% per year--3-4% in natural colors and 1-2% in synthetic colors. Now, Chr. Hansen--the global market leader in natural colors for the food and beverage industries--expands its selection of colors of a natural origin with Hibiscus Extract WSP, an appealing choice for bright red shades in drinks, especially RTD teas, and drinks with fruit and flowers. The new, non-purified extract comes as an easy-to-use and allergen-free, water-soluble powder. Used in low-pH applications, a beautiful, bright red shade can be achieved. Chr. Hansen, 800-558-0802, www.chr-hansen.com

Straight from the Rainforest
A new juice concentrate evokes the taste of a tropical rainforest. Northwest Naturals’ new Rainforest Juice Concentrate is made with a blend of several tropical fruits--mangosteen, açai, passion fruit, pineapple, banana, mango, gogi and camu camu, along with pear and apple. The all-natural concentrate is high in vitamin C, potassium and antioxidants, making it a perfect base for smoothies and energy drinks. Other applications include flavored teas; ice cream and frozen novelties; marinades; and juice drinks. Northwest Naturals (a subsidiary of Tree Top Inc.), 425-881-2200, www.nwnaturals.com

Beyond the Sea
A new sea salt product will be available for food processors to use in gourmet seasoning blends and salt mills. Cargill’s largest-sized, cut sea salt product, Sea Salt Grinder, is about the size of a peppercorn, which allows the product to mix thoroughly with other seasoning ingredients and provide maximum flavor. The product has appeal for the many consumers who are interested in all-natural flavors, and evidence shows that consumers are increasingly interested in food products with sea salt. Cargill’s cut sea salt is made by channeling water from the Pacific Ocean into ponds, letting the sun and wind evaporate it naturally. Cargill, 888-385-SALT (7258), www.cargill.com

In the Wraps
Three different ways to add spice or flavor to applications are now available. Flavorseal® FlavorWraps™ Spice and Flavor Transfer Sheets help take control of flavor issues through FlavorWraps Dissolvable Flavor Sheets, FlavorWraps Non-Cooking Spice Transfer Sheets (non-dissolvable) and FlavorWraps Cooking Spice Transfer Sheets (available in dissolvable and non-dissolvable versions). Because loose spices can cause leakers, or spice collecting in seams, FlavorWraps can help reduce this problem for consistent applications. Ready-to-use and easily applied, FlavorWraps can be customized to any proprietary spice or flavor blend. Carrol Manufacturing & Sales (CMS), 866-769-1500, www.cmsflavorseal.com

Center of it All
Blending food science and technology with a chef’s culinary artistry results in innovative solutions for customers. Wixon’s booth at IFT took a new look, with a Chef’s Center to complement the food ingredient manufacturer’s new brand promise, “Service Driven Culinary Science.” The Chef’s Center, complete with refrigerator, electric cooktop and theater lighting, set the introduction of Wixon’s corporate chef Jud McLester, who prepared dishes creatively infused with the company’s spices, flavors, rubs and flavor-modifier technologies. Also at the booth, visitors were able to view Wixon’s new logo, symbolizing its creativity and energy, and learn about the company’s new Innovation Center for Culinary & Protein, slated to open in late fall 2008. Wixon, 414-769-3000, www.wixon.com

Say Cheese, Please
Appetizers are flourishing on restaurant menus, as consumers show favor for smaller portions and ethnically inspired, hand-held foods, and these emerging flavors and unique ingredient combinations also influence the portionable snack industry. Cheese is showing the most growth as the ingredient-of-choice in these hand-held applications. Kraft Food Ingredients Corp. showcased its Cheese Solutions at this year’s IFT, including its process cheese, cheese powders, cream cheese, and cheese and dairy flavors. KFIC also highlighted Hi-melt, innovative cheese ingredients in such applications as Little Cubans--mini-sandwiches topped with Restricted Melt Swiss and American Cheese Sauce--and Cheddar Cheese Sliders--gourmet mini-burgers made with Hi-Melt Old English™ pasteurized, process cheddar cheese dices. Kraft Food Ingredients Corp., 901-381-6533, www.kraftfoodingredients.com

One More Reason to Love Chocolate
A leading manufacturer and marketer of branded and private label chocolates in the U.S. has introduced a great-tasting chocolate containing a branded omega-3 supplement. Ocean Nutrition Canada Ltd. (ONC), supplier of MEG-3® brand omega-3 EPA/DHA, and Maramor Chocolates have collaborated to produce Maramor Dark Chocolate Squares. The new product contains 315mg of omega-3 EPA/DHA from fish oil in a single, three-squares serving. Chocolate lovers who are looking for the health benefits of fish oil in a tasty, easy-to-consume treat will find this product delicious and convenient. Ocean Nutrition Canada Ltd., 902-480-3288, www.ocean-nutrition.com

Fiber Fix
Food and beverage manufacturers will now have an even more dispersible, highly soluble way to offer consumers the benefits of fiber, with no impact on taste or texture. Tate & Lyle announced the launch of PROMITOR™ Soluble Corn Fiber 60A, the newest addition to its fiber and wellness platform. The fiber debuted at IFT, where visitors had the opportunity to taste the fiber-rich ingredient in two flavored, drink-mix beverages. The fiber is best suited for a variety of dry mix products, ranging from beverages and desserts to savory products such as soups, sauces and salad dressings. It has a 60% dietary fiber content and is a colorless and flavorless prebiotic fiber that can be used to deliver consumer benefits for added fiber, weight management and digestive health. Tate & Lyle, 800-526-5728, www.tateandlyle.com , www.promitorfiber.com

Tea Time
Inspired by the history and culture of tea, a new collection of tea flavors from around the globe contains authentic profiles of the world’s most popular beverage. International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (IFF) has expanded its existing tea portfolio to include premium flavors that capture the delicacy, nuance and sophistication of the aromatic originals. Working directly with growers from the world’s finest tea plantations, IFF has combined its extensive understanding of flavor chemistry, the expertise of its R&D teams and the creativity of its flavorists to develop this expanded collection. White Peony, Oolong Tie Guan Yin, Darjeeling, Jasmine Green and Chrysanthemum are just some of the exotic varietals formulated for a range of applications. IFF, 212-708-7121, www.iff.com

Sweet Strategy
One company wants its customers to make the right choice for a sweet future. The Ingredient House (TIH) displayed many different products that can contribute to that future for its customers. This is the second IFT appearance for the company, and the range of products showcased has expanded significantly. TIH has a well-balanced portfolio of ingredients, including erythritol, an ingredient attracting wider interest as a sweetening system with more natural appeal. The company works strategically with its manufacturer of erythritol and offered visitors to its booth at IFT samples of beverages using the product that clearly exhibited a clean, all-natural taste profile. The Ingredient House, 609-279-0170, www.theingredienthouse.com

Nutraceutical News
A major nutraceuticals company welcomed the media to its brand-new exhibit at IFT to discuss some issues of critical importance to the industry. InterHealth Nutraceuticals presented three scientific sessions of interest, entitled “Obesity and Natural Intervention” (a global perspective); “Science, Practice and Regulation” (the promise and issues surrounding nutrigenomics); and “Global Regulations in the Nutraceutical and Functional Food Industry.” InterHealth Nutraceuticals Inc., 800-783-4636, www.interhealthusa.com

Get the Blues
New research published in theBritish Journal of Nutritionshows that blueberries may have a cardio-protective effect, by significantly lowering cholesterol. Pigs given blueberry-supplemented diets experienced a reduction in total cholesterol, including both LDL and HDL levels. The greatest reduction was found in pigs fed a 2% blueberry diet equivalent to approximately two, 1-cup servings of blueberries in the human diet. According to the study, this could be “…reasonably achieved in the adult human diet and suggests that the observed effect from blueberry supplementation could occur in healthy humans.” The antioxidant activity of blueberries may help to explain the potential cardio-protective effect observed in this study. The Wild Blueberry Association of North America, www.wildblueberries.com

Soy Sessions
Two scientists took part in two IFT Supplier Solutions Sessions focused on proteins and weight management. Minhthy Nguyen, Ph.D., Solae director of application development and sensory science, presented “New Soy Protein Technology for Dairy Protein Replacement,” which provided insight into the latest application and product technology utilizing soy protein. Elaine Krul, Ph.D., Solae science fellow, nutrition science, took part in a panel on weight management. Her presentation highlighted the latest research supporting soy protein’s role in weight management, exploring data supporting its benefits relative to satiety, cardiovascular health and managing impaired gluco-regulatory function. Solae, 314-659-3626, www.solae.com

Terrific Textures
Two new initiatives highlighted at IFT will benefit both the snack and beverage industries. For the snack segment, National Starch showcased its range of snack texturizers that can be used to create a desired texture in a baked cracker or fabricated snack chip, ranging from delicate and crispy to bold and crunchy, including a new and differentiated “in-between” texture region--coined Crinchy™ by National Starch. The company also debuted its newest, clean-label ingredient, Q-Naturale™quillajafor beverage emulsification in sparkling beverages, new-age beverages, fortified waters and juices. Q-Naturale emulsifier is an organic, sustainable product produced by Desert King, Chile, which has a solid reputation for serving the U.S. market with its natural ingredients. National Starch Food Innovation, 908-685-5395, www.foodinnovation.com

Pampered Pets
Chocolate is a food product with immense appeal, not only to the human population, but to many different animals as well. However, chocolate and cocoa contain a high level of xanthines, specifically theobromine, which are detrimental to the health of many animals, including dogs and cats. A new cocoa derivative with a low concentration of xanthines has been designed to be suitable for pet consumption. Nutraceutical Group has developed a functional ingredient that allows cocoa to be added to many pet products. The ingredient has a reduced concentration of theobromine and sugars, while also adding multiple functional properties that facilitate pet owners’ ability to control their pets’ weight. With this patent, the biotechnological group opens a new line of research in functional foods for domesticated animals. Nutraceutical Group, Valencia, Spain, +34 96 192 08 51, www.nutraceuticalgroup.com

Healthy Yeasts
Considering the global trend of healthy foods, a company presented its natural solutions at IFT. Bionis and Biotaste yeast extract lines, which enhance the flavor of salty foods, were applied to different final products, allowing visitors to taste and check their results in terms of flavor and salt reduction. Other solutions, such as its Goldcell line--inactive, dried and autolyzed yeasts--and Monnovin, a mannin protein for wine--were also featured. Biorigin provides innovative solutions based on yeasts and their derivates and ensures the quality of product by controlling the entire production chain, ensuring traceability and origin. Biorigin, 55 14 3269 9270, www.biorigin.com.br

Universal Appeal
Three unique products illustrate one company’s ability to combine several ingredients from different producers to take advantage of the synergies in product function and application knowledge. Univar USA had samples of the products and their formulations available at IFT, including Samba Cooler--a sugar-free, fruit cooler with a Latin touch that featured the popular flavors of Brazil’s national cocktail,caipirinha, and lime juice; The Rouge Refresher--water with a twist of sugar-free red tea drink with natural pomegranate flavor; and Berry Smart Bars--a snack-sized boost with added calcium, vitamin C and soluble fiber. A one-stop source for food ingredients, Univar offers a comprehensive portfolio of additives and processing aids from the world’s leading ingredients producers for use in a broad range of applications. Univar USA, 425-638-4911, www.univarusa.com