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Formulation
• Cran-Milk
Functional beverage manufacturers have a new ingredient to add to their arsenal: cranberry seed oil.
Georgia-based AHD International received GRAS approval for its Luravida branded vegetarian oil, which offers fruit-based Omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids without the fishy odor or taste. AHD President and CEO John Alkire said he planned to target the milk category – where products have been emerging with Omega 3 claims.
• Caffeine’s Calmed Buzz
The international Food Information Council Federation completed a comprehensive review of caffeine’s effects entitled Caffeine and Health: Clarifying the Controversies and summarized the following findings:
· Caffeine consumption does not adversely affect bone mineral density in women as long as they consume enough calcium.
· Caffeine should not pose any harm to pregnant women as long as they limit their consumption to 300 mg per day.
· Three cups of coffee per day is associated with slower rate of decline in cognitive performance in women.
· Caffeine may aid physical and mental performance
On the negative side, the review found that regular caffeine drinkers will experience short-lived withdrawal if they stop consuming the stimulant, the elderly and those with hypertension may be more vulnerable to negative effects and some studies have examined a link between caffeine use and both cancer and coronary disease – though there’s no evidence to show that caffeine causes them.
• HFCS Controversy, Naturally
The battle over high-fructose corn syrup has reached the regulatory front, where the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ruled that products containing the popular sweetener cannot be labeled as natural.
The ruling actually came as the result of a request by a media organization, FoodNavigator-USA.com, which posed the question in an effort to get the FDA to define the term “natural.”
Although the FDA made its stance clear with regard to HFCS, it continues to refuse to define “natural,” which remains a concern for many consumers and drink formulators. The ruling with regard to HFCS was due to the use of synthetic fixing agents in the preparation of the product.
Last year, the maker of the beverage 7-11 decided the drink could no longer be billed as “all-natural” under protest from consumer advocates. That was also due to its use of HFCS.
• Formulation Briefs
Robertet has introduced the second line in its series of new Xtreme Flavors. The available flavors include varieties of apple, pear, peach and plum.
A&B Ingredients, a leading solutions supplier of rice-based products and value-added ingredients, announced the availability of Pisane, a new non genetically modified (GMO) pea protein isolate. According to A&B, the product is particularly well suited, for weight control and sport foods.
InterHealth Nutraceuticals’ Super CitriMax has been grated a patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for its ability to promote fat oxidation (fat burning). X Café LLC, a manufacturer of coffee extracts, has received the 2008 Award for Innovation in Business by the Smaller Business Association of New England (SBANE). The company was recently honored at a dinner on May 7 in Waltham with the prestigious New England Award.