Custom Nutrient Premixes Can Help Minimize Formulation Issues
A major step that manufacturers can take to help ensure product success is the utilization of a custom nutrient premix that can blend multiple ingredients to produce a homogenous mix so that every portion of a product contains the same amount of each ingredient.
16/02/09 The need to fortify foods and beverages to appeal to the ever growing demand of a global population seeking multiple health benefits shows no sign of slowing down. People throughout the world understand the long term benefits of a healthy diet, which in turn, offers manufacturers an ongoing Condition Marketing opportunity to develop fortified, ‘good for you’ products that target specific health conditions, as well as overall wellness. With today’s fast-paced lifestyle impacting everyone from kids to seniors, fortification plays a vital role in delivering the vast array of nutrients that one would traditionally receive from a well-balanced diet.
With the technology that is available to us today, numerous types of food and beverage products offer fortification opportunities. However, consumer expectations surrounding issues such as taste, texture (mouth feel) and appearance will make the difference between a product that is successful and delivers repeat purchase and one that fails. A major step that manufacturers can take to help ensure product success is the utilization of a custom nutrient premix that can blend multiple ingredients to produce a homogenous mix so that every portion of a product contains the same amount of each ingredient.
Selection of the optimal chemical and physical form of ingredients based on end use, as well as premix processing techniques, and testing can make the difference between producing a reliable, high quality, homogeneous, shelf-stable nutrient premix and an inferior one that may cause poor consumer confidence, potential regulatory issues or recall situations. Manufacturers should also understand that consumers are increasingly demanding to know the origin of ingredients in their products. Given today’s current events surrounding contamination issues as they relate to nutrients, it is of the utmost importance for a company or product developer to work with a quality premix manufacturer who has strong relationships and guidelines in place with suppliers to ensure quality, traceability and accuracy of the nutrients. While many within the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries project a lot of skepticism today that degrades nutrient suppliers in China, what is important is not where the manufacturer is located, but that the premix manufacturer has a strict quality assurance and control program, with protocol in place that guarantees quality nutrients and mitigates any risk with the development of the end product. Additionally, particle size, specific ingredients, the type of blending equipment used, along with processing considerations, all need to be taken into consideration. The challenge in blending ingredients with different particle sizes is that bulk density and variable particle sizes can lead to segregation. Therefore, minor nutrients should be diluted with another carrier to get the two different materials to blend well in order to make a homogeneous product. In the nutraceutical/functional food industries, combination products are the norm and the most common nutrients are vitamins, minerals, amino acids, nucleotides and other functional food ingredients offered in a single serving of powdered products – tablet or capsule. The average premix formulation contains approximately 10 to 14 active nutrients, but some formulations can contain more than 50 active components.
To comprehend the challenges when producing a homogeneous, correctly-proportioned blend of these active ingredients, it is important to understand that the ratio between some of the ingredients might be more than 1 to 100.000. Presuming success in combining these ingredients into a homogeneous blend, the next challenge is compressing small amounts of the blend into a serving of a nutritional product. Each serving must contain each ingredient in the same proportion as the blend. In fact, making a uniform blend is one of the most critical and complicated steps in manufacturing premixes. While there are many possible reasons for lack of sufficient homogeneity, inadequate blending is often the source of variations or absence of nutrients.
Emerging Ingredient Trends
As we move through 2009, there is a roster of nutrients that will help shape the functional food horizon. Consumers, whether they are interested in taking preventative measures to ward off the possibility of incurring age-related maladies such as osteoporosis, diminished site or cognitive function, or are looking to maintain or increase their level of overall health and wellness in their never ending quest to live healthier lives, will seek out products with nutrients that deliver on these benefits. Some of those nutrients include:
Omega 3 fatty acids, particularly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) -- DHA is the key component in the membrane of brain cells, enhancing the way our brain is able to utilize various chemicals and can turn on the genes that make serotonin to help reduce mood swings and depression. The brain needs omega- 3 fatty acids to form healthy nerve cells. They are also a component of the myelin sheaths which cover the nerves and help to properly send messages. Omega-3s are almost universal in terms of health conditions on which they can have an impact. Their benefits range from lowering the risk of Cerebrovascular diseases and enhanced brain function to acting as an anti-inflammatory and they can aid in joint health. Flaxseed, chia, rapeseed, soybeans, alfalfa, and walnuts contain omega-3 fatty acids. Cold water fish and wild game also are sources of omega-3 fatty acids. In many cases, people do not consume adequate omega-3 fatty acids from dietary sources, and nutritional supplementation is then recommended. Among the applications that can lend themselves to this nutrient iare beverage, dairy products, spreads, and baked goods. The formulator needs to consider potential risk of fat oxidation from other nutrients, like freely water-soluble iron compounds.
Lutein will continue to be a big part of products aimed at promoting eye health as more and more boomers become aware of the need to protect their eyes from age-related macular degeneration. Lutein specifically concentrates in the macula, which is a small area in the center of the retina in the eye. The macula lies directly behind the lens and is the area of the eye that receives the most light. Lutein protects the macula by filtering out potentially damaging forms of light. Among the applications that can lend themselves to this nutrient are beverage, spreads, and health bars. As lutein is a colourant the formulator needs to consider the dosage level if colour change of the finished product is a problem.
CoQ10 is another nutrient that will increase in popularity. This fat-soluble antioxidant protects cellular membranes throughout the body from oxidative damage. It is known for its benefits to the cardiovascular system but it is also being studied for its affect on chronic fatigue syndrome. Among the applications that can lend themselves to this nutrient are beverage and health bars.
Magnesium is a cofactor in over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body. As more becomes known about this mineral, we will see it incorporated into more products and supplements. It is necessary for the transmission of nerve impulses, muscular activity, temperature regulation, detoxification reactions, and for the formation of healthy bones and teeth. It is involved in energy production and the synthesis of DNA and RNA and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. It is also required for the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Magnesium is used in the fortification of many different food products, like beverage, health bars and baked goods. As the recommended daily allowance is high for magnesium the formulator needs to use the right magnesium compounds in order to minimize the risk of off-taste in the final product.
Gamma-amino butyric acid (Gaba) is a non-essential amino acid found in high concentrations throughout the central nervous system. It is frequently referred to as the brain’s natural calming agent and can aid in stress reduction. Benzodiazepines bind to the GABA receptors in the brain, which produces their characteristic anti-anxiety effects. Among the applications that can lend themselves to this nutrient are chocolate, confections, and beverage.
Prebiotics are non-digestible food components that can reach the lower GI tract and help to serve as substrates for the growth of beneficial Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Common prebiotics used in various products include inulin, fructooligosaccharides and lactulose. Studies in young and older healthy adults have shown that prebiotics can help to increase calcium and magnesium absorption. Studies in infants have shown that prebiotics can positively affect postnatal immune development and increase fecal secretory immunoglobulins. Emerging studies indicate that prebiotics can influence appetite and lipid metabolism by modulating the secretion of gastrointestinal peptides. Resistant starch, which is a starch that escapes digestion in the small intestine, also has prebiotic properties that can help to promote microbial production of beneficial short-chain fatty acids in the colon. Among the applications that can lend themselves to this nutrient are beverage, health bars, and baked goods.
Superfruits (i.e., açai, goji, mangosteen, noni, pomegranate, sea-buckthorn, dragon fruit, Indian gooseberry and yumberry, just to name a few) and their purported health benefits continue to gain interest as popular ingredients that target an array of health conditions as well as fill a need for consumer’s growing taste for exotic flavors. While clinical research on this category is still in its infancy, these fruits and their benefit claims, which range from promoting heart health to anti-aging and increased immunity, have been culturally upheld by the various ethnic groups whose diets include these exotic fruits.
Utilizing any of the above mentioned ingredients in a premix requires the product formulator to take several factors into account during the product development stage. In addition to those challenges previously mentioned, the product formulator must also take into account the type of finished product as well as the desired taste, flavor and color of the finished product, solubility, bioavailability, pH level, safety/toxicity, interactions among various ingredients and stability of the individual ingredients. Factors that can affect stability, for instance, include temperature, pH, oxygen, light and moisture; to name a few. And an example of a potential interaction is the formulation of a product that contains thiamine, as well as a superfruit and its possible sulfur dioxide content. Thiamine plays an important role in helping the body metabolize carbohydrates and fat to produce energy, and helps to maintain proper functioning of the heart and the nervous and digestive systems. Combining this nutrient with a superfruit can possibly result in immediate degradation of thiamine due to the fruit’s carry-over of sulfur dioxide. The level of sulfur dioxide should be determined prior to fortification and appropriate overages should be added to compensate for losses.
Among the many factors that can contribute to minimizing interactions, a manufacturer can separate vitamins and minerals into two individual premixes, or encapsulate certain vitamins or minerals or utilize a particular form of a specific ingredient (i.e., Iodine’s ingredient form may be potassium iodide, magnesium’s may be magnesium phosphate, zinc’s may be zinc oxide, copper may be copper gluconate and calcium’s could possibly be tricalcium phosphate, dependent upon what other ingredients are utilized in the premix.)
Most experts on formulation agree that there is no science to blending powders that are part of the finished product and that will work for every product. However, blending powders is very different from blending liquids. Where over-blending is almost impossible, powder-to-powder blends can be “un-mixed” when particles segregate. There are two common blending processes employed in the nutraceutical/dietary-supplement industry to achieve a homogeneous product: dry-blending and wet-granulation. Dry blending is the most common method used to manufacture premixes. A physical property of powders is a critical aspect of dry blending. Before blending starts, first consider the properties of the ingredient powders including flowability, particle size, shape and density. For some combinations of ingredients it might be optimal to use a premix in an oil instead. It could be sunflower or palm oil.
The incorporation of nutrient premixes in food fortification is an essential step that manufacturers will need to take if they are to stay competitive in today’s marketplace. Overall health and wellness within the consumer mindset, as it relates to their purchasing decisions, will greatly influence what gets put into the grocery cart during a trip to the local supermarket. Enhanced waters, meal replacement bars, functional beverages, fortified biscuits, as well as organic foods, will continue to grow in popularity. To successfully introduce new products to the marketplace, a manufacturer needs to lay a solid foundation at the very beginning of the development process. That foundation should include partnering with an experienced nutritional premix formulator to minimize the challenges associated with not just bringing their products to market, but to ensure a product that lives up to its label claims delivers repeat purchase, and protects their brand value or brand relevance.
The author Johnny Thylin, Ph.D. is Technical Director, Fortitech ApS. For additional information on fortification, please visit www.fortitech.com.
