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Cargill H&FT Showcases Future Functional Beverages
H&FT has beverage solutions to suit every consumer category
MINNEAPOLIS - February 25, 2003 - If the five beverage
prototypes developed by Cargill Health & Food Technologies (H&FT)
are any indication, there is a functional beverage solution to suit
nearly every consumer category.
At recent industry trade shows, H&FT showcased five beverages that demonstrated the ease of product line expansion to meet consumer demand. Each prototype highlighted an H&FT ingredient: a chocolate drink containing CoroWise™ plant sterol esters called Sweet-Life; two energy drink sport beverages containing Ascend™ trehalose, called Cruz Control and High Gear; and chai tea and orange juice containing AdvantaSoy™ Clear™ soy isoflavones.
"Taste and convenience of healthy ingredients and foods are driving growth in the $56 billion functional food industry. With newer and better ingredients, we expect the beverage category in particular to explode in the next few years," said Ted Ziemann, president Cargill Health & Food Technologies. "The variety of product possibilities -- as we've shown with everything from a chocolate drink to sports beverages -- will create an even broader target market of consumers, most of whom are looking for simpler ways to incorporate nutritional changes into their lifestyles," he said.
The plant sterol esters contained in Sweet-Life offer safe and effective means of reducing cholesterol levels and improving cardiovascular health. "Many people are concerned about maintaining their heart health," Ziemann said. "Consuming plant sterol esters as part of a healthy diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol provides another natural option in the maintenance of cardiovascular health," he said.
Cruz Control and High Gear contain Ascend™ trehalose, a type of sugar made from cornstarch, that also occurs naturally in many plants and foods such as honey, lobster and yeast. This unique sugar has half the sweetness of sucrose and is now affordable and commercially available to the food industry. Ziemann commented, "Ascend™ trehalose is a breakthrough-ingredient that has a wide range of applications including nutrition bars and sports drinks."
AdvantaSoy™ Clear™ brand is produced using a unique processing technology that reduces the unpleasant odor and flavor typically associated with soy isoflavones. As a result, H&FT's chai tea and orange juice with AdvantaSoy™ Clear™ soy isoflavones retain their original, traditional flavor, color and consistency. Preliminary evidence suggests that isoflavones may relieve some menopausal symptoms and help maintain bone health.
"AdvantaSoy™ Clear™ brand isoflavones allows us to meet the challenge of creating new functional beverages that promote health while retaining the delicious flavors and aromas in the underlying beverages," Ziemann said.
H&FT provides its customers with proprietary science and technology for food applications, new product development, product prototype development and regulatory support. "These concept drinks are perfect showcases for H&FT's ingredients because Cargill drew on its strong science and technology staff to develop them," Ziemann said.
Cargill's H&FT business is part of a larger Cargill initiative called Food System Design (FSD). As such, Health & Food Technologies works in concert with customers to produce ingredient breakthroughs and other food system solutions that result in appetizing, nutritious, and convenient consumer products.
Cargill Health & Food Technologies, based in Minneapolis, is a leading developer, processor and marketer of science-based, healthy ingredients for food and dietary supplements worldwide. It is a business unit of Cargill, Incorporated, an international marketer, processor and distributor of agricultural, food, financial and industrial products and services with 97,000 employees in 59 countries. Cargill provides distinctive customer solutions in supply chain management, food applications, and health and nutrition.
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