Essentia Protein Solutions to launch nutritional enhancement calculator at Food Matters Live

02 Nov 2017 --- A nutritional enhancement calculator that shows how to boost the nutritional profile of food and beverage products is to be launched by Essentia Protein Solutions. The launch will happen at Food Matters Live 2017 at the ExCeL center in London. Using basic nutritional data, Essentia’s calculator informs manufacturers about what’s required to upgrade their food or drink product to a higher protein classification – according to Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 – in terms of labeling as a source of protein, high in protein or increased in protein.

“The market trend and requirement for protein enhancement and enrichment have crossed over from purely sports nutrition to encompass a wide range of everyday meals and beverages,” Tom Cooke, Essentia’s Director UK & Ireland, tells NutritionInsight. “Healthy living and healthy eating in everyday foods have become ever more important.”

“With manufacturers looking to increase protein content, Essentia has developed this quick and easy calculator to help manufacturers understand how their products stack up in terms of protein labeling and what they need to do in order to achieve any protein on-pack claims,” Cooke adds. “The calculator can, therefore, help with enhancing existing products or helping to formulate new lines.”

Instant nutritional solutions
The company says that the tool provides immediate answers, letting users select between a wide range of protein solutions and calculate the additional amounts of clean-label protein needed to meet these classifications. The system also makes it easy to select the type of protein that’s the best and most cost-effective match for the product in question.

“The calculator needs only basic information on the percentages of protein, carbohydrate and fat in order to inform the manufacturer if there is a protein claim to be made and what levels of Essentia’s high protein bone broth powder is needed to meet these claims, so it is a quick and easy exercise,” Cooke explains.

The new software is the latest innovation from Essentia Protein Solutions in response to a growing demand from the food industry for high protein products. To this end, “Protein enrichment of everyday food” is the theme of Essentia’s stand at Food Matters Live – which takes place from November 21 to 23 – this year. The stand will feature its nutritional protein range available as beef, chicken and pork powders. 

Made from 100 percent natural meat-based raw materials, they offer clean label solutions for a wide range of applications – from soups, sauces, meat snacks and ready meals to protein bars, drinks and healthcare products for those seeking a nutritionally balanced diet.

On the stand, Essentia’s “Tasting Bar” promises to give visitors the chance to test typical applications which can be protein enriched by Essentia’s products - instant noodles, beef jerky, beef bone broth, salami sticks, and chocolate and coffee caramel protein drinks.

For food manufacturers looking to enrich protein levels in everyday products, or to meet nutritionally balanced requirements, Essentia Protein Solutions offers low-carb powders that contain from 90 to 98 percent of protein. The company points out that the products are non-functional, so their addition does not affect the finished product eating characteristics or the taste.

“Simply by adding our natural meat protein nutrition range, you can boost the protein content of your food product without any change to its integrity,” says Cooke. “The convenience of protein powders means products are 100 percent soluble.”

“We want to inspire manufacturers with our taste test experience and discover the many uses of our meat-based proteins, which are perfectly suited to the huge trend in healthy meat snacks,” Cooke adds.

Looking to the future, Cooke tells NutritionInsight: “The high protein trend is here for the long term, I believe. Protein health benefits are widely known and collagen-based bone broth proteins even more so.”

By Paul Creasy