The good-for-you beverage space is high on the radar of ingredient companies such as DSM which has outlined three of its latest innovations in this space.
Oat Beta-glucan
Oat Beta-glucan is the major soluble fibre found in oat bran, and the naturally-derived beta-glucan is particularly well-known for its benefits in helping to maintain healthy cholesterol levels, which are key to heart and cardiovascular health.
Multiple clinical studies show that 3g of beta-glucan per day lowers cardiovascular disease risk by as much as 20 per cent.
Last year, Food Standards Australia New Zealand included a pre-approved high level health claim for beta-glucan for reducing blood cholesterol in the context of diets low in saturated fatty acids and containing 3g of beta-glucan per day.
Until recently, however, it has not been possible to incorporate oat beta-glucan into beverages. The insoluble fibers contained in oat beta-glucan are difficult to disperse in beverage products, leading to the formation of lumps. Consequently, there have been no beverage products that contain bioactive oat beta-glucan on the market.
DSM, however, has developed an Oat Beta-glucan-based ingredient called OatWell which is suitable for use in a wide range of food and beverage applications including instant powder drinks, smoothies and dietary supplements.
This proprietary solution means oat beta-glucan can now be used to deliver a proven heart health claim in a convenient ready-to-drink format, opening up an exciting new market for the global beverage industry.
According to Carmel Power from DSM Nutritional Products Australia, OatWell can be used to create heart healthy fruit juices and beverages, with one 250ml serving containing 1.0g of bioactive oat beta-glucan.
This represents one third of the daily recommended dosage for substantiated cholesterol reduction. By maintaining the bioactivity of oat beta-glucan, manufacturers can differentiate beverage products to deliver a proven heart health claim in a consumer-friendly application.
Vegetarian Omega-3
Omega-3 fatty acids have an important role to play in supporting health, and are traditionally associated with oily fish such as salmon, anchovies and sardines.
In the womb, a mother’s intake of omega-3s contributes to the foetus’ healthy brain development and omega-3s can also have a beneficial effect on poor cardiovascular health and Alzheimer’s disease.
These days consumers can reap the benefits of omega-3s without eating fish due to the extensive range of food and beverage products that are fortified with omega-3s, including dairy and fruit-based beverages.
According to Power, this is largely thanks to recent improvements in delivery systems for micronutrients that have helped to match the shelf life requirements of omega-3s in beverages.
In addition, aseptic packaging has enabled the delivery of highly oxidative ingredients such as omega-3s and allows for a longer shelf life. This gives a wider audience access to fortified dairy beverages. New, more convenient packaging formats mean that fortified beverage products can be consumed on the go, broadening consumer reach.
DSM’s Omega-3 beverage solutions include life’sDHA, which is already used in a number of nationally recognised food and beverage products in local supermarkets around Australia, including Parmalat’s Vaalia Yoghurt for Toddlers.
Carotenoid natural colours
Natural colouration is becoming popular on a global scale, however, more natural colouration also presents challenges for food manufacturers when it comes to overcoming application obstacles.
In order to be successful in the move to more natural ingredients, products must continue to meet consumer expectations, such as the need for allergen-free, vegetarian, kosher and halal ingredients. Also, the stability and intensity of naturally sourced or nature-identical colours are of great importance to ensure consumer appeal.
Artificial colours, or azo-dyes, are cheap, easy to use, difficult to degrade and have great colour intensity. Acquiring the same properties with naturally sourced colours is a principal concern for beverage manufacturers, as colour often links to perception of quality and taste.
Power says the carotenoid family, made up of more than 600 pigments found in nature, provides manufacturers with new solutions.
Natural-source and nature-identical carotenoids both offer colouration solutions, but they are suited to different products. Natural ingredients are suited to premium products, while nature identical ingredients are ideal for mass market beverages, she says.
DSM offers both natural-source and nature-identical carotenoids, which give light yellow to red colouration with superior stability in beverage applications.
DSM’s carotenoid ingredients can be incorporated into custom-designed premix formulations.
