'How can we health you?', asks Geoff Platt

After day one at Vitafoods, it's obvious the level of innovation in the ingredients industry doesn't diminish. Here are a few of my day one headlines.

I stole my heading from DSM, a company that had plenty to interest dairy. Doug Brown, DSM global marketing manager, believes ‘relax your mind’ could well be the fastest growing platform in the next five years.

The company has also launched Tolerase L, an acid lactase that converts lactose into glucose and galactose, giving lactose intolerance sufferers an alternative to lactose-free. The press release states that, 'the science behind acid lactase is supported by a positive opinion from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)'. There are many companies out there that would love a positive opinion from EFSA!

DSM’s Total Dairy Solutions was a finalist in the recent Dairy Innovation Awards. Total Dairy Solutions was a new strategy to help customers access the resources they need quickly and efficiently – a complete vertical integration of all DSM’s capabilities to reduce complexity in the new product development process, helping the customer get to market faster. As one judge commented: “A reminder as to where a great deal of dairy innovation actually starts.”

Leading whey protein supplier Carbery was showcasing its nutritional expertise in healthy ageing. Sarcopenia – the natural process of muscle wastage due to age – is a growing concern for people aged over 50. Carbery highlighted the important link between protein consumption and the promotion and maintenance of muscle mass.

Just when you think you know all there is to know about cranberries, Ocean Spray reveals an important new study that offers a breakthrough insight into the bioavailability and metabolism of cranberry bioactives. I’ll explain more in the next issue of Dairy Innovation.

Revolution

LycoRed’s VP global marketing and sales Ilan Ron said there has been a revolution in natural colours. Natural colours have moved from ‘nice to have’ to 'must have’, and it's consumers who are driving this development. “There is a global wave of consumer awareness," he said.

With many people not getting enough iron in their diets, it was a good time for Kelatron to showcase its Iron Bisglycinate – a new highly bioavailable iron chelate that maintains a high iron potency and doesn't cross-react with other ingredients, thus overcoming many of the problems posed by other compounds used in fortification.

It was a good first day, but I'm still looking for that magic ingredient to relieve sore feet.

Geoff Platt is editor of Dairy Innovation magazine. He’s also active on LinkedIn.