Tech-driven solutions advance delicious and functional foods and beverages

30 Mar 2023 --- Taste and efficacy are becoming more important to consumers looking for foods, beverages and supplements that support their wellness goals. However, formulating products that are both functional and enjoyable can be challenging. To meet this demand, companies are turning to innovative solutions that retain ingredient bioactivity while being cognizant of the importance of delivery format.

NutritionInsight speaks with professionals and experts from Novasep, ADM, Gencor, Mibelle and Bioiberica about this burgeoning market.

“Shoppers’ expectations of products designed to support their wellness goals continue to evolve. They are no longer settling for foods, beverages and dietary supplements that don’t meet expectations for taste and convenience,” says Vaughn DuBow, global director of marketing, microbiome solutions at ADM.

“Health and wellness brands that can rise to the occasion and provide delicious, nutritious and accessible products will find success with consumers,” he continues.

Technical answers to traditional problems
Ingredients can lose their properties as foods get processed, losing functionality. Furthermore, other solutions are needed to help overcome other issues in industry, such as personalized solutions or bioavailability boosting.

Oliver Pauwels, business development and marketing manager at Novasep, highlights that the business uses membrane filtration – which can be operated under a wide range of temperatures (usually from 4° to 30°) – creating no risk for degradation of functional properties or of any biomolecules. 

“Especially when you process proteins or vitamins, which are very sensitive to high temperatures, there is no risk of deteriorating functional properties or generating bad aftertastes. It is a very neutral technology,” Pauwels explains.

 “If molecules of interest are rather ‘small,’ it means that you can recover them in the so-called permeate flow (the one collected after passing through the membrane). In almost all cases, permeate is sterile, which means that you collect a very stable product from a microbiological standpoint,” he continues.

 Pauwels adds that “thanks to a very wide range of membranes (especially for ceramic membranes), cleanability is easy to achieve and robustness has been well demonstrated.”

F&B companies are tapping prebiotic and postbiotic functionalities.“Personalized product development is growing, as many shoppers reach for beverages, cluster snacks or gummies for enjoyment and convenience. However, ensuring functionality throughout different processing conditions is no small feat,” says DuBow.

ADM uses solutions like its BPL1 probiotic strain (Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis CECT 8145), which according to DuBow “are moving the needle in what’s possible for health-forward products.”

“Because it consists of non-viable microorganisms, heat-treated BPL1 can withstand harsh processing environments like high-heat and high-moisture applications. Plus, DE111 (Bacillus subtilis) is a spore-forming probiotic, which means it can retain its functionality through challenging processing conditions that may otherwise damage conventional probiotics.” 

DE111 can endure harsh conditions of the stomach and bile salts, surviving gastric transit and germinating in the small intestine, allowing it to target factors relevant to metabolic health while making it a tasty and convenient product, according to the business.

Functional formulation hurdles
The decision to use functional ingredients poses challenges for formulators, who must consider taste, texture and a pleasurable eating or drinking experience.

“When you offer ingredients with a strong scientific backing and the ability to formulate outside the box (beverages, powders, etc. and not tablets or capsules), price becomes less of an issue. Gencor works to assure sustainable, ethically sourced ingredients are a priority,” McNamara explains.

Gencor maintains strict component sourcing standards to ensure that there is no variability amongst lots for either efficacy or organoleptic profiles, explains the business. 

 “There are always groups looking for cheaper sources, but you do get what you pay for regarding efficacy, quality and function. To that end, Gencor ingredients are designed for premium formulations and those who stand behind quality as their premise for delivering best-in-class products,” McNamara notes.

Some cheap sources do exist. A recent study found the potential to transform the underutilized cashew apple pomace – considered food waste by some – into a functional, versatile ingredient.

Maggie McNamara, marketing director at Gencor, says that the company doesn’t face many challenges with its ingredients. However, they do use technology when possible to boost solubility, dispersibility and bioavailability.  

“LipiSperse technology allows Gencor to add unlimited delivery methods for its ingredients where others have been unable to provide solutions,” she underscores.

Moreover, certain functional ingredients, such as fiber, can pose formulation hurdles, imparting gritty texture or unappealing taste, explains DuBow. 

“These ingredients are still highly sought-after, with prebiotic fiber continuing to be an on-trend ingredient for consumers seeking gut and digestive support.”

Fibersol, a line of soluble prebiotic dietary fibers produced by ADM and Matsutani LLC, helps bridge this gap. Fibersol promotes the growth of gut microbes that have been positively associated with health.

Fibersol can also be added to numerous foods, beverages and dietary supplements without impacting key sensory aspects. It is also high in solubility, low in viscosity and in clarity, heat, acid, shear, freeze and thaw stable.

Meanwhile, while F&B companies have tapped prebiotic functionalities, Stratum recently spotlighted the benefits of using postbiotics in functional products.A recent study found the potential to transform the underutilized cashew apple pomace – considered food waste by some – into a functional, versatile ingredient.

Delivery matters
The delivery format of supplements is crucial because it can impact the product’s effectiveness, convenience and overall user experience.

“Formulators can easily navigate the flavor profile and delivery method used with the majority of Gencor ingredients either due to previous experience by formulators or with the technology we use to improve solubility and bioavailability such as LipiSperse,” says Maggie McNamara, marketing director at Gencor.

“The technology allows Gencor to add unlimited delivery methods for its ingredients where others have been unable to provide solutions,” she notes.

DuBow highlights that ADM’s botanical solutions pair particularly well with its microbiome-supporting ingredients, “creating captivating offerings that help meet consumers’ holistic wellness goals.”

“For instance, our ‘Finger Lime Mint Tri-biotic Gummy Dietary Supplement’ concept is an excellent example of bringing together our functional ingredients (Fibersol, DE111 and heat-treated BPL1) with our tea extract and spearmint oil, all in a convenient format packed with zesty lime-mint flavor,” he continues.

More than gummies
Although gummies are a continuously trendy product format, Innova Market Insights highlights that other formats are also booming.

“The growth and popularity of gummies are widely attributed to their taste and convenience, but industry players are keen to highlight new types of application formats,” says the market researcher.

“We have observed some other new formats developing in the supplement arena, which have not been seen on the market yet. One of them is a supplement in the form of a spray, which is orally administered,” reveals Alice Olufeso, product manager for food and health at Mibelle. 

“In the coming years, we expect to see additional formats come to the fore in the beauty-from-within category – such as soft chews, melts, chewables and lozenges,” adds Jaume Reguant, healthcare director at Bioiberica.

By Marc Cervera