DSM's PeptoPro not to be marketed as hangover cure

The potential for the bioactive in cutting out hangovers was discovered by pure chance last year at the Athens Olympic Games.

DSM’s marketing manager for PeptoPro has said that the company will not supply its bioactive peptide product to the pre-mixed alcohol market, despite the potential it holds as a hangover cure. “We don’t want to damage the reliable image of the product and our company by endorsing a product that effectively promotes the abuse of alcohol,” Stefan Siebrecht told FoodIngredientsFirst.

The potential for PeptoPro in cutting out hangovers was discovered by pure chance last year at the Athens Olympic Games. Thousands of cans of DSM’s PeptoPro Recovery sports drink were distributed at the Holland Heineken House, where Dutch fans welcomed heroes from their Olympic team, who used PeptoPro during their training for the event. Many fans did not like the characteristic taste of the sports drink and mixed it with vodka, and discovered that the next day that they were less tired than usual following a binge and didn’t have a headache.

PeptoPro, which was originally developed in partnership with the Netherlands Olympic Committee, is a casein hydrolysate produced using a new and patented process, which hydrolyzes casein to produce small, non-allergenic peptides that are immediately available for the body’s use in various functions including the ability to enhance muscle recovery during and after exercise.

The DSM Food Specialties development team selected casein derived from milk, which offers a better balance of essential and non-essential amino acids than soy, wheat, corn or whey protein, making it better for protecting and building muscle. The casein hydrolysate is then treated with an enzyme that cleaves the peptide chains within the protein into a unique di- and tri-peptide combination, eliminating the bitter-tasting peptides and allergens, and allowing immediate uptake in the digestive system while supplying essential amino acids intact.

German based sports drink provider Haleko was the first to launch a PeptoPro containing drink and extended its range two weeks ago. The company now offers five varieties, including a 2% version and a 1% version to be consumed during exercise. A major Irish beverage company is set to launch products containing PeptoPro in June or July of this year.

Meanwhile the ingredient was launched in the US in April and Siebrecht revealed that five or six companies are currently working on concepts with PeptoPro for it there. He would not go further than saying that “DSM is working on a lot of new unique and highly innovative concepts for the drinks market.”

Siebrecht sees DSM’s product PeptoPro also having the potential in healthier energy drink alternatives to caffeinated energy drinks like, by using green tea extract for example as an active energy ingredient combined with PeptoPro. Meanwhile he noted that the product also has potential as a kids’ drink for in the morning, low in sugar with milk protein, minerals and vitamins in it. “We are working on isotonic, mineral drinks as well as on healthy alternative drinks for kids or elderly people who don’t like milk or are allergic to it and use unhealthy high sugar soft drinks instead. The drink would contain only 4 grams of sugar per 100ml compared to the 10-18 grams per 100ml that you see in some major soft drinks and would contain 10-20g milk protein,” he said.

Kids and parents would like these drinks because they taste nice like a soft drink, although they are low in sugar and they are offering the health benefits of milk protein, minerals and vitamins, he noted.

www.peptopro.com