Beneo to Highlight Healthy Aging at FiE

19 Nov 2013 --- It is never too early to begin thinking about a balanced diet that promotes health through all life stages. However, health and taste are inseparable and consumers will only choose functional food and drink products if they like their taste and texture.

With this in mind, BENEO, one of the leading manufacturers of functional ingredients, is using Food Ingredients Europe (FiE) 2013 to show how its nutrients can be incorporated into products that encourage healthy ageing from early on, whilst safeguarding and even optimising taste and texture.

Across the globe, our populations are getting older. But while life expectancy at birth continues to grow, many people are not ageing healthily. Leading a healthy and active lifestyle is regarded as the key to healthy ageing, with balanced nutrition playing an integral role within this. Low glycaemic foods and a diet rich in fibres are key elements for health at any age. Besides that, different life-stages go along with specific nutritional demands and consumer preferences. Macronutrient ingredients, such as prebiotic fibres, as well as low glycaemic carbohydrates and hypoallergenic rice derivatives, have the potential to answer these needs and provide healthy nutrition at every life stage. Some examples:

 Infants: Nutrition for infants must conform to the highest standards. BENEO’s baby food rice starch meets industry and regulatory requirements. The naturally sourced texturiser qualifies for hypoallergenic, clean-label, organic and non-GMO-products like vegetable and fruit jars.
 Kids: It’s a matter of fact that kids love sweets and tend to eat too much and too often. BENEO’s Palatinose and ISOMALT allow for toothfriendly confectionery solutions with low glycaemic response that combine sweet indulgence with nutritional benefits.
 Teens: This is the time when the calcium stores need replenishing to prevent osteoporosis later on but often the food choice does not reflect this need. BENEO’s prebiotic fibre Orafti Synergy1 helps to increase calcium absorption and bone mineral density. Therefore, solutions such as sports or muesli bars or even drinks with Synergy1 can support the need for extra calcium in the diet. 
 Middle Aged: At this very active time of life many consumers are looking for drinks and snacks that will promote energy and weight management. BENEO’s low glycaemic carbohydrate, Palatinose™, provides a balanced energy supply over a longer period of time. BENEO’s prebiotic fibres, oligofructose and inulin, increase the fibre content of a product while maintaining taste and texture. Moreover, these fibres can reduce the calorie content of products and help consumers to eat fewer calories. 
 Seniors: Keeping the digestive system healthy is an important aspect in senior consumers. By increasing fibre intake, it is possible to increase regularity and to fight constipation in a natural way. 

Dr Matthias Moser, CEO BENEO comments: “The human body is a “flexible” organism that might be compared to an elastic band. It functions perfectly when new but loses elasticity the older it gets. As a result, extending its elasticity is essential for the prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) as the body ages. Incorporating key nutrients into a balanced diet is increasingly being shown to delay or prevent, in most cases, the onset of NCDs such as obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis, gut related disorders, cardiovascular diseases and dental health issues. Our ingredients offer manufacturers various routes for the development of balanced, convenient and palatable food and beverage solutions that help consumers maintain a healthy and active lifestyle at every age.”