BENEO Showcases Natural Energy Management Options at IFT

14 Jul 2015 --- During this year’s IFT Food Expo, ingredient manufacturer BENEO will be highlighting natural food and beverage options for energy management with its next generation sugar, Palatinose at booth #709. Derived from beet sugar, Palatinose delivers energy in a balanced and sustained way naturally.

"BENEO sees an enormous potential for future food and drinks providing balanced and sustained energy from natural sources. According to market research commissioned by BENEO, consumers of all ages are seeking natural sources that will provide the delivery of sustained energy throughout the day. But they feel that existing energy drinks simply provide an initial alertness burst and then a subsequent crash effect," said Jon Peters, President of BENEO Inc. "Our low glycemic sugar Palatinose provides body cell energy in a balanced and sustained way and promotes enhanced fat oxidation during physical activity – characteristics that matter to consumers."

The need for options to better manage energy naturally is a concern for endurance athletes as well for consumers leading a hectic lifestyle including multiple demands from their jobs, households and family lives with kids. Consumer research shows that 67 percent of the U.S. population is concerned about having enough energy to successfully perform throughout the day. More than every second US consumer is looking to gain energy in a natural way, without the boost and crash delivered by commonly known sugars such as sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup or maltodextrin. At the same time consumers try to avoid other products like caffeine or guarana that only provide "energy" by manipulating our central nervous system but do not provide actual energy for body cells.

Being chemically classified as sugar but having completely different physiological characteristics BENEO’s Palatinose is the next generation sugar. It is the only fully available but slowly released sugar that supplies our body with energy in a fully sufficient and more balanced and sustained way than other sugars. Being low glycemic, low insulinemic and contributing to a better fat oxidation in energy metabolism, Palatinose is potentially providing benefits for glucose control, body composition and weight management. An FDA health claim also confirms that Palatinose does not promote tooth decay. Palatinose is non-GMO, and is derived from beet sugar. In nature, it can also be found in honey and sugar molasses.

Visitors at BENEO’s booth #709 will have the opportunity to speak to endurance athlete Stefan Schlegel who is using Palatinose as his main source of carbohydrate energy during both training and competition. He will be cycling at the BENEO booth during the entire IFT opening hours on Sunday, July 12 and Monday, July 13. Schlegel successfully finished the 3,000-mile non-stop Race Across America (RAAM) in 2012 and 2014. He will team up with Palatinose again for RAAM 2016 as well as for the 6-12-24 hour world time trial championships in November 2015 in Borrego Springs, CA. According to Schlegel both during RAAM 2014, "I did not experience a single hunger pang during the race, never felt a lack of energy and my blood glucose level remained constant, which is crucial for endurance races."

Visitors to the BENEO booth can also test samples and speak with BENEO’s technical and nutritional experts. The company will feature technical samples including a breakfast cookie that combines Palatinose and the chicory root fiber Orafti Inulin and thus is a "source of fiber" and "reduced glycemic". Gluten-free muffins will also be available for tasting. Containing BENEO’s rice starch, rice flour and prebiotic fiber oligofructose they retain their moistness and freshness for longer and are also a good source of fiber. Additionally, a market sample of Nth Degree’s low GI drink will be featured, which utilizes Palatinose as the low glycemic carbohydrate power in its formula.