Innovative vendors are setting themselves apart by offering more than just ingredients. Product development is a lengthy process that involves a concept being carried from formulation, sourcing, manufacturing and, finally, to the marketing stage. Now, companies can turn to one supplier to assist them through these processes.
Turn-key product development services is the concept behind the new Health Ingredient Technology & Solutions[r] line from WILD Flavors (Erlanger, Ky.). According to Greg Horn, senior director of the company's Health & Wellness Division, "In the past year or two, larger companies that normally kept all their product development in house are looking at us to supply them with the product development expertise to accompany our ingredients." The company has come up with a line of products that addresses difficult formulation needs, such as solubility, stability and taste.
This new line of products from WILD Flavors includes a water-soluble form of Co-enzyme Q10 (CoQ10), which can be incorporated into beverages. CoQ10 is a well-researched and powerful antioxidant essential for the proper functioning of cells, and studies have shown it has a role in preventing cardiovascular disease.1,2 Another antioxidant in the line is aronia berry juice, which has been found to have the highest known ORAC value of berries on the market, including blueberry and pomegranate. One of the more innovative products in the line is called the Resolver[r] Technology. It is a natural flavor extract from various plant sources that can be used in food applications to mask bitterness and astringency, two of the biggest hurdles with functional ingredients. It is unique in that it does not contribute its own taste and, therefore, can be used in many different flavor profiles.
A recent survey by Health Focus International (St. Petersburg, Fla.) found that 69% of shoppers usually or always select foods for healthful reasons, and 44% choose foods and beverages for nutritional qualities. "Functionality" is the driving force behind innovation in many foods. Two of WILD Flavors' most currently popular ingredients, Garcinia cambogia and Green Tea Polyphenols, have been spurred by the low-carb and weight-loss trends. Although many people know green tea as a beverage and as an antioxidant, it is becoming a popular ingredient for weight loss, due to its unique and characteristic polyphenol content. Garcinia cambogia is lesser known, but is used as a food in Asia and is thought to block carbohydrate conversion into fat.
One product area that is being developed at WILD Flavors, and will hopefully be launched in 2005-2006, is a type of dietary fiber. The company believes that although the hot area right now is in cutting carbs, consumers will start demanding products that provide a feeling of fullness, and that is where their acid-stable fiber will come to play. NS
References:
1 Soja, AM and SA Mortensen, 1997. Treatment of congestive heart failure with coenzyme Q10 illuminated by meta-analysis of clinical trials. Mol. Aspects Med. 18:S159-168
2 Singh, RB, et. al. 1998. Randomized, double blinded placebo-controlled trial of coenzyme Q10 in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Cardiovasc. Drugs Ther. 12: 347-353
For more information:
WILD Flavors Inc., Greg Horn, 859-240- 2007
ghorn@wildflavors.com
