“Wheying” In

One company creates whey products that deliver multiple benefits in a variety of food and beverage applications. Grande Custom Ingredients Group’s Grande Bravo®whey protein can improve a product’s flavor, functionality and manufacturing process, when added to the food formulation. In meat products, Grande Bravo can be used to hold water, thus improving yield and providing a firm, yet juicy texture. Flavor of the final meat product can also be improved when Grande Bravo is used to replace ingredients, such as sodium caseinate, or when Grande Bravo is used in reduced-sodium meat applications using potassium chloride. Grande Custom Ingredients Group, 920-269-1331, www.grandecig.com

Citrus Event

A major flavor company recently announced the opening of a new showroom in Tetersboro, N.J. The Symrise Citrus Showroom, located at Symrise Flavors’ North American Flavor Headquarters, welcomed customers to the opening, giving a first-hand preview of the kind of events that will be held in the new setting. Customers sampled new citrus drinks and enjoyed a menu of aromatic citrus dishes. They also took part in mini-workshops that enabled them to create their own signature flavors. This showroom joins existing facilities located in Germany, Brazil and Singapore. Because market penetration varies from one region to another, local and regional trends are considered when planning flavor strategies. Symrise, 201-462-2389, www.symrise.com

Purposeful Prose

A new, eight-page brochure showcases a line of “purpose-built,” cold water-swelling (CWS) food starches developed for specific applications. The brochure,Three Instant Winners, from National Starch Food Innovation, describes the special properties of ULTRA-TEX®SR, TEXTRA®Plus and ULTRA-TEX 8 that meet food processors’ demands for improved texture, process resistance and mouth-coating. For a free copy of the brochure, call 866-961-NATL (6285) or e-mail: nstarchlit@essentialms.com. National Starch Food Innovation, www.foodinnovation.com .

Test the Waters

Flavored waters lend themselves to novel fruit flavors. The vast scope of fruit flavors and ingredients offered by Frutarom USA Inc. are perfectly suited for the good-for-you, healthy aura of flavored waters. Frutarom’s line of EFLA ingredients and natural botanical extracts possess several advantages. Neuravena®, its Wild Green Oat Special Extract, is part of the EFLA line and is positioned to enhance mental health and cognitive function. Along with many other natural extracts in the line, it provides purity, solubility and stability--all essential to manufacturers of flavored waters. Plus, they make a distinctive contribution to taste, impart a natural mouthfeel and give added depth to the flavor profile. Elderberry, açai, yumberry, blueberry and pomegranate are also tastes that offer many possibilities. Frutarom USA Inc., 201-861-9500, www.frutarom.com

Time Trials

A leading manufacturer of functional carbohydrates derived from pure sugar beet announces the result of a new study testing the effects of a low-glycemic, functional carbohydrate. Palatinit’s Palatinose™is the only fully digestible, low-GI carbohydrate which provides prolonged energy in the form of glucose. Because it takes longer to digest, the energy is released more slowly, rather than all at once, resulting in longer-lasting energy with no sudden drop in blood sugar that can result in fatigue and loss of concentration. Palatinose also encourages the burning of fat reserves as energy during exercise. This makes it ideal for athletes looking for optimum endurance performance. In addition, it is tooth-friendly. The study compared the results of two groups of experienced cyclists cycling 90 minutes at a submaximal steady state, followed by a time trial.  One group was given a sports drink containing Palatinose, and the other was given a liquid meal containing high-glycemic maltodextrin. BENEO-Palatinit, Inc., 973-539-6644, www.beneo-palatinit.com

Nothing Fishy Here

Due to their nature and nutritional composition, fish and fish products are highly susceptible to oxidation and degradation. Classic thermal processing methods like cooling, freezing and sterilization are usually deployed to protect and extend shelflife of fish and fish products. The high demand for fresh fish drives manufacturers to seek new, natural solutions to tackle oxidation and extend the fish’s shelflife. Vitiva, Slovenia, has launched an all-natural formulation of INOLENS®line for fresh fish and fish products for full protection against rancidity. Derived from unique, highly concentrated rosemary extract, this new grade of INOLENS 4 has no influence on taste, odor or color of highly sensitive fish applications. Vitiva, 386-2-1788-87-38, www.vitiva.eu

Calculate This

Small-to-medium sized food manufacturers searching for an economical label-generation solution need look no further than LabelCalc®, which is celebrating its fifth anniversary with a 10% discount off its already cost-effective price of $175 per label. LabelCalc is the only online nutrition analysis tool that instantly generates accurate, up-to-date U.S. FDA-compliant nutrition facts panels and is an efficient, reasonably priced alternative to laboratories, nutrition CD-ROMs and third-party consultants, says the company. The company utilizes a database of 20,000+ ingredients, primarily compiled from USDA Nutrient Laboratory data. As part of its goal of serving as a one-stop nutrition analysis resource for food manufacturers, LabelCalc recently launched its Professional Marketplace in collaboration with providers of other essential business solutions.  LabelCalc, 415-398-4628, www.LabelCalc.com or www.MenuCalc.com

Advancements in Flavor

A new, innovative line of dry bases for retorted sauces, soups and ready-to-eat meals is now available. Chef-Ready® Retortable Bases, from Advanced Food Systems (AFS), are specially formulated with ingredients that maintain excellent flavor, color and texture through the heat and pressure of retort processing and final preparation. In many cases, flavor is enhanced during retorting, due to the development of reaction flavors, according to the company. Because they are shelf-stable and, therefore, require no refrigeration or freezing in shipping and storage, these bases and the end-products made with them also offer significant energy savings. Dry bases also weigh less and are more compact than water-containing bases. Advanced Food Systems Inc., 800-787-3067, www.afsnj.com

How Sweet

Looking for functionalities as different as gumming or pre-coating; polishing; glazing and sealing; oiling or anti-sticking; souring; gelling or jellifying; enrobing and encapsulating; texture enhancing; or flavor harmonizing? ALW Confectionery Performers from Alfred L. Wolff are offered in different types, corresponding to the nature of the finished products. Each one is adaptable to the production requirements of the confectionery manufacturers, to allow for an optimum yield and processing performance. Quick Gum™Gum Arabic, QSLic™Quick Soluble Licorice Extract and ALW Agar-Agar offer customized qualities of natural ingredients with an unmatched ability to provide the right texture, consistency and flavor to a wide range of quality candies. For fiber-enriched and calorie-reduced confectioneries (e.g. cereal bars), Quick Fibre™is a functional fiber easy to be added to the recipe, allowing for the declaration of valuable source of dietary fiber. ALFRED L. WOLFF and DROUVEN & FABRY, Hamburg, Germany, www.alwolff.com

Eat All the Veggies

Nowadays, consumers expect bold, ethnic flavors and preparations when they eat their vegetables. With the new Gilroy Foods & Flavors™Controlled Moisture (CM) Seasoned Vegetables, savvy product and menu developers can offer the best of both worlds--big, authentic flavor and nutrition. Controlled Moisture Seasoned Vegetables are available in an array of ethnic flavors and replicate popular preparation methods, like roasting and caramelizing, allowing product and menu developers to create trendy, flavorful menu items that can boost a product’s nutritional profile. In fact, the vegetables are packed with nutrition. It takes 33% less CM Seasoned Vegetables to deliver one nutritional serving, compared to fresh or individually quick frozen (IQF) vegetables. The line’s flavor-forward options include Ancho Mesquite Peppers & Onions; Sautéed Onions; Italian-Marinated Tomatoes; Chipotle-Seasoned Fire-Roasted Red Bells; and Fajita-Seasoned Peppers & Onions. Gilroy Foods & Flavors, www.gilroyfoodsandflavors.com

Innovative Concepts for Sleep

Two new strategic concepts are available. As a leader in providing unique and effective solutions for specific food and beverage applications, WILD now offers functional ingredients from the sea and non-traditional alternatives promoting a good-night’s sleep. WILD Flavors Inc.’s Marine Nutraceuticals can help boost immunity, supply antioxidants, help maintain weight, sustain a healthy heart and provide joint relief. Holistic Sleep’s ingredients may help relieve stress and sleeplessness and can be demonstrated in various product applications. WILD Flavors Inc., 859-342-3600, www.wildflavors.com

Shuffle the Deck

A new line of “shuffled” pomegranate flavors is now available. GSB Flavor Creators’ flavors can be used in alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, confections, baked goods, savory creations and more. Flavors such as Pomemint--pomegranate and mint; Pomecello--pomegranate and lemoncello; and Balsamic Pomegranette--Balsamic vinaigrette and pomegranate--are part of a company-wide flavor campaign that aims to combine the most unusual, yet complementary, tastes to create unique, exotic and perfectly paired flavors. GSB Flavor Creators, 770-424-1886, www.gsbflavorcreators.com

Performance Max

A natural, clean-label ingredient delivers improved dough tolerance, performance and efficiency in a cost-effective and sustainable way. DSM Food Specialties’ Panamore, the new breakthrough alternative to chemical emulsifiers, can maximize the performance of any flour type, all year-round, to ensure total batch-to-batch consistency. Panamore is an enzyme preparation produced byAspergillus. It has a dual action on the polar lipids naturally present in flour to unlock and maximize their emulsification properties. In this way, it conditions the dough and softens the crumbin situ, offering the same or even better effects than DATEM (diacetyl tartaric acid ester of mono/diglycerides) or SSL (sodium stearoyl lactylate), says the company, and provides optimal volume and crumb structure in the finished product. DSM Food Specialties, The Netherlands, 31-(0)-15-279-26-85, www.dsm-foodspecialties.com

A Perfect Pair

A world-renowned creamery just upped its cranberry count. British cheese maker The Wensleydale Creamery has added 30% more Ocean Spray sweetened, dried cranberries (SDCs) to its best-selling U.S. product: Real Yorkshire Wensleydale with Cranberries cheese. Building on the success of the original product, the launch will represent the first of a new range of exciting cranberry cheeses. The innovative range will offer Real Yorkshire Wensleydale with cranberry and seasonal fruit combinations with year-round appeal, from fresh summery cranberry and raspberry to winter warmer cranberry and orange. Ocean Spray, 508-946-7606, www.oceansprayitg.com

Updated 60,000 Product Catalog

The new2009/10 Cole-Parmer® General Catalogis now available with products for every need. The catalog contains 2,600 pages with more than 60,000 products--including 10,000 new items. Inside, find quality instrumentation and equipment for food-quality testing, processing and safety from the lab to the plant floor. Unique, hard-to-find items are included, along with everyday basics and the brands. All products are backed by free applications assistance. To request a free catalog, call 800-323-4340 or visit www.ColeParmer.com/3849 .

Natural Sweetener with Zero Calories

On the 28th of October 2008, the European Commission published Directive 2008/100/EC, amending the energy conversion factor of erythritol to 0 (zero). More than two years after the DG SANCO initiated the process of changing erythritol’s energy conversion factor, the European Parliament voted for the change, paving the way for more innovative, calorie-reduced, yet tasteful, food products. Jungbunzlauer’s erythritol is a sugar alcohol whose major advantage against other sugar alcohols (polyols) has been its natural status, since it is made by fermentation, notes the supplier. Additionally, it is not metabolized by the human body and, thus, does not contribute significantly to energy production. This is now reflected by lowering the energy conversion factor from the polyol standard value of 2.4Kcal/g. In the U.S., erythritol was affirmed GRAS in 1997. For more information, see www.jungbunzlauer.com or Healthy.Choices@Jungbunzlauer.com.

Flavors Protecting Colorings

Natural pigments, such as curcuminoids, carotenoids and anthocyanins, can be used alone or blended to achieve desired colors. However, they are challenging to use, since they may change due to product pH, heat, light or oxygen. To counteract these natural color stability challenges, Ogawa has a series of natural flavors, called NAF™, an acronym for Natural And Functional. There are four ingredients in the series, NAF A, B, C and E--each having a unique functional effect. For example, NAF B has a two-fold effect. It preserves the color integrity of a carotenoid pigment, such as lycopene, beta-carotene, paprika, gardenia yellow and annatto extract, while reducing the amount of off-flavors induced by oxidative reactions. OGAWA Flavor and Fragrances, AVRI Companies Inc., 510-233-0633, www.ogawa.net/English

The November 24, 2008 issue ofPrepared Foods’ e-newsletter carried an exclusive brief on top trends impacting foods and beverages. Top flavor forecasts for 2009 are persimmon, starfruit, lavender, cactus, chimichurri, peri-peri and masala. In addition, in an exclusivePrepared Foodsinterview, Lynn Dornblaser, director, CPG Trends Insight, Mintel International, expounded on four additional trends seen impacting ingredient choices. “Overall, there continues to be a strong trend towards ingredients that can take some type of ‘natural’ position in the market, or are easy for consumers to understand,” said Dornblaser. “Consumers tend to understand that what they buy in a store will not necessarily be the same as what they make at home with ingredients from their kitchen cabinet. When ingredients with somewhat technical-sounding names appear in the ingredient legend, the product can be made more consumer-acceptable, if their function is explained,” she adds. Other ingredient trends include “baobab,” which may be the Supfruit for 2009. Quinoa, an “ancient grain” that is also high in protein and has all eight essential amino acids, and “beauty from within,” which, in the West, is about antioxidants and their role in skin health, are also top trends to watch. To sign up forPF’s e-newsletter, go to www.PreparedFoods.com and click on “subscribe to e-enewsletter” on the left-hand side of the home page.

For the New Year, Datamonitor Product Launch Analytics offers ten global trends to watch in packaged goods. The following are those that specifically impact foods, beverages and nutritionals.
* Nuts About Nuts (and seeds): Nuts, hailed as nutritional powerhouses, are showing up in more new product launches. Seeds, too, are getting their due on the health front, including flax seeds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds.
*  Do Not Energize, Relax: Energy drinks have taken the world by storm, but is there a change in the offing? A number of new products take the relaxation route, such as Drank Relaxed Energy Beverage (USA), dubbed the “world’s first extreme relaxation beverage;” Purple Stuff Pro-Relaxation & Calming Elixir (USA); and, from the Philippines, Nescafe Body Partner Relax Coffee, a decaffeinated coffee with chamomile.
* Beauty You Can Eat or Drink: The new way to look beautiful is with an emerging generation of specially formulated foods and drinks. Though the trend is very much in its infancy, it has attracted some heavy-hitters, for example, Masterfoods’ Dove Beautiful Milk Chocolate with “skin nourishing” ingredients, like vitamins C and E, biotin, zinc and cocoa flavanols.
* Steam It Up: Steam and steam cooking says both “fresh” and “tasty” to consumers. For example, U.S. introductions by Dole Easy Steamer Potatoes and Birds Eye Steamfresh Specially Seasoned Rice use new, microwave cook-in-bags that vent excess steam during cooking.
* Detox Me: A number of new products promise to “detoxify.”  While some food-based products use “liver-friendly ingredients,” like dandelion root, other consumers are paying attention to celebrities supporting detox diets, including Beyonce and Oprah Winfrey. Function Urban Detox Goji Berry Drink is one recent U.S. detox launch.
* Get Ready For Stevia: Stevia is a natural, high-intensity sweetener that has been banned in processed foods and beverages in the U.S. and much of Europe. The FDA is preparing to decide if a stevia variant,Rebaudioside A, may be safely used in processed products, which could open new product floodgates.
* Flower Power: Floral flavors, like lavender, hibiscus and jasmine, have long enjoyed success in non-foods, but are newer to food and drink markets. In the U.S., examples include OOBA Sparkling Refreshing Hibiscus Beverage, said to have a high level of antioxidants, and Lavender-Jalapeno flavored Theo Caramel Collection Chocolates.
- Brain Power: A growing number of brain health products are hitting the market. For example, Kellogg’s LiveBright Brain Health Bar touts “good for your brain” DHA omega-3s. Mentions of the word “brain” in new food and beverage products worldwide have nearly tripled in the 2007-2008 period vs. the 2005-2006 period.

Source: Datamonitor’s Product Launch Analytics