Innovative beverage fortification solutions

Due to stable and very small particles BASF's new vitamin E product is clear water soluble, which makes it especially suitable for flavoured and enhanced waters like Pepsi/Gatorades Propel.

BASF has launched a new, liquid and clear watersoluble Vitamin E with superior bioavailability. The product Solu E was developed and patented by German company Aquanova. This product contains 20% synthetic Vitamin-E Acetate encapsulated with the aid of Polysorbates in 30 nm small micells. Due to these stable and very small particles the Vitamin-E Acetat is clear water soluble, which makes it especially suitable for flavoured and enhanced waters like Pepsi/Gatorades Propel.

Compared to other Vitamin E Solubilizates, this product offers especially beverage producers valuable advantages as it is liquid (ready to use) and it is non-foaming which allows maximum speed during beverage filling. In addition this product has a high beverage stability (non-ringing), is kosher and free of alcohol and GMOs.

“Beverages are the main application area for this ingredient, but the product is not necessarily exclusive to beverages,” Andreas Ernst at BASF told FoodIngredientsFirst. “It can be applied to all water based applications”, he added.

The product, which has just been launched is yet to be adopted by a company, but the potential for a watersoluble vitamin E is great. According to Ernst, enhanced water is the fastest growing segment in the US beverage market. This category reached already 10% of the bottled water sales in US supermarkets.

The product launch followed BASF’s successful completion of their protein-free beta-Carotene product portfolio, with the worldwide first 20% protein-free cold water dispersible Beta-Carotene powder. In addition to the protein-free 10% Lucarotin 10 CWD/O (O = Orange) the company has just introduced the 20% Lucarotin 20 CWD/R (R = Red) as a protein-free alternative to our current fish gelatin based Lucarotin 10 CWD F/R, with same colour hue and performance.

“The product can be used to give beverages a more reddish color,“ Ernst commented. “So far we have seen major market development for reddish type beverages. Products such as ACE drinks are becoming more reddish compared to the orange of the past,” he added.

BASF’s new beadlet powder is based on modified food starch, isomalt and corn-starch. Ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate and d, l-alpha-tocopherol are added as antioxidants. It will be produced kosher and halal. Based on the used ingredients, this product will be in addition IP-GMO-free, protein-free, animal-free (vegan + vegetarian) and according to EU and US food allergen labeling directives “allergen-free”.

The main applications of Lucarotin 20 CWD/R are – as for the company’s current Lucarotin 10 CWD F/R – fruit juice beverages where a deep red-orange colour and provitamin A is desired (e.g. ACE pink grapefruit or blood orange) as well as effervescent tablets.

It can also be used in combination with our Lucarotin 10 CWD/O to finetune the colour of beverages between orange and red as needed.

www.basf-ag.de