The following content originally appeared in the November issue of Food & Beverage International, which you can subscribe to here.
Consumers are increasingly reading labels and becoming more interested in food values and the benefits of the foods they ingest. The growth in protein rich and healthy ‘superfoods’ is meeting a growing demand. Claire Phoenix looks at new moves in vegetarian nutrition and functional ingredients adding value to processed food.
Targeted tastes
With an unwillingness to compromise on taste, consumers are looking for products with the perfect balance of taste and nutrition. As the wider food and beverage market is constantly evolving to include more exciting and exotic flavours, nutrition product manufacturers can do the same to develop more interesting taste profiles suited to the desired audience.
For instance, active ageing products for bone health may include ingredients such as calcium, protein and vitamin D. As they are most likely to appeal to women above the age of 50, familiar and subtle flavours are more likely to appeal. On the other hand, sports nutrition formulators are more likely to include fresher, fruitier flavours, popular in Europe, in their products such as strawberry, lime and mango.
Indulgent inspiration
Another huge market within the targeted nutrition sector is weight management. Although product ranges are advancing to include new applications, classic shakes remain popular among consumers looking for a quick and easy nutritional format. Therefore, it is important that manufacturers of these products innovate with flavour in the same way as ‘everyday’ food companies. By pushing the boundaries of taste beyond the traditional strawberry, vanilla and chocolate profiles, manufacturers can continue to excite consumers within the weight management market. Again, taking flavour inspiration from the wider dessert market will prompt the creation of more luxurious tasting products. Synergy Flavours has recently developed a new range of flavours specifically for the burgeoning weight management sector. Suitable for a range of applications including powder for premixes, RTD shakes and bars, the new extensive range includes; Cinnamon Danish, Cinnamon Bun, Strawberry Cheesecake, Caramel Coffee, Banana Smoothie, Vanilla Cream, Chocolate Brownie and Blueberry Cheesecake. The impactful flavours have been designed to work with a high protein meal replacement concept that contains the highest quality macronutrients including healthy fats, complex low GI carbohydrates and complete proteins, together with the suggested necessary vitamins, minerals and trace elements. Offering a more opulent tasting experience for weight-conscious consumers who still desire luxurious flavours, the new collection allows for the development of more appealing weight management products.
Synergy Flavours has a vast portfolio of flavour solutions for the sports nutrition, weight management and active ageing nutrition markets. Together with the protein capability of its parent company, Carbery, Synergy Flavours specialises in flavour masking for high in protein formulations and works with customers to create bespoke flavour profiles suited to nutritional applications.
The programme included talks by various scientists and nutritionists from leading European universities. The discussion highlighted that while metabolic syndrome is an increasingly worrying concern, it can be delayed or treated with targeted nutrition. For example, NAFLD can be reversed rapidly by strict caloric restriction and control, as well as increased vitamin E intake due to its antioxidant function. Omega-3s have been shown to address NAFLD and lipid disorders, such as high triglyceride level, which increases the risk of heart disease. The presentations also demonstrated that genotype can play an important role in the way the body processes micronutrients. For example, in hypertensives with a particular mutation of an enzyme involved in folate metabolism, provision of riboflavin (vitamin B2) can compensate for this genetic variation and contribute to lower blood pressure. Carriers of this genotype have higher blood pressure throughout life, compared to matched controls.
An estimated 34% of US adults have metabolic syndrome, putting them at higher risk of heart disease, stroke and damaged blood vessels. A study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, examined vitamin E absorption in adults with metabolic syndrome and demonstrated that they absorbed and transported vitamin E in the circulation poorly.
While the healthy adults absorbed up to 29.5% of the vitamin E dose (15 mg), those with metabolic syndrome processed only 26.1%. The study further showed that people with metabolic syndrome not only had limited absorption of vitamin E, its distribution to the tissues from the bloodstream was slowed. These findings suggest adults with metabolic syndrome must consume more vitamin E to achieve adequate status. Importantly, because adverse consequences of liver disease can be slowed by high vitamin E intakes, poor vitamin E status may lead to greater secondary consequence of metabolic syndrome.
Richard Bruno, professor of human nutrition at The Ohio State University and lead author of the study comments: “Obesity is one of the risk factors of metabolic syndrome and these individuals are advised to alter the diet to improve overall health. People tend to cut out fats for weight loss, however these foods often contain vitamin E, and therefore result in reduced intake of this micronutrient. This further exacerbates the problem that more than 90% of Americans fail to consume the recommended amount of vitamin E on a daily basis. We need to determine specific recommendation for those afflicted with metabolic syndrome, as a higher intake is required to achieve the desired health benefits.”
Maret Traber, Helen P Rumbel Professor for Micronutrient Research and Director of Oxidative/Nitrative Stress Core Laboratory in the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University and co-author of the paper comments: “Further research is required into what prevents individuals with metabolic syndrome from achieving optimal vitamin E status, but it is likely due to greater inflammation and oxidative stress in the body, causing increased breakdown of vitamin E. Higher vitamin E intake is required to achieve its antioxidant protection, which may help to prevent or delay the onset of the disease risks associated with the condition.”
Dr Manfred Eggersdorfer, Senior Vice President, Nutrition Science & Advocacy at DSM and Professor for Healthy Ageing at Groningen University says: “The targeted approach in nutrition to address risk factors in metabolic syndrome is overlooked and underestimated. There is encouraging data that micronutrients, such as vitamin E, can beneficially impact the onset and course of NAFLD and other disease risks associated with metabolic syndrome.”
Sahied Azami of Hamburg based Vegetarian food company Bedda is an ardent believer in the goodness of the bedda range – comprising cheeses, mayonnaise and cheese dips – with protein produced from lupin flowers along with highly successful chocolate puddings and desserts.
UEA research into high protein foods
Eating foods rich in amino acids could be as good for your heart as stopping smoking or getting more exercise – according to new research from the University of East Anglia (UEA).
A new study reveals that people who eat high levels of certain amino acids found in meat and plant-based protein have lower blood pressure and arterial stiffness.
And the magnitude of the association is similar to those previously reported for lifestyle risk factors including salt intake, physical activity, alcohol consumption and smoking.
Researchers investigated the effect of seven amino acids on cardiovascular health among almost 2,000 women with a healthy BMI. Data came from TwinsUK – the biggest UK adult twin registry of 12,000 twins which is used to study the genetic and environmental causes of age related disease.
Researchers studied their diet and compared it to clinical measures of blood pressure and blood vessel thickness and stiffness.
They found strong evidence that those who consumed the highest amounts of amino acids had lower measures of blood pressure and arterial stiffness.
But they found that the food source was important – with a higher intake of amino acids from plant-based sources associated with lower blood pressure, and a higher intake from animal sources associated with lower levels of arterial stiffness.
Lead researcher Dr Amy Jennings, from UEA’s Norwich Medical School, said: “This research shows a protective effect of several amino acids on cardiovascular health.
“Increasing intake from protein-rich foods such as meat, fish, dairy produce, beans, lentils, broccoli and spinach could be an important and readily achievable way to reduce people’s risk of cardiovascular disease.
“Results from previous studies have provided evidence that increased dietary protein may be associated with lower blood pressure. We wanted to know whether protein from animal sources or plant-based sources was more beneficial – so we drilled down and looked at the different amino acids found in both meat and vegetables.”
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