Naturally Meaty

Restaurateurs looking to offer customers a natural alternative need to look no further for fully cooked natural meat products. Burke Corporation’s NaturaSelect products are made from premium-quality, natural fresh pork and beef and are minimally processed, with no artificial ingredients. Burke’s NaturaSelect natural line consists of four fully cooked meat toppings: Italian sausage, seasoned ground beef, sliced Canadian-style bacon and pepperoni. No nitrites or nitrates are added to the Canadian-style bacon or pepperoni. All products are fully cooked to reduce labor and training costs and quick-frozen to maintain freshness and shelflife. Burke Corporation, Liz Hertz, 515-382-3575, www.BurkeCorp.com

Better-for-you Beverages

Greater numbers of people are buying healthier-for-you beverages. At the same time, consumers are looking for ways to increase their daily dietary fiber intake. NUTRIOSE® soluble fiber provides formulators with a simple and effective means to add significant dietary fiber to their beverages without compromising taste or texture. National Starch Food Innovation, the exclusive distributor of the NUTRIOSE product line in many food and beverage segments in the U.S. and Mexico, has created a formulation for 50%-reduced sugar, water-/juice-based beverages that provides 3g of fiber per 8oz serving, with better mouthfeel, taste and aftertaste. NUTRIOSE is a registered trademark of Roquette Frères. National Starch Food Innovation, Dave Manion, 908-685-5395, dave.manion@nstarch.com

Natural Mixed Tocopherols

Specifically developed to meet the expanding range of global applications for dietary supplements and functional foods, Covi-ox® T-95 EU is the highest potency natural mixed tocopherol ingredient available. Cognis also offers Covi-ox T-95, for those companies not requiring non-GMO ingredients. Covi-ox natural mixed tocopherols are highly effective antioxidants used in a broad range of foods to protect against oxidation and extend shelflife. They offer a natural way to preserve a food’s flavor, aroma and color. Demand is also growing for Covi-ox natural mixed tocopherols in dietary supplements as an alternative to traditional alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) ingredients. Cognis, www.cognis.com

Water that Delivers

A vitamin-fortified and flavored mineral water for active consumers who are concerned about their health has been developed with the fortification expertise of LycoRed Ltd. Neviot+ is mineral water fortified with a B vitamin complex and is available in two flavors: peach and apple. The vitamins are added to mineral water naturally high in calcium and low in sodium from the Ein Zahav spring located high in Israel’s Galilee mountains. The delicate taste of Neviot+ is achieved by adding a small amount of fructose and flavors. LycoRed creates innovative nutrition through a combination of new and innovative products and through closer relationships with their customers. LycoRed Ltd., Udi Alroy, +972-8942-0930, info@lycored.com, www.lycored.com

Organic Certification

Organic food and beverage is one of the fastest growing food categories, with nearly two thirds of Americans buying organic last year. Wixon Inc. announced it has received organic certification as a processor from Quality Assurance International (QAI), the largest independent certifying organization of its kind in the U.S. This will allow Wixon to manufacture, process, and distribute certified organic products and ingredients to the food and beverage industries. The company already partners with others to develop a variety of food and beverage products, so the company now can work with customers to create customized organic products from start to finish. Wixon Inc., 414-769-3000, www.wixon.com

Pleasantly Potato

A tasty, nutritious snack base made from potato and soy flour with protein levels available from 18% to 45% is low in fat and has an appealing crunchy texture. The potato-soy snack from Zumbro River brand can be produced in a variety of shapes. Because the base has a pleasant potato flavor, the product lends itself well to a variety of flavors, including barbecue, ranch, cheese, taco or sour cream. ZRB can also package the finished snack in form/fill/seal packages for retail sale. The new potato/soy pieces join a line of snacks and cereals available for contract manufacture to desired specifications. Zumbro River Brand, www.zumbroriverbrand.com

Apple Cinnamon Fusion

A popular flavor for a wide range of bakery and cereal applications, glycerated apple cinnamon is the latest and most original of Ocean Spray ITG’s BerryFusions Fruits. Adding glycerin to the apple cinnamon flavor increases the number of applications possible, particularly in lower water activity products. BerryFusions Fruits offer food manufacturers a versatile ingredient that delivers the taste and texture of real fruit in a wide range of natural flavors, including strawberry, raspberry, orange, mango, cherry and blueberry. The ingredients are suited to a wide range of processes that can damage delicate fruits. They retain their shape and color and provide an ideal solution for food manufacturers looking to incorporate real fruit into their products. Ocean Spray ITG, Tom Jones, 508-946-7606, tjones@ocean spray.com, www.oceanspray.com

Cutting the Fat

With health and wellness concerns sweeping the globe, consumers want the same combination of traditional flavor and mouthfeel in a product with fewer calories and less fat. Now soft-serve ice cream manufacturers can create an indulgent treat that trims the fat—while trimming production costs as well. New GRINDSTED® IcePro SS from Danisco creates a creamy, indulgent soft-serve ice cream while cutting fat from the traditional 5% to 7% to as low as 1%. This means that formulators can cut out more than half the fat, without negatively affecting taste, flavor or product stability. Danisco, Jennifer Lindsey, 800-255-6837, ext. 1271

Vitamin K2 Shown to Reverse Arterial Calcifications

A recent study provides new findings for Vitamin K2 with significant potential benefits for cardiovascular health. In the study, scientists at the Cardiovascular Research Institute (CARIM) and VitaK, Maastricht University, The Netherlands, demonstrated a reversal of induced arterial calcification in an animal model. High vitamin K intake (both K1 and K2) not only blocked the progress of further calcium accumulation, but led to an over 37% reduction of previously accumulated arterial calcium precipitates within six weeks. The study is available on the website of the journal Blood. PL Thomas offers a natural vitamin K2 under the trade name MenaQ7 in alliance with Natto Pharma, Norway. PL Thomas, Eric Anderson, 973-984-0900, x215, eric@plthomas.com.

Top Ten to Tango

Since 2000, McCormick’s flavor experts, with the help of some of America’s top chefs, television personalities, and cookbook authors, have forecasted flavors and trends that will show up on Americans’ plates. For its 2007 predictions, the following flavoring pairs are predicted to “define the year:” Clove and Green Apple; Thyme and Tangerine; Tellicherry Black Pepper and Berry; Sea Salt and Smoked Tea; Lavender and Honey; Crystallized Ginger and Salted Pistachio; Cumin and Apricot; Toasted Mustard and Fennel Seeds; Wasabi and Maple; and Caramelized Garlic and Riesling Vinegar. McCormick & Co. Inc., www.mccormick.com

Gene to Improve Carotenoid Content in Food

Agricultural Research Service scientists and researchers from Cornell University have isolated a gene that could be used to increase carotenoid content in foods. The gene causes high levels of beta-carotene to accumulate in various parts of the plant that normally do not contain carotenoids, fat-soluble pigments responsible for color shading in plant leaves, fruits and flowers, particularly the orange color of carrots. Carotenoids act as biological antioxidants, protecting cells and tissues from damage caused by naturally occurring free radicals in the body. Beta carotene is a potentially important means of lessening vitamin A deficiency, the most serious nutritional deficiency problem worldwide. USDA-ARS Office of Technology Transfer, Tara T. Weaver-Missick, 301-504-6965, tara.weavermissick@ars.usda.gov, www.ars.usda.gov