December 2011/NutraSolutions -- The natural trend movement has had far-reaching consequences for food manufacturers and consumers alike, with greater emphasis from a health claims perspective being placed on front-of-pack--such as “natural,” “no additives/preservatives” and “minimally processed” claims. Short and recognizable ingredient lists; the use of natural colorings and flavorings; and the spread of organic offerings available in most market categories demonstrate the increased global demand of “as natural as possible” products that are produced in an ethical, sustainable manner. Ingredient sourcing is increasingly under the spotlight, with, for example, free-range and local produce claims experiencing a surge. Analysis from Innova Market Insights revealed a 51% increase in global product launches with a free-range claim from 2009-2010, suggesting this trend and other ethical and sustainable claims will continue to flourish in the future.
--Lu Ann Williams, Innova Market Insights, helpdesk@innovami.com, www.innovadatabase.com
Sweet Spot: Blueberries Convenient blueberry formats provide sweetness and enrich products, naturally. The inclusion of natural blueberries means clean labels and the ability to tout a product’s nutritional benefits. They add real flavor bursts to baked goods and snacks. Consumers view blueberries as a value-added, healthy ingredient; they equate blueberries with antioxidant power and readily accept them as an ingredient in almost any product. Blueberries and blueberry formats can mean reductions in sugar, high-fructose corn syrup or other sweeteners--in everything from baked goods and snacks to beverages and dairy. U. S. Highbush Blueberry Council, bberry@blueberry.org, www.blueberry.org
Fortified for Health Fortitech Inc. is a developer of custom nutrient premixes for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries. Fortitech premixes integrate functional ingredients from a comprehensive selection of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, nucleotides and nutraceuticals that are used in a wide range of products, including baby formulas, cereals, bars, dairy products, nutrition and sports drinks, juices, snacks, waters, candies, supplements and more. Nutrient premixes offer numerous benefits to manufacturers. They streamline the production process, because a nutrient premix is a single source of multiple nutrients. As a result, manufacturers save on labor, cost and testing. Fortitech is expert in delivering multiple nutrients in a single premix, while preserving three key elements of successful premixes: taste, stability and texture. Fortitech Inc., David Borisenok, borisenok.david@fortitech.com, www.fortitech.com
Seal of Approval The Nexira Group (formerly Colloides Naturels International) recently received additional regulatory approval for its Fibregum™ product line of all-natural, soluble dietary fiber, based on acacia gum. Health Canada has recognized the Fibregum brand of acacia gums as a dietary fiber source in Canada. Further, it has approved the classification of Fibregum as “traditional dietary fiber” and not a “novel fiber.” The body clearly stated a “no objection” to the sale of Fibregum acacia gum as a dietary fiber for labeling purposes in Canada. This positive decision contributes to the growing regulatory acceptance of Fibregum acacia gum worldwide. (Editor’s note: On November 7, 2011, the companies of Iranex Group--CNI [Colloïdes Naturels International] and Bio Serae Laboratories--officially became Nexira. Media contact for Nexira Group: Teresa Yazbek, 908-707-9400, yazbek@cnius.com)