Roquette International Developments in Science and Health Claims

15/06/07 The International Symposium on Functional Foods in Europe took place in St Julian’s, Malta, between 9-11 May 2007. The symposium covered a number of key topics related to functional foods, such as the evolution of dietary patterns, health trends and functional foods, scientific substantiation of claims for foods, consumer perspectives, regulatory issues, and the impact and future of functional foods. It took place in the context of emerging European claims regulation that will demand clear scientific substantiation. Nearly 300 people from many countries attended, representing the ingredients and food industry, regulatory bodies and the universities. More than 30 speakers helped to clarify the many different aspects of functional foods, now a central issue around the world.

Roquette was represented by Dr Catherine LEFRANC-MILLOT and Laetitia DEREMAUX, both from the company’s Nutrition R&D department. Their poster, "Beverages containing a soluble fibre", took place under the rubric of “International Developments in Science and Health Claims”. The aim was to explain how Roquette’s R&D and commercial development strategy makes it possible to launch beverage products whose marketing claims conform wholly to World Health Organization nutritional recommendations.

In the current context of obesity and type II diabetes prevalence, the food industry has to develop strategies that help consumers adopt healthier diets. Well-balanced diets are key to preventing or reducing these life-threatening conditions. Among the various foodstuffs involved in the development of new nutritional strategies, beverages are among the most important. These are often rich in simple sugars that are actually empty calories, i e without nutritive value. They are also often consumed in great quantities delivering a large amount of short-term energy with a high glycaemic response and almost no nutritional benefits.

As an ingredients producer, Roquette set itself the objective of being able to offer the industry a way of improving the nutritional value of classical beverages without affecting the classical taste so important to the consumer. The Roquette presentation emphasized:

- The clinically-proven nutritional and health characteristics of Roquette ingredients.
- The company’s ability to tailor formulae precisely to customer requirements to achieve nutritionally correct, technologically performing beverages that are also tasty.

The glycaemic response triggered by Roquette’s soluble fibre, NUTRIOSE, when used in beverages was highlighted.