Biovelop Launches Novel Oat Beta Glucan Product

With many seeing soluble fibres as the next big growth area within the international functional foods sector, PromOat is claimed to differentiate itself from competitors by containing no insoluble oat fibre or oat protein, which are the components that can prejudice the flavour and aesthetics of finished products.

Sep 28 2010 --- Biovelop AB, “The Swedish cereal fractionation specialists” have launched a new, revolutionary oat-based soluble fibre ingredient, containing 35% beta glucan, called PromOat. Neutral in both taste and colour, PromOat is now set to open up opportunities for the wider application of oat-based beta glucans in a range of food and drink products not usually associated with oats.

With many seeing soluble fibres as the next big growth area within the international functional foods sector, PromOat is claimed to differentiate itself from competitors by containing no insoluble oat fibre or oat protein, which are the components that can prejudice the flavour and aesthetics of finished products.

Also benefiting from being gluten free, Biovelop AB expect to see huge interest from international food and drink manufacturers looking to take advantage of the growing ‘free from’ and functional food sectors.

Set up in 2003, Biovelop AB have invested more than €20 million into the research and development of PromOat, which includes the €15 million creation of a state of the art, oat grain processing facility. Using locally sourced oats, the company’s patented, pioneering, production process is chemical free, unlike competitors, so provides food and drink manufacturers with a clean label final product.  

Already trialled in fruit juices, smoothies, ready meals, condiments, dressings, processed meat and bakery products, PromOat enables products to provide or contribute to consumers’ recommended daily intake of 3g of beta glucan, therefore allowing access to the JHCI, EFSA  and FDA health claims linking oat beta glucan to maintenance of healthy blood cholesterol levels. 

In addition to this, PromOat can also help brands in delivering the other widely publicised and researched but not yet JHCI-, EFSA- and FDA-approved, positive oat health messages.  With various research showing that beta glucans may help to lower blood pressure in people with hypertension, help to regulate blood sugar due to its low Glycemic Index, promote satiety, thus curbing hunger and fighting weight gain as well as acting as a prebiotic for improved gut health and protection against bowel disease, PromOat is positioned as a versatile, value adding ingredient providing brands with key health USP’s.         

PromOat also offers food and drink manufacturers other functional qualities, as it can be used as an effective fat replacer, powerful water binder, emulsifier, stablizer and viscosity modifier while providing products with a creamy, luxurious mouth-feel.  

Professor Mark Lawther, one of the leading experts in cereal grain fractionation who has been spearheading Biovelop’s research and development into oat beta glucan comments,

“International NPD departments are now fully aware of the health benefits and added value which oat beta glucans can provide to new products. Most of the oat beta glucan products available, adversely affect the taste and appearance of non oat-based finished products.  Due to this, it is often a choice between health and taste with many products not making it from testing to shelf.  By being neutral in both taste and colour, as well as providing an indulgent, rounded mouth-feel to finished products, PromOat opens up scope for added value oat beta glucan products in virtually every food and drink category.”