In Part One of Prepared Foods’ overview of ingredients for eye health, PF looked at the vitamins, minerals and other nutraceuticals, such as omega-3s, known to help protect eyes and vision. In this second of the two-part feature, PF explores the carotenoid compounds—perhaps the most important class of eye health ingredients known to science.

With the wide variety of vitamins, minerals, botanicals and nutraceuticals that can be used to fortify foods and beverages, premixed ingredient systems exist to allow manufacturers benefits and savings that require almost no effort to attain.

Bone and joint health claims featured on less than 1% of global food and drinks launches in 2012, with bone health by far the more popular, used on 80% of the total, compared with 25% for joint health.

Today’s sports nutrition formulations provide sophisticated ingredients, alone and in combination, for not only athletes and weekend warriors -- but also those engaged in the grueling competition of simply getting through the stressful marathon that is modern living.

The heart never rests. At 65-75 beats per minute, the average ticker pumps about 300 liters of blood every hour.

According to a recent survey conducted by the Ocular Nutrition Society (a nonprofit organization of eye care providers, nutrition scientists and other professionals dedicated to increasing awareness of the importance of nutrition to eye health), 78% of adults age 45-65 rank vision as the most important of their five senses.

LycoRed now offers a micro-encapsulated beadlet line of natural carotenoids and vitamins.

DSM showcased a complete line of food and nutritional solutions at the 2013 IFT Food Expo, Booth 2439.

Three novel nutritional ingredients for enhancing and sustaining energy were described by Rodger Jonas, director of national food and beverage sales for P.L. Thomas

When it comes to creating foods and drinks for little ones, the most critical thing to keep at the forefront of any product development program is that taste, above all, still matters.