Diet and Health Driving Food Reformulation

Newswise — Faced with the needs of an aging population and concern over the global obesity epidemic, the focus in the development of many new food products is on increasing health benefits and reducing caloric and carbohydrate content. Several companies introducing new products and technologies recently at the Institute of Food Technologists' Annual Meeting and Food Expo revealed what their organizations are doing to improve the health factor of their products.

Food companies face several challenges when inserting antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and other healthy components into their products, industry leaders reported. It's imperative that neither the process nor the nutrient dramatically change the color or taste of the product, they said. And it's also important the added nutrient doesn't decrease the shelf life of the product.

For example, increasing lutein, which is found naturally in green leafy vegetables, helps the body filter harmful light, prevents premature aging in skin and protects the eyes against cataracts and sight damage due to aging. "It's your internal pair of sunglasses," said Hannah Barnes, a scientist with Kemin foods. "We can wear sunglasses and sunscreen, but we don't wear these all the time. They also don't protect from all forms of UV light."

While lutein is highly functional in the body, the molecule is insoluble in water and makes it difficult to fortify beverages with the antioxidant. Attaching it to an additive that does dissolve in water allows Kemin to add lutein into beverages like soda, milk, sports drinks and fruit and vegetable juices, according to Barnes.

Flaxseed, a grain with nearly no carbohydrates that the body absorbs, is also rich in Omega-3 fatty acids that have been shown to lower the incidence of cardiovascular disease and provide other health benefits. But its unsaturated oil content has made it difficult to use, according to Pizzy's Milling.

That manufacturer announced a process for milling flaxseed for use in low-carb pizza crust, tortillas and breads, enabling low-carb dieters to reduce their carbohydrate content while increasing intake of healthy Omega-3 fatty acids.

The Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting and Food Expo is the world's largest annual food science and ingredient conference, delivering comprehensive, cutting-edge research and opinion from food science-, technology-, marketing- and business-leaders. Now in it's 64th year, the IFT Annual Meeting and Food Expo July 12-16 in Las Vegas attracted 19,565 attendees and 950 exhibiting companies.

The 2005 convention is July 16-20 in New Orleans.