HFT News
Cargill Health & Food Technologies Introduces Revolutionary, New "Better For You" Sugar
Trehalose Offers Promising Health Benefits to Consumers
Minneapolis, Minn. - February 26, 2002 - Cargill Health and Food Technologies, a division of Cargill Foods, introduces a new, unique sugar offering a variety of health benefits to consumers.
Trehalose is a type of sugar made from cornstarch and occurs naturally in many plants and foods such as honey, lobster and yeast. This unique, naturally-occurring "better for you" sugar has half the sweetness of sucrose and is now affordable and commercially available for the food industry. The breakthrough ingredient provides an exceptional energy source and has a wide range of applications including nutrition bars, sports drinks, bakery product, ice creams and confections.
The most unique and promising health benefit is a blunted insulin response. Preliminary research shows that Trehalose elicits a blunted insulin response relative to other sugars. As a result, Trehalose may be digested and absorbed at a slower, more sustained rate than other sugars - which may lead to greater endurance for consumers.
"Trehalose is a breakthrough and exciting ingredient in the food industry today. It is gaining strong interest among innovative food and beverage manufacturers," said Jim Kappas, Director of Marketing, Cargill Health and Food Technologies. "This is great news for the food industry and consumers alike. We believe Trehalose will help create a new generation of products - functional products that provide added health benefits. From sports drinks and nutrition bars to ice cream and yogurt, Trehalose offers a clean and improved flavor as well as strong implications for exercise capacity."
Recent studies indicate that Trehalose does not elicit a high insulin response in the human body so the ingredient may provide more sustained energy with less 'sugar crash,' further justifying the use of Trehalose in sports drinks and nutrition bars. So Trehalose can be consumed prior to exercise without the risk of energy 'lag.'
The unique properties also allow Trehalose to help preserve food's flavor, color and texture. Studies have also shown Trehalose to be gentler to teeth than sucrose, and may contribute to fewer cavities. It is also well-tolerated.
This announcement and availability of Trehalose comes on the heels of Cargill launching another "better for you" ingredient, OliggoˇFiber.™ OliggoˇFiber® is a line of natural soluble fiber ingredients that improves calcium absorption, which in turn helps promote healthy bones. It also helps promote a healthy digestive system by increasing the number of beneficial bacteria in the body, not to mention improving the flavor and texture of foods.
Both ingredients will soon be available in sports drinks, energy bars, yogurts, ice creams and chocolates - thus providing consumers with additional calcium and energy they need. Both Trehalose and OliggoˇFiber® are classified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe) ingredients.
About Cargill Health and Food Technology
Cargill Health and Food Technologies, a division of Cargill, is a leading developer, processor and marketer of science-based, health promoting ingredients for the global food industry.