FiE 2017 Innovation Awards: Life Stages and Growth categories – the nominees
20 Nov 2017 --- Last week, FoodIngredientsFirst took a look at some of the award nominees for the Reduction & Reformulation Innovation Award and the Sustainability and Organic Champion Award as well as the clean Label & Natural Innovation Award. On 28 November, the winners of this year's FiE Innovation Awards will be announced at the world's largest food and beverage ingredients show.
Today FoodIngredientsFirst is taking a closer look at the nominees for the Life Stages Innovation Award and the Growth Categories Innovation Award.
Life Stages Innovation Award
Nominated for the Life Stages Innovation Award are Arla Food Ingredients and Novozymes.
Arla Foods Ingredients: Crystal Clear Protein Water with Lacprodan DI-9213
Crystal Clear Protein Water with Lacprodan DI-9213 is a taste-neutral ingredient made from whey protein that keeps both water and fat and sugar-free sports drinks crystal clear.
Manel Romeu Bellés, Industry Marketing Manager, Arla Foods Ingredients spoke to FoodIngredientsFirst: “Whey protein is the preferred type of protein for most sports nutrition users because it offers a high-quality nutrition profile and supports muscle recovery and building after exercise. For active nutrition consumers, ready to drink beverages (RTDs) with whey protein are also the perfect alternative to a snack, because they keep hunger at bay.”
“However, it has traditionally been difficult to add whey to UHT RTDs, and it has been even harder to incorporate whey into clear RTDs without compromising the taste, texture and appearance of the product. Lacprodan DI-9213 addresses all of these challenges. It can be successfully incorporated into a crystal clear RTD that is 100 percent whey-based, contains up to 8.5 percent protein content, is sugar and fat-free, and offers a delicious taste,” explains Romeu Bellés. 
“If you add standard whey protein to a beverage formulation, you’ll encounter a number of technical hurdles that make creating a whey-based clear RTD product very difficult. One of these is increased turbidity, which is a gradual thickening of the formulation and a milky-white appearance that occurs as the protein content of the liquid increases.”
“Another common problem is the separation of the protein content from the rest of the liquid, creating an uneven texture. Previously manufacturers have dealt with these issues by using opaque packaging, instead of transparent bottles, and by encouraging consumers to shake the product well before use. A further challenge is an unpleasant taste, causing a feeling of dryness in the mouth, an issue that in the past could only be dealt with by masking the flavor with sweeteners, which are rejected by many consumers today who are seeking clean labels,” he notes.
Developed by Arla Foods Ingredients’ R&D department, Lacprodan DI-9213 overcomes each one of these hurdles to make whey protein-based clear drinks a reality. All their whey-derived protein ingredients are sourced from grass-fed cows, are non-GMO and contain no hormones, ensuring all-around clean and clear labels for health-conscious consumers.
Lacprodan DI-9213 has been designed to be used in high protein RTDs, and particularly high protein clear RTDs. Protein waters have become an established sub-category in the market in recent years, delivering a refreshing, effective and on-the-go nutrition product that has been very well received by both sports aficionados and people looking to lead a healthy lifestyle. With Lacprodan DI-9213, sport nutrition manufacturers and beverage manufacturers can launch a new and improved generation of crystal clear protein waters without compromising taste, texture and appearance.
Lacprodan DI-9213 is available for sports nutrition and beverage manufacturers globally.
Novozymes: Formea
Experts consider Novozymes' milk proteins for infant formulas to be a promising ingredient to reduce the risk of allergic reactions.
Benjamin Thieringer, Novozymes Launch Management and Positioning, tells FoodIngredientsFirst: “Producers of low-allergenic infant formulas are currently limited to animal-based trypsin (which is the industry benchmark) and to common proteases. With Formea, Novozymes has developed an innovative microbial (and therefore non-animal-based) trypsin- and chymotrypsin-like protease. Because it’s non-animal-based, Formea offers producers a Kosher- and Halal-approved solution. No other enzyme supplier has a comparable product available today.”
According to Thieringer, Formea overcomes two main industry challenges: “The first is process optimization,” he says. “The complexity of two completely different production processes (non-Kosher/Halal and Kosher/Halal) can be reduced to one when Formea is used.”
“The second is consistent quality. Animal-based trypsin contains naturally varying amounts of trypsin and chymotrypsin (it depends on the diet of the animal),” he explains. “With Formea TL and CTL there is no variation, and the producer has full freedom to combine these two components precisely in the desired ratio. Furthermore, this enables producers to develop their individual peptide profile.”
Formea has been developed specifically to fit the needs of low-allergenic infant formula producers.
Development of infant formulas requires at least two or more years. Formea has been commercially available for one year and is in process of being tested by potential customers. The product is targeted for the low-allergenic infant formula market, which is global in scope.
Growth Categories Innovation Award
The Growth Categories Innovation Award targets dairy, bakery and beverages.
Erie Foods International, Inc.: ECCO Milk Protein Crisp
Erie is nominated for the Growth Categories Innovation Award for their low-fat milk protein crisps – containing 90 percent protein – that can be consumed directly or used as an ingredient in bars or breakfast cereals. 
Justin Banach, Technical Services and Process Development at Erie Foods International, Inc., tells FoodIngredientsFirst: “Not all protein crisps are created equal. Each ECCO Milk Protein Crisp contains 80 percent casein and 20 percent whey on a protein basis, the same ratio found in fluid milk, and the product’s ingredient statement cleanly reads “Milk Protein Isolate.” Only dairy ingredients are used and by not adding flour or starch, protein levels are able to exceed 90 percent. Protein concentration this high exceeds the industry standard. Moreover, size and shape, and select physical attributes of these light and crunchy pieces are customizable to meet the needs of the customer’s final application.”
“The market already had dairy (e.g., whey) and non-dairy (e.g., soy) based protein enriched crisps. However, it lacked a product that was both truly dairy and truly protein,” explains Banach. “Casein, the major structural protein in ECCO Milk Protein Crisps, is digested slower than whey protein and starchy carbohydrates, which allows for sustained nutrition and satiety. Customers no longer have to sift through suppliers to meet size and shape specifications and consumers no longer have to worry about carbohydrate consumption while consuming protein crisp fortified products.”
ECCO Milk Protein Crisps were designed to be an ingredient, inclusion, and standalone snack. The 2.5mm crisps function well in bars, baked goods, and have even been used as high-protein breading. Crisps with 5mm size have been made into clusters bound together by sweetened coatings and, separately, can be added to ready to eat breakfast cereals. With bland flavor profile, the 10mm product can be easily coated with confectionary or savory flavors. Coated crisps are ready for direct consumption, but can also be added to trail mixes or any other application requiring a crispy texture, beefed-up protein, and minimal carbohydrate and fat addition. ECCO Milk Protein Crisps make a great snack for any occasion, according to Banach.
ECCO Milk Protein Crisps are about 1.5 years post product launch and are currently being used in commercial products. This number is expected to grow to 10 by the end of the 2017 calendar year, the company claims. Primary interest has been in the nutrition market hoping to expand into indulgent or savory “better-for-me” products. Crisps have been purchased by independent nutritionists hoping to change the world one crisp at a time and by a couple leading sports nutrition companies that can help take ECCO Milk Protein Crisps to the next level.
Parabel: LENTEIN
Also nominated in this category is Parabel for their duckweed plant protein. With an amino acid score of more than 1.0, it is – according to WHO – a full protein and suitable for use in drinks, snacks and bars.
LENTEIN is a plant protein that comes from the world’s smallest flowering plant, Lemnaceae, commonly called the Water Lentil or Duckweed. It grows on top of still water all around the world and has been a food source in East Asia for a long time. Parabel is the first company to develop an open hydroponic system to grow, process and commercialize the plant.
“More and more people are looking to add plant protein to their diet. Existing plant proteins are thought of as ‘not complete’ and this is where LENTEIN can help. LENTEIN protein contains higher levels of Essential Amino Acids and BCAA’s than other plant proteins and has an amino acid profile similar to whey protein. The protein is also very digestible with a typical PDCAAS of 0.93,” Cecilia Wittbjer, from Parabel tells FoodIngredientsFirst.
LENTEIN Complete also fits into the “free-from” trend since it’s free from soy, gluten and lactose. It’s also a non-GMO and a minimally processed whole food ingredient.
“People are also looking for sustainable ingredients,” explains Wittbjer. “Parabel grows the water lentil in a hydroponic pond and the water used in the system is recycled to 98 percent, making the water use per kg of protein minimal. It takes 24 hours for the plant to double its biomass so it can be harvested every day. The water in the system is monitored carefully and the result is a highly nutritious, clean, green protein ingredient. LENTEIN is thought of as having close to zero carbon and water footprint partly due to the fact that the precipitation and the trans-evaporation in Florida seem to equal out.”
“LENTEIN Complete is our whole food ingredient containing 40-50 percent protein and 35 percent dietary fibers. This is an ingredient that has been very popular for nutritional beverages such as meal replacements and sports protein powders due to its dispersibility, but also in snacks and bars. Because of its high chlorophyll content, it has a mild, pleasant green taste and color. It also contains 38/55 percent DV of Omega 3 for Males/Females and more than 15 mg of Lutein per serving.”
Parabel is already producing LENTEIN Complete in the USA where the company received the IFT innovations award in 2015. Their facilities are in Florida where Parabel is currently in the process of building its second commercially sized plant. This facility will have a capacity of 3500 tons of protein to add to the capacity of the first facility which is currently set to produce 300 tons per year. “We are currently sampling food manufacturers all over the world and selling commercially in the US where we have the relevant regulatory approval. Parabel has submitted the EU Novel Food application for the European market,” adds Wittbjer.
Partner-M: Amilon
Another candidate in this category is Partner-M. This company’s starch flour, Amilon, is based on Russian wheat, serves as a Starch flour Amilon is a natural product made from Russian wheat by an innovative "green" method. Due to high starch content it serves as a substitute for traditional starch in bakery and confectionery recipes with improved baking properties, regulates the viscous-plastic properties of the dough, allows obtaining products with excellent texture. Cold-swelling form of Amilon has the property of retaining up to 4 volumes of water, so it is recommended as a water-retaining additive to increase shelf life, porosity of products, improve organoleptic properties. The ingredient does not require special labeling and can be shown as "wheat flour."
Other categories listed:
Performance Nutrition Innovation Award
ADM: Clean label vegetable protein: ADM HIsolate 75/80 is an organic, plant-based high-protein powder that is ideal for increasing the protein content of nutrition bars, vegetarian meat analogs, cereals and snacks. HIsolate is produced using a unique mechanical processing method, known as expeller pressing, to ensure it is chemical-free and retains all the nutrients and antioxidants present in the original soy beans. Available in both a powdered and textured format, HIsolate is minimally processed, gluten-free and non-GMO, while containing 71% protein and has been designed to support manufacturers in meeting consumer demand for high-protein products, without compromising a clean label. .
Future of Nutrition Award
The Future of Nutrition Award is the only category that also targets non-exhibitors.
Monteloeder
Monteloeder, a Biotech Company with more than 20 years of experience developing and commercializing functional ingredients, has developed a methodology to digitize healthcare and wellbeing products. By using mobile technology, combined with the latest advances in Big Data Analysis and Machine Learning, the company aims to personalize consumer’s experience. Their solution integrates an efficient product and leading technologies along with personal and context information to establish a direct interaction with consumers. These interactions will allow adding value to consumers, giving personalized advice and information, facilitating preventive health approaches whilst collecting valuable data in return.
Alberts
Alberts is a micro-factory focused on the automated preparation of smoothies and self-cleaning, with excellent taste, no added sugar. Recipes are based on nutritional computations of molecular ingredient compatibility and thereby scientifically optimized for nutrition and taste. Consumers pay only €3 for a 300ml smoothie. In every region, the open business model includes local frozen vegetables & fruit suppliers and other partners. Albert has agreed on a contract with Carrefour Belgium to install multiple Alberts Stations in their Stores all over Belgium.
By Elizabeth Green
