Fi Europe 2022: Dr. Paul Lohmann to focus on mineral and nutrient bioavailability

23 Nov 2022 --- The Germany-based mineral salts producer Dr. Paul Lohmann will feature new magnesium premixes in different forms and mineral-fortified veggie sausage and cream cheese at Food Ingredients Europe (FiE) trade show in Paris, France (Dec 6 to 8). The company will also showcase its new white coloring agent formulation to replace titanium dioxide (TiO2).

These solutions can be tasted and seen at booth #4B122.

“We will have three focus topics at FiE,” Dr. Barbara Mack-Walczyk, product and area sales manager, business unit food at Dr. Paul Lohman, tells NutritionInsight. “Improve the nutrient profile with mineral fortification of meat and milk alternatives, magnesium for mood and mineral salts for TiO2 replacement.”

“At our booth in Paris, we will have samples to taste,” she continues. “Including a veggie sausage fortified with iron and zinc, a veggie cream cheese fortified with calcium and magnesium in different application forms: shots, fruit-snacks, chewing tablets.”

The company will highlight solutions for mineral deficiencies in plant-based and flexitarian diets.Plant-based fortification
Recently, experts have pointed to nutrient shortcomings that consumers on plant-based diets often face, noting that many have difficulties in achieving appropriate levels of minerals such as iron, calcium and zinc. Some flexitarians may experience deficiencies as well.

A study published in Lancet Global Health in October revealed that, globally, two out of three women at reproductive age experience the “hidden hunger” of mineral deficiency. Meanwhile, a separate study published in the lead-up to COP27 found that climate change is affecting the nutrient levels in plants, including minerals like iron and phosphorous.

“Meat and dairy alternatives can lack key nutrients such as iron, zinc and calcium,” Mack-Walczyk stresses. “To improve the nutrient profile, we can offer highly bioavailable iron, zinc and calcium salts.”

“A suitable calcium source for plant-based milk is micronized calcium citrate and for the fortification of meat alternatives – ferrous fumarate, ferric pyrophosphate, zinc citrate and zinc gluconate can be used,” she explains. “These Mineral Salts are almost neutral in taste and available in small particle sizes.”

Maximizing magnesium
Magnesium is known to have beneficial effects on mood, sleep and all-around health. Additionally, the US Food and Drug Administration recently allowed the use of qualified health claims for the mineral’s ability to reduce the risk of hypertension (high blood pressure).

Dr. Paul Lohmann will showcase several formats and delivery for the mood-altering mineral.

“Magnesium is a multitasker,” underscores Mack-Walczyk. “As an essential mineral in our bodies, magnesium plays a role in a myriad of health benefits – bone health, metabolism, blood sugar regulation and nerve and muscle function, among other things.” LomaWhite is intended to replace the recently banned food additive TiO2.

“And, no surprise, it plays a crucial role in sleep and relaxation, too,” she continues. “Dr. Paul Lohmann offers the broadest available portfolio of magnesium salts in excellent bioavailable such as magnesium bisglycinate, magnesium citrate, magnesium malate and magnesium ascorbate.”

Furthermore, the company will highlight its Magnesium for Mood offering with two new premixes of magnesium salts.

“To get the best Magnesium in an adequately high dosage, we developed two magnesium blends,” Mack-Walczyk elaborates. “By providing optimal combinations of high value and inorganic magnesium salts, these blends have a good effectiveness and are well tolerated – so it is an ideal fit for mood concepts.”

Addressing the TiO2 ban
At the beginning of 2022, TiO2 was banned for use as a food additive in the European Union due to the ingredients genotoxicity – meaning its ability to damage the genetic material in cells. Until then, it was commonly used as a whitening agent and to create opacity in capsules.

Mack-Walczyk says the company has a solution for this as well, which will also be showcased at the trade show. 

“We identified four mineral salts which showed a very good performance in application tests,” she says. “Dr. Paul Lohmann’s new brand LomaWhite is a calcium and magnesium-based portfolio of bright whitening and opacity agents for the replacement of TiO2 in food and food supplement applications.”

By William Bradford Nichols